On the evening of Feb. 4, 1932, an eager crowd gathered at the Hoyt Sherman Place auditorium for a recital of spirituals by a man whose bass-baritone voice was already legendary. Paul Robeson was an all-American football player, Columbia-educated lawyer, and star of both a hit musical and a West End Shakespeare production. A Des […]
Mike Kuhlenbeck
Posted inCommunity/News
Pulitzer-winning novelist Edna Ferber’s painful time in Ottumwa shaped her as an artist and ‘a human being’
“Life can’t ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer’s lover until death — fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, constant; the more varied the moods, the richer the experience. I’ve learned to value every stab of pain and disappointment.” —Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘The American people must have more than a choice between evils’: Iowan Henry A. Wallace, FDR’s vice president, was an ag innovator and fierce antifascist
“The Cornfield Prophet” Henry A . Wallace, known for his pioneering work in agriculture, was a progressive statesman who championed the “Century of the Common Man.” A heartbeat away from the presidency for four years as FDR’s vice president, his supporters viewed him as the torchbearer for the New Deal, while opponents dismissed him as […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Des Moines locals fight to save Birdland Pool and prove the North Side isn’t ‘a path of least resistance’
Generations of Des Moines residents have flocked to their neighborhood swimming pools for fun and to find relief from the heat, especially during potentially deadly heat waves. For almost 90 years, destinations have included the historic Birdland Pool at 300 Holcomb Ave in Highland Park, which opened to the general public on May 31, 1936. The […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
David Lynch’s Iowa odyssey
David Lynch, who was called “America’s first surrealist filmmaker” by actor Dennis Hopper, died in Los Angeles at age 78 on Jan. 16, four days shy of his 79th birthday. Known for films such as Mulholland Drive (2001), he gained a new audience during the COVID pandemic as the internet’s favorite weatherman, streaming daily reports from “Here in sunny L.A.” on his YouTube channel.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Book Review: ‘The Language of Love and Loss’ by Bart Yates
As Noah York says of his mother: “Of course I love her, but that’s beside the point.” She is the “most complicated person” he knows, “running the gamut from holy woman to gargoyle, depending on the day.” In The Language of Love and Loss (Kensington Books), it has been eight months since 37-year-old Noah — […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Already claiming ‘goat’ status, the new Greenbelt Music Festival wants to kick off the outdoor fest season for years to come
One detail that’s still being confirmed is whether or not the goats will be in attendance at the new music festival. “A lot of people don’t know there’s a large number of goats at Clive City Hall that take care of the Greenbelt Trail and we’ll hopefully have them here as well,” said Tariq Lundy, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
It’s full steam ahead for Iowa City Starbucks employees moving to unionize
Update: On May 11, workers at the downtown Iowa City Starbucks voted unanimously, 25-0, to unionize. Baristas and supervisors at the Iowa City Burlington and Clinton Starbucks store made history on March 27, filing a petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to form a union. They join the ranks of thousands of workers […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Book Review: ‘The Thing in the Snow’ by William Morrow
The Thing In The Snow (William Morrow) is set in a remote location “where the snow never melts.” Given my fiery hatred of Iowa winters, this was already enough to catapult me into a headspace of inexplicable tension that kept me turning the pages of Sean Adams’ latest novel. Our narrator, Hart, is a supervisor […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘Saved By Schindler: The Life of Celina Karp Biniaz’ by William B. Friedricks
“I am a Holocaust survivor, and every survival story is unique. What makes mine unique is that I was fortunate enough to be on ‘Schindler’s List.’” These are the words of Celina Karp Biniaz, one of youngest to be included on Schindler’s List and among the last of the remaining survivors. The story of how […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Why three longtime downtown Iowa City business owners decided to make a change in 2022
Yotopia marks its 11th anniversary this year at the Clinton Street entrance of the Iowa City Ped Mall. The locally owned shop serves frozen yogurt sourced from the Country View Dairy in Hawkeye, Iowa, non-dairy vegan desserts and full-fat options “for those who want a more decadent indulgence,” as Veronica Tessler, owner of Yotopia, told […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa has ‘among the worst protections’ from abusive towing in the nation. In Des Moines, criticism has centered on one tow company
One year after a Des Moines towing and impound company lost its contract with Polk County amid allegations of predatory behavior, the controversy ignited a wider discussion about towing laws and the rights of motorists. The towing and impound company Crow’s Auto Service, Inc. (better known as Crow Tow) has been in business for over […]
