If three months into Iowa’s COVID-19 pandemic there were some locals who still hoped life might return to normal someday, the announcement that The Mill restaurant and music venue was being sold off was likely a wake-up call. The Mill, 120 E Burlington St, was a stomping ground for generations of townies and a destination […]
Mike Kuhlenbeck
Posted inCOVID-19, Uncategorized
Grinnell College to close campus and shift to online learning amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Grinnell College was the first Iowa college to close due to growing concerns of the international outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by novel coronavirus. Students are expected to leave campus by March 23, and make the shift to online learning to complete their courses in an effort to keep the Grinnell community safe. The […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Grinnell College sexual health information center reopens after shutdown by administrators
The Sexual Health Information Center (SHIC) at Grinnell College reopened on Jan. 29 after the administration closed the office and suspended operations “indefinitely” less than a week earlier. The student-led organization is now limited in the scope to their activities, raising serious questions about SHIC’s future and student autonomy at Grinnell. SHIC started as part […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘The Heap’ by Sean Adams
The Heap By Sean Adams — William Morrow (A HarperCollins imprint) Reading: Sean Adams Prairie Lights — Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. In his first novel, Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Sean Adams masterfully satirizes bureaucracy, capitalism and hustle culture in a way that is humorous and disturbing, while constructing an intriguing narrative that deals […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
World premiere of Iowa-made paranormal thriller ‘Red Sunset Drive’ on Oct. 12
Red Sunset Drive Flix Brewhouse, Des Moines — Saturday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The film Red Sunset Drive, a paranormal thriller based on the novel by Jan Walters of Indianola, will make its debut just in time for the Halloween season at Flix Brewhouse in Des Moines on Oct. 12. Walters […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Two opportunities to see co-authors of Holocaust memoir ‘Survivors Club’ in Iowa
The co-authors of the Holocaust memoir Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz will be in West Des Moines and Ames for two presentations hosted by the Iowa Jewish Historical Society (IJHS) on Sept. 15 and 16.
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘Loudermilk: Or, The Real Poet; Or, The Origin of the World’ by Lucy Ives
The latest novel from author and Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Lucy Ives, Loudermilk: Or, The Real Poet; Or, The Origin of The World, is a richly textured satirical tapestry that entertains with highbrow gusto.
Posted inCommunity/News
Grinnell College students are collecting interviews with LGBTQ Iowans for oral histories project
June 28 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in New York City, an event that catapulted the struggle for LGBTQ rights into the public consciousness. Of course, this struggle did not begin with Stonewall, or end with any law or Supreme Court decision — nor is LGBTQ history limited to high-profile protests in big cities. A dedicated group of Grinnell College students and their professor are
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘You or a Loved One’ by Gabriel Houck
You or a Loved One is an arresting collection of short stories by New Orleans native Gabriel Houck. Houck, who earned an MFA from the University of Iowa’s Nonfiction Writing Program, is currently a lecturer in the English department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Posted inCommunity/News
Upcoming opportunities to hear from Holocaust survivor Celina Karp Biniaz
“Schindler’s List” survivor Celina Karp Biniaz will return to Des Moines for Memories and Melodies of Auschwitz at Tifereth Israel Synagogue on the evening of April 1st, presented by the Iowa Jewish Historical Society (IJHS) and for several following presentations of Second Chance: My Story.
Posted inOpinion
Book Review: ‘Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim’ by Ed Fallon
Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim: A Memoir From The Great March for Climate Action Ed Fallon, Business Publications Corporation Inc. (Des Moines, IA) Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim is a memoir by Bold Iowa’s “Agitator in Chief” Ed Fallon, detailing the eight-month saga of his 3,100-mile journey from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. known as “The Great March for […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Gridshock’ filmmaker honored for Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month
The new documentary on human trafficking in Iowa, Gridshock, will be screened for audiences at the world premiere hosted at The Des Moines Civic Center on April 2. Director Vanessa McNeal is a survivor of sexual violence who has gone on to become an acclaimed speaker and documentarian. Drawing on her deeply personal experiences, she […]
