Content warning: Suicide Ruth stands alone on a rocky shore, surrounded by a hazy sea. In the distance, a shape appears through the mist. A boat approaches, and at the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: From the lobby to stage, New York Voices (with an assist from a local youth choir) brought Christmas spirit to the Staplin Center
Civic Music Association’s centennial season invites a wide array of musicians to Des Moines, and this past weekend they ushered in the holiday season at Staplin Performing Arts Center with a festive performance of The Sounds of the Season by New York Voices.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Dubbed the ‘gadget guy’ of jazz, Herbie Hancock used tech to change music forever. He honed his skills in Grinnell
In his last performance in Iowa City, jazz great Herbie Hancock mentioned how he felt “at home in Iowa” because of his years at Grinnell College. For most artists, a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Shoreline work, dredging, algae prevention part of state’s 2026 lake restoration plan
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has about $9.6 million annually of state appropriated money to improve water quality and recreational opportunities at Iowa lakes. Most of these projects take […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘You’re My Waterloo’: How a very 1982 tourism song became a Cedar Valley sensation
In 1982, the inaugural My Waterloo Days Festival was held as a celebration of the beginning of the summer. Replete with a parade, laser light shows and hot air balloons, […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Downtown Iowa City’s 500-foot rule for bars matters
By Karen Kubby, Iowa City Fifteen years ago, there were public health initiatives that launched the current era of downtown Iowa City. Downtown had an overabundance of bars. Our city […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa Democrats want early nominating spot back in 2028, survey shows
Iowa Democrats largely agree that they want to return to their historical spot as an early state in the 2028 Democratic presidential nominating cycle, according to survey results released by […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Christmas mirth and murder, a Seyfried/Sweeney showdown and all the films you need to see in local theaters this month
Hey folks, welcome back to Little Big Screen: On the Big, Big Screen, where film columnist Benjamin McElroy recommends five screenings happening at Iowa’s independent movie theaters. Keep scrolling for […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Worth a Rewatch: ‘The Idiot’ (1951) is a Kurosawa deep-cut from a Dostoevsky superfan — and an idiotic film studio
Akira Kurosawa seems keenly aware of the improbability of translating literature into film, especially in the case of Dostoevsky, who Kurosawa calls more psychological than visual. But Kurosawa wanted to make The Idiot.
Posted inEastern Iowa Arts & Entertainment
The Black Rose will continue as an online bookstore after closing its West Branch location
The Black Rose, the West Branch bookstore and cocktail lounge that opened earlier this year, has closed its brick-and-mortar location, owner Ashley Kofoed announced on Sunday on social media. “This […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City’s favorite bell disappeared after an incident involving a ‘madman,’ a mob and the Mormon Trail. Now, 177 years later, it’s back.
After 177 years, 1,200 miles, $35,000 and a 70-page report by historians from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a 782-pound church bell was returned to its original […]
Posted inCommunity/News
LV at 25: How did Little Village get its name?
LV at 25 is an occasional series about the history of Little Village, as the magazine celebrates its 25th year in print. What’s in a name? In Little Village‘s case, […]
