Talk of Iowa

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has built giant troll sculptures all over the world. He makes them entirely out of reclaimed materials and hides them in natural spaces. Iowa is now home to four trolls, as part of Dambo's 'Trolls of America' dream to have at least one troll in all 50 states. On this archive episode, we talk with Dambo about he came to be a world-famous trash artist and hear from the Clinton residents, who convinced Dambo's team to install wooden trolls. (This show was originally produced April 28, 2026.)

Mrs. Meyer of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day cleaning products is a real woman who lives right here in Iowa. Today, we hear from Thelma Meyer and her daughter Monica Nassif, founder of Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day and author of 'I Bottled My Mother.' Then, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Beaverdale Bluegrass Festival.

Five young journalists spent a week learning about radio, exploring moments of truth and creating multimedia stories. On this episode, we meet the journalists who participated in the NextGen Journalism Project, a program that helps coach and train public media's next generation, and hear their work.

The Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus sings music with a message. On this episode of Talk of Iowa, we hear from two members as the chorus turns 25 years old. Then, we hear from the founder of 'The Healing Obituary.' She teaches how to write obituaries and makes the case for why they should be done by humans.

Addressing the challenges that are showing up in our trees and perennials this summer.

Shakespeare is everywhere in Iowa this summer! On this episode we talk to the creatives behind the inaugural Northern Iowa Shakespeare Festival in Cedar Falls, which is holding its final performances of 'As You Like It' this weekend. Then, we feature two established Shakespeare events in the state - Riverside Theatre's Free Shakespeare in Lower City Park which is performing 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' this June in Iowa City, and Shakespeare on the Lawn, which is co-produced by Iowa Stage Theatre Company and Salisbury House and Gardens in Des Moines. They're producing 'Measure for Measure' this July. Later in the episode, Amanda Thomas-Murphy of Iowa Pride Ensembles joins to talk about their busy Pride Month with marching band performances around central Iowa, as well as their jazz and concert bands.

A summer road trip is a ticket to adventure, and experienced road trippers know to expect the unexpected. On this episode, we're hitting the road — we'll hear stories about two of Iowa's most over the top road trips, RAGBRAI and Relay Iowa, a cross-country journey with a few twists and a happily-ever-after, and much more.

Mark Twain said the Missouri River is too thick to drink and too thin to plow. The Big Muddy doesn't get the kind of attention the Mighty Mississippi does, but it's the longest river in North America and pivotal in the history of our nation. When it was time for Lisa Dill's family to replace the old pontoon boat on Lake Okoboji, her cousins suggested taking it on a journey down the Missouri and giving it away at the end. Dill jumped on board. She wrote about the experience and the river in 'Around the Bend: Floating Down the Missouri River.' Then, school's out for summer, but that doesn't mean we can't still learn. In the first installment of 'Talk of Iowa Summer School,' middle school science teacher Mark Dorhout shares how birdhouses can be a tool to encourage the next generation of citizen scientists.

A pediatrician who works with a range of patients with autism helps us understand autism spectrum disorder, why diagnosis is more common today and what we know about possible causes on this award-winning episode. Then, Iowans in the autism community share their thoughts and experiences. (This episode was originally produced in October 2025.)

There are a lot of different things that can derail a fruit crop, even after your blossoms have survived the last frost. It was a tough spring for many fruit crops, but if you are lucky enough to have some fruit on your tree, there are a few things you can do to help them thrive. On this Horticulture Day episode, we hear from Iowa State University Extension Horticulture Specialists Randal Vos and Aaron Steil. We find out what we should be doing when it comes to summer fruit management and answer listener questions.

Jean Lloyd-Jones served in both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate, starting in 1979. Now, at age 96, she has published a memoir called 'A Women's Place: My Life as a Public Servant.' On this episode, Lloyd-Jones shares about how her career expectations didn't extend much beyond finding a husband in the early 1950s, to then spending 60 hours a week volunteering for the Iowa League of Women Voters, realizing that she can make a difference at the Iowa Capitol and helping other women pursue careers in politics.

Frederick Newell came to Iowa City 20 years ago as a college freshman and single father, who recognized a need for support for young parents and underrepresented Iowans. As social worker, in 2012 Newell founded Dream City, a nonprofit that supports youth, families and entrepreneurs in Iowa City. Later in the program, we hear from documentary filmmaker and Muscatine native Chris Ward about his new film, 'The Journeying.'

Behind every great man in a powdered wig is a remarkable woman. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we're reading about some of the women who helped shape our country at its founding. On the 'Talk of Iowa' Book Club, host Charity Nebbe and expert readers discuss 'Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation' by Cokie Roberts. The book shares stories of the many roles women played in the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States.

Clematis plants make a beautiful addition to any yard. Iowa State Horticulturists Cindy Haynes and Aaron Steil share tips for growing and caring for your clematis.

Best-selling author Tim Johnston was a master of the thriller. He passed away in May. To mark his passing, we're revisiting a conversation from 2025 with Johnston and author Anna Bruno. We talk about their books 'Distant Sons' and 'Fine Young People' and the art of writing suspense. Then, the Historical Society of Pottawattamie County reopened the Rails West Museum after a year and a half of renovations, where people can explore a historic train depot and train cars. We'll talk to the museum's site manager as well as the site manager of the Squirrel Cage Jail. (This show was originally produced July 21, 2025.)

At its peak in the late 1950s, there were over 4,000 drive-in movie theaters in the U.S., with nearly 70 in Iowa. Today, there are four drive-in theaters operating in the state. On this episode, we hear from operators of three of the remaining theaters. Then, we talk with Iowa's new poet laureate, Paul Brooke.

Liz Ledgett, Des Moines gallery owner and author of 'Art is for Everyone,' shares how to curate an art collection on a budget. Then, we hear from Chris Nelson, the founder of Nelson Media Company, who is working to turn around several small-town newspapers.

E-bikes have made cycling more accessible and expanded the ability to replace car trips with a bike ride. However, electric motors have complicated bike trails and have people worried about safety. Today, we go on an e-commute with IPR's Meghan Polk and her young kids. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition's Matt Burkey shares why he has embraced e-bikes and how most problems on the trail are due to e-motos. Ankeny Police Sgt. Trevor McGraw shares how they are trying to improve trail safety. Lake Shore Cyclery & Fitness owner Riley Godfredson joins to talk about booming e-bike sales and how to choose the right bike. Finally, Iowa Waste Reduction Center director Joe Bolick talks about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, how to safely dispose of them and reduce e-waste.

When you flip through the pages of your favorite garden catalog, your eye might be caught by any number of new varieties of your favorite plants. All of the new plants at your garden center or in that garden catalog have to be tried and tested before they make it to market. Horticulturist Jessie Liebenguth of Reiman Gardens joins the show to talk about how new plant varieties are tested, and we'll find out about some of her favorites. Then, Aaron Steil joins the program to answer your gardening questions.

Looking for a deep dive into current affairs, a captivating memoir or an opportunity to get lost in a novel? We've got you covered. Booksellers Jan Weismiller, Tim Budd and Linzi Murray share the best new fiction and nonfiction books to add to your TBR this summer.

Summer is here and it's a great time to share a book with a child or find some books that will light up the imaginations of the kids you love. Host Charity Nebbe is joined by expert readers to talk about the best new titles in children's and young adult literature, from 'Little Women' reimagined as a mystery thriller to a fish-boy undercover at an elementary school.

Author Paige Lewis discusses their debut novel, 'Canon.' With echoes of the Odyssey and other historic epics, the novel's heroes go on is full of quests, battles — and a trip to the mall. Then, the Quire of Eastern Iowa is an LGBTQIA+ community choir. Their upcoming performance, 'Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray,' is a tribute to civil rights activist Pauli Murray. Nebbe speaks with Quire members Sydney Houlton and Elena Cressy.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has built giant troll sculptures all over the world. He makes them entirely out of reclaimed materials and hides them in natural spaces. Iowa is now home to four trolls, as part of Dambo's 'Trolls of America' dream to have at least one troll in all 50 states. On this episode we talk with Thomas about he came to be a world-famous trash artist. Then, we hear from the Clinton, Iowa residents who convinced Dambo's team to install wooden trolls in what was once considered the lumber capital of the world, as well as from some of the volunteers and builders who helped construct the trolls named Helmut, Marvin and Warren around the city. (This show was originally produced April 28, 2026)

The oak is the state tree of Iowa and an important part of native Iowa ecosystems, but Iowa's oak woodlands are disappearing at an alarming rate. On this Horticulture Day, Charity Nebbe talks with DNR District Forester Mark Vitosh about why oak woodlands are at risk and what we can do about it. Then, Iowa State University Horticulture Specialist Aaron Steil joins to help answer your questions about plants and trees.

There are many Indigenous people in this country working on food sovereignty. The best known member of this movement is Chef Sean Sherman, founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef, which specializes in pre-colonization cuisine. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Sherman about his latest co-authored book, 'Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America,' and he will be speaking at the inaugural Iowa Culinary Conference on June 22 in Coralville. Also, the 50th Loess Hills Prairie Seminar takes place May 29-31, hosted by Monona County Conservation. This free event started in 1977 as a modest, back to nature event for local educators, and has now expanded to include dozens of activities for conservationists, families and beyond.

The Lincoln and Jefferson highways were two of the nation's earliest transcontinental roads. These two highways intersected in Colo, Iowa, where a farmer named Charlie Reed had the idea to sell gas at this corner in 1923. He also let travelers pitch tents overnight on his property. On this episode, we learn about the history of the Reed-Niland Corner, with a former Reed Station employee, Scott Berka, who was also instrumental in the site's restoration project of the late 1990s to early 2000s. Then we learn about a new nonprofit, Reed-Niland Corner, Inc. that recently bought the site from from the City of Colo to keep the history alive into the future. Later, we head east down the Lincoln Highway to Lisbon, where the McElmeel family has formed their own nonprofit to restore the Meyers Farmstead Historic District and open it to the public as Pleasant Grove Heritage Park.

In 2008, 47% of Iowa's college students planned to stay in the state after graduation. That dropped to 41% in 2024. That's a big concern in a state where many businesses are already seeing a worker shortage. We talk about the factors that seem to be driving brain drain and how to combat it. (This episode was originally produced July 30, 2025.)

For her entire adulthood, Melissa Febos went from one relationship to another, shaping her life around each new partner's needs and desires. At the age of 35, she decided she needed a break. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Febos about her book, 'The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year without Sex.' Her book examines the solitude, freedoms and feminist heroes she discovered during a year of celibacy and a new understanding of relationships and self-knowledge. Then, a conversation about Iowa's native Muppet, Miss Piggy, as part of our 'Iowa Famous' series. (This episode was originally produced July 1, 2025.)

Fire blight can spread fast through orchards and backyard fruit trees, leaving growers scrambling to protect their crops. On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with Iowa State University assistant professor and fruit tree specialist Suzanne Slack about how fire blight develops, what warning signs to look for and the impact it can have on fruit trees across Iowa. Later, Aaron Steil, Iowa State University Extension horticulture specialist, joins the conversation to share more gardening insight and answer listener questions.

Iowa alum and author Tayari Jones set out to write a very different story for her much-anticipated novel 'Kin' following the widely acclaimed 'An American Marriage.' She joins the show to shares how she was derailed when these characters came to her. Then, the new National Youth Poet Laureate is Cedar Falls senior Daniel Daniel Umemezie. He joins the show with Rachel Morgan, the editor of the 'North American Review' who helped started the Cedar Valley Youth Poet Laureate program.

In his book 'Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America's Civil Rights,' Peniel Joseph writes how 1963 was a landmark year for the Civil Rights Movement. Now, Joseph says, the United States is experiencing rollbacks of civil rights and racial justice ideals that the turmoil and violence of 1963 ushered in. Host Charity Nebbe speaks with Joseph about his book, and how the events of 1963 help us better understand contemporary political polarization and racial and cultural divisions. Joseph explains struggles for racial justice in 1963 reverberated worldwide, at times strengthening and damaging America's global reputation in a manner that echoes the present. (This episode was originally produced June 17, 2025.)

Neil Hamilton wants Iowans to listen to the land, and throughout his career as director of Drake University's Agricultural Law Center, he advocated for the land and sustainable agricultural practices. He has dedicated his retirement years to the same mission. Hamilton joins the program to talk about his third book in a series on our environment, 'Through Nature's Lens: Do We Really Love Our Land and Water.' Then, the early months and years of motherhood are filled with contradictions; it's a time of wonder and discovery, but also drudgery. Emily Bright captures that time in her poetry collection, 'Fierce Delight: Poems of Early Motherhood.' (A portion of this episode was originally produced on May 7, 2025.)

Mother's Day looks different for everyone, and for some, the holiday can bring difficult emotions and relationship challenges. We discuss how to navigate complicated family dynamics with University of Iowa communication expert Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart and hear from Erin Wissler Gerdes about her University of Iowa Three Minute Thesis research. Plus, we meet Monica Holt, the new president and CEO of Des Moines Performing Arts. Holt was previously at The Kennedy Center, but left following President Donald Trump's firing of Kennedy Center leadership and replacement of board members.

We are living in a time of deep division, and this week we have been looking at the forces driving us apart. But people in communities across the country are working to combat this division, and today, we meet some of Iowa's community builders using the tools at their disposal — from giant trolls to the local bar. We meet Gabi Torres and Ari Lewerenz of Clinton, Jessica Bolton of Cedar Rapids, Maggie Reyes of Storm Lake, Byron of Pomeroy and Leslie Jackson and Caroline Peterson of Des Moines.

We've seen a recent rise in Christian nationalism, a powerful political movement. To some it looks like a threat to our democracy, and to others it looks like voting their values. But, what does it mean to Iowa Christian faith leaders and their congregations? We sit down with four of them to find out. But first, we hear from journalist Katherine Stewart about how Christian nationalism evolved and who benefits from it.

Major news networks used to regularly present Americans with the same set of facts. Today, it's easy to stay in echo chambers with competing realities. On this episode, we take a look at how the media we consume and the ways we consume it have intensified community divisions.

The Center Street Neighborhood — a tight-knit, predominantly Black community — was destroyed by highway construction and city urban renewal projects. Our sense of community is tied to economic opportunity, and this hour, we explore this by starting with Richard Duncan, a former resident of the Center Street neighborhood, and his wife and documentary partner, Madison Deshay-Duncan. Then we return to the wealth inequality of the Gilded Age with economist and historian Joshua Rosenbloom to see what parallels we can draw to today. Finally, union president Charlie Wishman shares how fewer manufacturing jobs and weakened unions harmed our communities.

A majority of American adults say that societal division is a significant source of stress in their lives according to the American Psychological Association. On this episode, we examine how that is impacting our mental health and our communities. We talk with psychologist Lynn Bufka about how the latest stress in America survey shows a crisis in connection. Then we talk with sociologist David Peters about how social involvement in rural communities has decreased since the 1980s. Sociologist Brad Wilcox shares how marriage plays a role in society as marital rates in the U.S. have declined in recent decades. Finally, Kimberly Serrano of the American Immigration Council shares how they're making the case for including belonging when addressing deep fractures in communities.

The magic of spring has done its work. Iowa is green again, and with lawns waking up across the state, it's time to start thinking about spring yard care. From knowing when to mow for the first time to getting your grass off to a healthy start, the season's first lawn decisions can shape how your yard looks all summer long. On this Horticulture Day episode, Adam Thoms, Iowa State University turfgrass specialist, joins to talk about spring lawn care and how to tell when it's finally time to mow. Then, Aaron Steil, Iowa State University Extension horticulture specialist, joins the conversation to answer listener questions about lawns, gardens and making the most of spring growth.

On this episode, we talk with the people behind Iowa's two Latino film festivals. The Des Moines Latino Film Festival just held its sixth annual event on April 11. Antonio Romero of the Latino Center of Iowa and Ben Godar of Varsity Cinema, who co-present the festival, share how their partnership has reshaped the festival the last couple years, and their hopes for the future. Then, we get a preview of the inaugural Aqui y Alla Latin American Film Festival happening May 1-3 at Filmscene in Iowa City with programming director Ben Delgado and festival committee member Ariana Martinez. Also, poets JD Schraffenberger and Sean Thomas Dougherty join to discuss their recently published "chapbook" of golden shovel-formatted poems that were inspired by the work of James Hearst.

Maria Semple's latest novel, 'Go Gentle,' draws on her own experiences with divorce, motherhood and starting over in Manhattan. In this episode, we hear a conversation between Charity Nebbe and the 'Where'd You Go Bernadette' author about fiction, reinvention and the unexpected turns life can take. Then, Cynthia Orozco, the national historian for the League of United Latin American Citizens, joins the program to discuss the organization's history, legacy and impact in Iowa and across the country.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has built giant troll sculptures all over the world. He makes them entirely out of reclaimed materials and hides them in natural spaces. Iowa is now home to four trolls, as part of Dambo's 'Trolls of America' dream to have at least one troll in all 50 states. On this episode we talk with Thomas about he came to be a world famous trash artist. Then, we hear from the Clinton, Iowa residents who convinced Dambo's team to install wooden trolls in what was once considered the lumber capital of the world, as well as from some of the volunteers and builders who helped construct the trolls named Helmut, Marvin and Warren around the city. A fourth troll named Fjord Ferryman was also recently unveiled in southwest Iowa at the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn.