Talk of Iowa

Squirrels are busy building up their winter caches, but humans can also enjoy a nut harvest in Iowa. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort you can grow a variety of nuts.

Why ovarian cancer is so difficult to catch early and a very effective new tool for prevention.

The house that may have been just right for you and your family at one point in time might not meet your needs as you age. It's another Home Improvement Day, and expert Bill McAnally talks about what to look for in a home when it's time to downsize and you're planning to age in place. Then, Bill answers a wide range of listeners' home improvement questions.

Protest movements have been a part of American history since before the United States was founded. In this episode, we hear from three historians about three different and powerful protest movements in U.S. history — the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War and the anti-abortion movement. We’ll also talk about the strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures of these movements. (This episode was originally produced on Feb. 5, 2026)

In 1883, the U.S. Department of the Interior created a Code of Indian Offenses — it made Native dancing and ceremonies illegal and gave Indian Agents authority to punish anyone who violated the code. This was part of a systematic effort to erase individual tribal cultures and to force all indigenous people to assimilate. The documentary 'Why We Dance' takes viewers into the heart of Indigenous communities around North America in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Hawaii and Mexico. We talk with the film's director and Meskwaki member Oogie Push and producer and director of photography Ryan Stopera. Then, Iowa historian and fo...

On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with Iowa State University extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil and professor of horticulture Cindy Haynes. We learn how to grow and care for pumpkins, and what to do with them after Halloween. Then, Aaron and Cindy answer listener questions.

On this episode, we learn about some of Iowa's early conservationists — Theodore Parvin, Thomas MacBride, Bohumil Shimek, Louis Pammel and Ada Hayden. We discuss their important contributions with University of Northern Iowa historian Kevin Mason and Mary Skopec, director of Lakeside Laboratory. We also talk with Alexa DiNicola, curator at the Ada Hayden Herbarium.

The drone of cicadas has always been one of the sounds of summer in Iowa. Annual cicada populations are holding their own, but periodical cicadas are in trouble. On this episode, we talk with University of Iowa biologist Andrew Forbes about a study that uses GIS technology to show how habitat loss has impacted cicada populations. We also hear from GIS experts Susan Meerdink and Adam Skibbe and discuss what the future holds for these cicadas.

Sports betting can elevate a sports fan's connection to the game, but can lead to corruption and decimate savings. Des Moines resident Caleb Tessmer shares his positive experience casually sports betting. Then, Justin Balthrop joins the program. He gambles in the low seven figures each year, but his research reveals the harmful nature of online sports betting. Later in the hour, Dave Bluder, author of The Great Gamble, dove into the world of sports betting corruption for his novel and shares how the gambling industry continues to alter his view on sports. (This episode was originally produced March 27, 2025.)

On this episode, we listen back to a 2023 conversation with Iowa Playwrights Workshop alum Samuel Hunter about his play-turned-film 'The Whale.' Then a 2025 conversation with Emili Johnson who created a blog and podcast about the Black experience in Iowa. (Portions of this episode were originally produced in Feb. 2023 and Aug. 2025.)

Thousands of monarch butterflies are finishing their annual migration to Mexico. On this episode, Samantha McIntosh sits in for Charity Nebbe. We talk with Mykayla Hagaman of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, who gives us an update on Iowa's monarch population. Then, Laura Iles of Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management and Extension Horticulturist Aaron Steil join us to answer your questions.

On this episode, we listen back to a 2025 conversation with Dawson resident and Air Force veteran Justin Wolfe, who received bronze at the 10th annual Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. Adaptive sports have helped Wolfe push past limitations from his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Troy Peterson, a fellow veteran and Winterset resident, helped Justin turn to sports through his non-profit ValorFit. Later in the hour, research from ecologists Steven Dinsmore and Victoria Fasbender at Iowa State University demonstrates that humans can tweak their behavior in relatively small ways that could make a positive impact for the pectoral sandpiper, a migratory...

The Americans with Disabilities Act has done a lot to improve accessibility in public spaces, but people with physical disabilities still encounter barriers every day. Host Charity Nebbe interviews Iowans who are trying to make our state more accessible. (This episode was originally produced Jan. 23, 2025.)

On this episode, we talk with author Yiyun Li about her Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir is 'Things in Nature Merely Grow,' and her new novel 'Music Against the Night.' Then, we listen back to a 2022 conversation with baker and Food Network regular Andrew Fuller.

Sixty years ago, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law, establishing a partnership and preservation ethic on historic properties between the federal government and state, tribal, and local governments. The U.S. Senate is now looking to change that framework in a permitting reform bill that was introduced on September 30 and is scheduled for a vote on November 9. Proponents of the bill say it’s designed to expedite projects, but stakeholders say it infringes on tribal and state rights and could lead to litigation and other roadblocks.

Now that it feels like fall, it's time to grapple with reality. On this Horticulture Day episode, Iowa State University horticulture professor Jeff Iles tells us how to prepare our woody landscape plants for cold weather and hungry critters. Then extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us, and he and Jeff answer listener questions.

On this episode, we explore the tools needed to tackle political discussions with loved ones, first by hearing the skills Greg and Jennifer Brost have developed since 2016. Then, human resources professional Jason Glass joins the conversation to share how skills in the workplace translate into personal relationships. Also, we hear from longtime friends Bob Leonard and Kevin Kincaid on how they have healthy discourse from different sides of the political spectrum and even enjoy it.

We revisit an interview with author Joanna Dee Das about her book, 'Faith, Family and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America' and what Branson’s entertainment culture reveals about faith, patriotism and American identity. Then, a conversation with Conor Knighton, Emmy Award-winning correspondent from 'CBS Sunday Morning.' He's also the bestselling author of 'Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia to Zion Journey Through Every National Park.' (Part of this episode was originally produced Jan. 30, 2026.)

More than two hundred years later, Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' still feels urgently relevant as it explores the dangers of playing God, the traumas of parental abandonment and the costs of rejection by society. On this episode of the 'Talk of Iowa' Book Club, we discuss 'Frankenstein' with three expert readers.

As second wave feminism was taking off, an equal and opposite movement to keep women in traditional roles was also gaining steam. On this episode, a 'Live, Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made' explores this history. We talk with author Kristin Kobes Du Mez about the origins of white Christian femininity in the United States.

Fall has arrived and beautiful colors are creeping across the landscape. After a couple of dry and less vibrant autumns, this year may be quite different. On this Horticulture Day episode, DNR Forester Mark Vitosh joins us to talk autumn leaves and how the weather affects the colors we see. He also shares some of his fall forest favorites. Then, Iowa State University extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us to answer listener questions.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, millions of Ukrainians were displaced, searching for a safe place to live and work. Augustana College professor Angela Boelens saw this need and opened her home in DeWitt to Ukrainians, with more families hoping to follow. With an outpouring support from the DeWitt community, Boelens founded the nonprofit organization IA NICE — Iowa Newcomer Integration Community and Exchange — which has helped relocate over 70 Ukrainians to Iowa. However, changes from the Trump Administration have impacted their ability to work, including a pending end to their Temporary Protected Status. On this episode, we talk with Boelens about what IA N...

The Amplifying Black Voices in Iowa project has digitized thousands of resources created by Black Iowans from the 19th through 21st centuries. The project has digitized 'The Iowa Bystander,' the oldest Black newspaper west of the Mississippi, issues of 'The Waterloo Defender,' a weekly paper in the 60s and 70s, photographs, letters, oral histories and more. On this episode, we learn about the project with some of the people that made it possible — Iowa State University archivist Amy Treslan, Felicite Wolfe of the African American Museum of Iowa and historian Ricki King. Then, the spotted hyena is a fa...

On this episode, we talk with Laura Wifler, a bestselling author of books for adults and children. She's hosted a popular podcast and founded Kid Lit Lab to help aspiring authors of children’s books. She writes about womanhood, motherhood, health and her Christian faith. A few years ago, she accidentally became a poet, and her latest book is a poetry collection called 'This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful and Homesick.' Then, a podcast created by an eighth grader in Marion is one of the middle school finalists in the 8th annual NPR St...

Over 20 years ago, Iowa State University’s creative writing program wanted to elevate its Master of Arts program to a Master of Fine Arts, but the University of Iowa was already home to one of the most acclaimed MFA programs in the country. Iowa State University created something different — an MFA program focused on creative writing and the environment. On this episode, we mark the 20th anniversary of ISU's Creative Writing and Environment MFA program with professor Debra Marquart. We discuss the literary journal that predated it, the 'Flyway Journal of Writing and the Environment,' with founding editor Steve Pett...

It’s a staple in almost every kitchen, but if you’re going to grow your own garlic you have to do some planning ahead. On this Horticulture Day episode, Iowa State University horticulture professor and chair Ajay Nair guides us through planting, caring for and harvesting garlic. Then, horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us, and he and Nair answer listener questions.

Carlotta Walls LaNier is one of the Little Rock Nine — one of the first nine Black students to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in September 1957. Leona Tate is one of the McDonogh Three — one of the first three Black students at McDonogh elementary in New Orleans in 1960. On this episode, we talk with civil rights pioneers LaNier and Tate, who are speaking across Iowa this week. Then, we hear from actor Tony Danza who spoke with IPR's arts and culture reporter Nicole Baxter. He discusses how he made the switch from boxing to acting, his upcoming performance in M...

Your home is your first space. Work is your second space. A third space is a place where you can gather with other people in your community, meet people and make connections. But many of these spaces have disappeared, particularly in small towns. On this episode, rural sociologist Dave Peters shares how gas stations have become a social hub for small towns. Library director Mary Kathryn Gepner talks about the local library enduring as a third space. Jennifer Drinkwater talks about her work uplifting third spaces in Iowa's small towns and how they inspire her art. Finally, Tiara Phillips has...

On this episode, we listen back to a 2025 conversation about the bicentennial anniversary of organized Norwegian immigration to the U.S. and how Norwegian culture has shaped the Midwest and the U.S. as a whole. First, we hear highlights from the now-King of Norway's visit to the Vesterheim National Norwegian American Museum and Folk Art School and Luther College in Decorah. Then, we hear more about the Decorah-Norway partnership from Chris Johnson of Vesterheim and Maren Johnson of Luther. Later, Norwegian Torgrim Sneve Guttormsen and ISU faculty Ted Grevstad-Nordbrock discuss how Leif Erikson lore has been enshrined across the...

We talk with artist and writer Katie Holten, author of 'The Language of Trees: How Trees Make Our World Change Our Minds and Rewild our Lives.' Holten discusses the ideas behind the project and explores how language, nature and place intersect. The Anne Frank Initiative is presenting a conversation with Holten about the project on Thursday, Oct. 1 at the Senate Chamber in the Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City at 5:30 p.m. Then, we listen back to a conversation with father and daughter Dan and April Wilson, co-owners of Seven W Farm in Paullina. The farm was named Niman...

Autumn is here and before winter arrives, insects and arachnids have some important work to get done. In the meantime, we can enjoy the beautiful handiwork of orb weaver spiders which is especially visible this time of year. On this episode, entomologist Zach Schumm of the Iowa State University Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic joins us to talk about orb weaver spiders. He discusses their beautiful work and how they prepare for winter. Then, extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us to listener questions.

The Anne Frank Initiative at the University of Iowa is dedicated to preserving and sharing Frank's legacy with new generations. On this episode, Charity Nebbe takes a virtual reality tour of the secret annex where the Frank family lived for two years. We also visit a tree grown from the sapling of the tree outside of the annex that Frank would look at from the window. Then, have you ever asked yourself, what would Dolly do? The late, great Dolly Parton means many things to many people. We talk with Sarah Dees of Iowa State University about Parton's role as...

On this episode, we explore the long, hard process of preserving Dolly the Mastodon. In 2024, University of Iowa archaeologists excavated the first-ever well-preserved mastodon skull found in the state. For the past two years the skull has since been cleaned and preserved at the Office of the State Archaeologist and was recently transported to its permanent home at the Prairie Trails Museum of Wayne County, with a ribbon cutting on Saturday, Sept. 26. On this episode, we witness the final progress with State Archaeologist John Doershuk and Mike Eklund, who's been consulting on the work. We also talk with museum director...

Iowan Jane Elliott is renowned for her pioneering work in anti-racism education. Elliott achieved celebrity for her "blue eyes/brown eyes exercise, which she first conducted in 1968 with her third grade class the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. This exercise has led to several documentaries, books and discussion over the last several decades regarding race, bias and systemic inequality. At 92 years old, Elliott is still fighting bigotry and enlisting others to join. On this episode, we listen back to our 2025 interview with Elliott. Her lessons are now finding new audiences with the documentary film 'Jane Elliott Against...

Peter Bognanni fell into YA fiction by accident. His new book, 'How to Lose Yourself Completely', is an outlet for his experience coming to terms with anxiety as a teen. On this episode, we talk with Bognanni, an award-winning novelist and Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate about his new book and his own mental health experiences. Then, we talk with 'New York Times' best-selling author Loryn Brantz about her new children’s book, 'I Am a Spicy Nugget.'

Some Iowans spent a lot of the summer wishing for rain, others spent the summer wishing the rain would stop. Later summer deluges are raising some concerns about what a strong El Nino means for the next few months. Agricultural climatology specialist Madelynn Wuestenberg joins us on this Horticulture Day episode with her insight. Then, horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us to answer listener questions.

There are many joys that come along with womanhood, but there are plenty of challenges as well. 'You Know Nothing' is a collection of very short stories from Yasmina Din Madden that focuses mostly on the challenges. The stories are insightful, funny, heartbreaking — and readers may occasionally feel like they’re looking in a mirror. Yasmina Din Madden joins us on this episode to talk about her eclectic collection. Then, in 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt published an article titled 'I want you to write to me,' a call that was answered with droves of letters from American people struggling through the Grea...

In 1997 Annette Gordon-Reed published 'Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy.' Her work has inspired other historians to look beyond the traditional narrative when researching and writing about American history. We talk with Gordon-Reed about her contributions to historical scholarship and dedication to preserving complex American history. Then, we listen back to a 2024 conversation with musician Lucinda Williams about her memoir 'Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You'. Williams is headlining the Iowa City Songwriters Festival in November. (Part of this episode was originally produced Aug. 20, 2024.)

Iowa City-based artist Sonja Strathearn began making Regency-era attire three years ago to attend The Jane Austen Fest and the obsession has only grown from there. To celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday, Strathearn welcomes Charity Nebbe into her home to talk about her love for Austen and show off her closet of Regency attire. Then, Nebbe speaks with author Curtis Sittenfeld, an Austen fan and the author of the 'Pride & Prejudice' reimagining, 'Eligible.' Then, musicologist Marian Wilson Kimber talks about Austen's musical inclinations, the pieces in her playbook and the ways music influenced her books. (This show was originally...