A Trip to Iowa City
For Pints and Politics, and an invitation to paid subscribers...
A week ago on Thursday the 19th, I was at Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City for Pints and Politics with Iowa Public Radio and The Gazette. It’s normally hosted by IPR’s Ben Kieffer, but investigative reporter Erin Jordan with The Gazette stepped in as a most capable substitute for Ben. From left to right above are Todd Dorman, columnist, The Gazette, Althea Cole, content editor and columnist, The Gazette, Tom Barton, deputy bureau chief, The Gazette, and finally me. I don’t know what I was thinking when Erin took the photo, but I do know how to smile. My beard really isn’t that gray, and I don’t have strings hanging from my glasses—they must be shadows from the lighting above me. Yes, I’m overanalyzing, but that’s what I do.
It was great fun, and I’m honored to have been a part of it. As a subscriber to The Gazette, and as a sustaining member of IPR, I very much appreciate what they do. Please consider offering them your support if you don’t already.
Here is the link to that episode of River to River.
When you live in small-town Iowa, going to Iowa City is like going to the big city! So many things to see! So much to do! Where to eat?
Of course, the best part was I got to spend several hours with my daughter Johanna who is studying psychology at the UI. We hung out for a while on Thursday and Friday and were joined by her friend Lucy at Big Grove. I also met with my friend Chris Jones at Prairie Lights Bookstore and we conspired on how to help get the issue of water quality before the next session of the legislature. Either Erin or I brought it up during Pints and Politics, and the audience was all for it.
Speaking of water quality, check out Chris’s latest piece at his substack: America Needs Oncologists...to deal with the malignancy that is corn belt agriculture. It’s sobering. Also, consider buying his book The Swine Republic and ponder the rest of the titles at Ice Cube Press. Steve Semken, publisher at Ice Cube Press has done more for Iowa authors than any other press, so please check out his list. While you are at it, you might also like a book of mine, Deep Midwest: Midwestern Explorations that Steve published.
Another highlight was when Johanna and I stopped by the Iowa Public Radio studio for a chat with producers Samantha McIntosh, Caitlin Troutman, and Dani Gehr, and with IPR Talk of Iowa Host Charity Nebbe. Sam and I worked together a few years ago, and we caught up at breakfast Friday morning. I was also pleased to catch up with IPR reporter and friend Zachary Oren Smith on Thursday night. Zachary and I are always the “naughty” boys in the back of the room during a presentation, and believe it or not, we always know what the other is thinking. But that’s a story for another day…
Thanks to everyone for subscribing, sharing, and commenting! Paid subscribers will find a link to today’s noon Zoom meeting with members of the Iowa Writers Collaborative below.