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Founded in 1855, the Amana Colonies in southeast Iowa were dedicated to religious faith and communal living. Baseball was originally deemed to be too worldly for the community, and was banned until 1928. Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe talks with historian Monys Hagan about how the Amana youth eventually earned the elders' tolerance of baseball and it became the community's pastime until its decline in popularity in the 1980. The story is chronicled in her book The Worldly Game: The Story of Baseball in the Amana Colonies. Later in the episode, the Iowa Watercolor Society was founded in 1977 b ..read more

On this edition of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe is joined by author and foster parent Mark Daley. The two discuss his experience as a foster parent, his and his husband's decision to build their family and the journey to adopting his three children. Then, Charity speaks with Iowa State University Iowa Learning Farms Director Jackie Comito about her new podcast Curious Planet, which she created to connect nature, culture and wonder. Guests: Mark Daley, foster parent and author, Safe: A Memoir of Fatherhood, Foster Care, and the Risks We Take for Family Jackie Comito, anthropologist and di ..read more

James Alan McPherson was a master writer of short stories and essays. He was the first Black American to receive a Pulitzer Prize in fiction, and he was an influential and beloved teacher at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. He passed away in 2016 at age 72. While his work was influential in his lifetime, author and senior writer-in-residence at Bowdoin College Anthony Walton says McPherson hasn't gotten the attention he deserves. That's what inspired Walton to curate a posthumous collection of essays On Becoming An American Writer. Walton and McPherson's daughter, Rachel, join this episode of Talk ..read more

It's horticulture day! Host Charity Nebbe is joined by Iowa State University's Adam Thoms to discuss the best mowing practices for lawn health and growth. Then horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins the show to answer listener questions. Guests: Adam Thoms, turf grass specialist and assistant professor of horticulture, Iowa State University Aaron Steil, horticulture specialist, Iowa State University Extension ..read more

It's about time to bust out the lawn mower — if you haven't already. Host Charity Nebbe is joined by Iowa State University's Adam Thoms to discuss the best mowing practices for lawn health and growth. Guests: Adam Thoms, turf grass specialist and assistant professor of horticulture, Iowa State University ..read more

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On this edition of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe is joined by award-winning author Jane Smiley to discuss her newest book, Lucky. The book centers around the story of Jodie Rattler, a singer in the 1960s and 70s, from her childhood in St. Louis to folk singing stardom and beyond. Then, Nebbe talks with Iowa State University Natural Resource Ecology and Management professors about two invasive species in Iowa, garlic mustard and the Bradford pear. Guests: Jane Smiley, author Jan Thompson, Natural Resource Ecology and Management Morrill professor, Iowa State University Cathy McCullen, Natur ..read more

The Social, which is a converted church in Story City, hosts musicians for occasional live, intimate concerts, complete with pie and ice cream.(robyn anderson) Every once in a while, robyn anderson invites a few dozen of her closest friends to the former church where she lives in Story City for pie, ice cream and music. The crowd starts on the ground floor of the church with some afternoon socializing, spending about an hour eating and chatting. At the appointed time, everyone goes upstairs to the old sanctuary, where the musicians set up and play a pair of 45-minute sets. They pass around co ..read more

(Lucius Pham / IPR) A 299-seat theater like the Temple is an intimate venue for a performer like Suzanne Vega, who, over her 40-year career has played venues including Madison Square Garden. Indeed, there was magic in the air for Vega’s performance, and not just because she came out wearing a magician’s top hat. Her Midwestern tour, which she dubbed “Old Songs, New Songs, and Other Songs,” had something special in it for new and seasoned fans alike. Vega began her performance with “Marlene on the Wall,” a track she explained as being inspired by a Marlene Dietrich poster she used to have in he ..read more