Caleb Rainey will emcee a Poetry Palooza! program on April 20, featuring poets Traci Brimhall, Paul Brooke, Camille Dungy, Jennifer L. Knox and Debra Marquart. A pride of lions. A parliament of owls. An eloquence of poets? We’re not sure what the best word is, but there’s a good chance the poets themselves could figure it out during this year’s Poetry Palooza! set for April 19 and 20 at Grand View University. The second annual festival, smack dab in the middle of National Poetry Month, is a celebration of the written, re-written, re-re-written, spoken, shouted and whispered word. This year’s p ..read more

The Latino Film Festival features several genres from Latino producers, directors and students April 16-19 at the Fleur Cinema and Cafe. (Photo: Latino Center of Iowa) How does a 40-year-old woman find meaning in life after a career as a hitman? That’s the question at the heart of “PLACEADA,” a documentary by Mexican filmmaker Alejandra Sanchez Orozco. It’s just one of the films that will be screened during the Des Moines Latino Film Festival, set for April 16-19 at Fleur Cinema and Cafe. During the free four-day celebration, untold stories from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the United St ..read more

The chicken shawarma from Karam’s Grill Food Truck comes in a wrap or a bowl. Both versions are loaded with grilled chicken and veggies, plus hummus, tzatziki sauce, feta and optional Sriracha or harissa sauces. (Photo: Karam’s Grill Food Truck) By Mathany Ahmed The past month of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, has been a time of reflection, devotion and fasting for many Muslims around the world and here in Central Iowa. Now that the crescent moon has graced the night sky, Eid al-Fitr dawned today, marking the end of Ramadan and the beginning of three days of festivities. For practicing Muslim ..read more

Angkor Wat in Cambodia Writer: Lily Allen-Dueñas Have you ever read a book and wished you could travel to the setting? Better yet, how about traveling with the author as your guide?  This past February, dsm magazine teamed up with John Shors Travel to take a group of 15 people — mostly Iowans — through the pages of John Shors’ novel “Temple of a Thousand Faces” on a trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Singapore with Shors himself as the guide. From the bustling markets of Bangkok to the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat to the enchanting gardens in Singapore, the tour was meticulously curate ..read more

Jobs Rides driver Jason Hess shuttles low-income workers to their jobs. (Photo: Steve Dinnen) By Steve Dinnen Here’s how a for-profit, nonprofit relationship typically works: The for-profit company makes money and then donates some of its earnings to a nonprofit it wishes to support. The for-profit gets a tax break, while the nonprofit gets financial support. And here’s the way that relationship got upended in the world of Bill Raine: His for-profit business set up a side business that eventually spun off as its own nonprofit entity. Then he sold his for-profit business so he could devote his ..read more

From left, “Thumb Wars” creators Nick Strickland, Marnie Strate, Michael LaDell Harris, Maggie Tatone, and Kim and Dan Haymes saw their movie on the big screen at historic cinema in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo: Nick Strickland) By Michael Morain Sometimes life is as strange as a Mad Lib. True story: A group of creative friends from Des Moines just returned from a film festival in Lisbon, Portugal. They walked the red carpet and celebrated their wacky new movie about thumb wars. The seven-minute comedy was part of the annual 48 Hour Film Project, in which team ..read more

Flames shoot from Pete Wentz’s bass at Fall Out Boy’s recent tour stop in Albany. (Photo: Elliot Ingham) It’s not a phase, Mom — and Fall Out Boy returns to Des Moines to prove it. The pop-punk band behind 2000s hits like “Dance, Dance,” “Thnks Fr the Mmrs” and “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” takes the stage at 6:30 tonight at Wells Fargo Arena. The four-hour show has earned positive reviews from its earlier tour stops, with concertgoers highlighting the over-the-top pyrotechnics and eccentric props. The setlist is a trip down memory lane from the band’s nearly 20-year discography, as well as covers ..read more

Creamed couscous with spinach, roasted broccolini, lemon drops and frico chips. (Photo: Lynn Pritchard) By Hailey Allen You don’t have to be a mathematician to work this one out: one Table 128 plus one 503 Cocktail Lab + Tasting Room equals two exceptional nights of dining. The metro’s hunger for Table 128’s official reopening at 220 S.W. Ninth St. will be briefly satiated with a special two-night pop-up event this Thursday and Friday, hosted at 503 Cocktail Lab in the East Village. Lynn Pritchard, the owner and lead chef of both dining establishments, said he’s eager to showcase what the team ..read more

This local ensemble takes inspiration from many different musical traditions. (Photo: Son Peruchos) Son Peruchos are back onstage this Friday at the Noce Jazz Club, where they’ll showcase their unique fusion of Latin music. The local group includes members from Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and the United States, and their repertoire crosses at least as many borders of musical genres, infusing the rich heritage of Andean music with rhythms from cumbia, bachata and rock en español from all over the Latin and Caribbean world. Guests are invited to dance or just sit back and take ..read more

The Court Avenue District’s best martini bar found a new home around the corner. Check out more photos on dsm’s Facebook page. (Photo: Michael Morain) By Michael Morain Things are looking up for your next night on the town. Right on the heels of the shiny new Broadway season announcement from Des Moines Performing Arts, the Stuffed Olive is reopening in swanky new digs just a block away. The popular restaurant and martini bar opened almost 10 years ago in an easy-to-miss spot on Third Street, where a sign taped to the door notes: “We have moved! 200 steps to your left at 216 Court Ave.” It’s p ..read more