Talk of Iowa
Talk of Iowa is a place for Iowans to connect to our shared culture and what it means to live in Iowa. Host Charity Nebbe brings a mix of regular guests and a range of experts to discuss the arts, history, literature and everything else happening in Iowa. Every day brings something new — even if it's in a recurring segment like Talk of Iowa Book Club or comes from a familiar voice on Horticulture Day.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 47 minutes
- Episodes
- 147
- Years Active
- 2025
The world of plant names
There are so many plant species out there, each with its own scientific and common names. Each of those species has multiple cultivars with their own names, too. That adds up to a whole lot of names.
Sat 08 Mar 2025
Curtis Sittenfeld explores middle age in new short story collection
Curtis Sittenfeld's new short story collection captures both the mess and the gifts of aging. And a new play hopes to start conversations about farmers and rural Iowans.
Fri 07 Mar 2025
1619 Project creator on this moment in education
Waterloo schools canceled their annual African-American Read-in, fearing loss of funding. The 1619 Freedom School decided to plan their own.
Thu 06 Mar 2025
Educator and literacy specialist encourages teachers to get in 'good trouble' for students
Reading proficiency for fourth and eighth graders has been on the decline since before the pandemic.
Wed 05 Mar 2025
To John Green, 'Everything is Tuberculosis'
John Green, known for books like "The Fault in Our Stars," has shifted his focus to nonfiction in recent years. His latest book looks into the world's deadliest disease, Tuberculosis.
Tue 04 Mar 2025
The uncertain future of Macbride Nature Recreation Area
The 485-acre area leased by the University of Iowa is home to beloved nature programs. Community members worry a committee may recommend not renewing the lease.
Fri 28 Feb 2025
An Iowa veteran thought he didn't deserve a service dog. Now he helps other vets match with their own.
The new Iowa PBS documentary "Dogs of Service" introduces viewers to the training process of service dogs and the work they do for a variety of individuals, including veterans.
Thu 27 Feb 2025
How adaptive sports changed the life of a retired Air Force sergeant
Justin Wolfe had to end his Air Force career when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Now he's found camaraderie and a new passion through adaptive sports.
Wed 26 Feb 2025
Maintaining your naturalist garden
Des Moines-based planting designer guided readers through launching an ecologically vibrant home garden. His latest book guides you through maintaining this garden.
Tue 25 Feb 2025
Writer's Workshop professor and poet Elizabeth Willis defies genre
University of Iowa professor Elizabeth Willis' latest collection of poetry Liontaming in America has been longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry.
Fri 21 Feb 2025
'The Negotiator' documentary tells the little known — but critical — story of Billy Caldwell
A new documentary, premiering in Council Bluffs, tells the story of Billy Caldwell, a chief, diplomat and treaty negotiator during one of the most turbulent periods in Native American history. Then, …
Thu 20 Feb 2025
The history of Native American identity unpacked in Iowan's debut book
The number of people identifying as Native Americans in the U.S. nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020, according to the U.S. Census.
Wed 19 Feb 2025
Historian Leo Landis shares Iowa stories you might not know
Historian Leo Landis shares some of his favorite Iowa history stories before he leaves the State Historical Society, and the people behind a new play about Alexander Clark discuss the project.
Tue 18 Feb 2025
Making your Valentine's flowers last
We're getting ready for Valentine's Day by hearing how to get the most out of cut flowers — tips that will work any day of the year.
Sat 15 Feb 2025
Love stories and Steinway tunes
Steinway artist Dan Knight treats our ears to favorite love songs in exchange for love stories at this Talk of Iowa event.
Fri 14 Feb 2025
Fitness wisdom for people in their 40s, 50s and beyond
For adults 40 and older, exercise comes with unique challenges. In his new book, Aaron Leventhal gives his advice on finding enjoyment in your fitness practice.
Thu 13 Feb 2025
'James' explores a new side of Mark Twain's classic
James by Percival Everett is a retelling of Mark Twain's seminal novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the point of view of Jim, an enslaved man on the run.
Wed 12 Feb 2025
How Iowans are renegotiating with social media
With the proliferation of misinformation has come a growing desire to change how we interact with social media in our daily lives.
Sat 08 Feb 2025
Nearly six decades after blue eyes/brown eyes exercise, Jane Elliott continues to fight bigotry
In 1968, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, a third grade teacher in Riceville, Iowa, decided she needed to teach her students what discrimination really felt like.
Fri 07 Feb 2025
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