Little Village issue 337 - February 2025 by Little Village Magazine

Independent Iowa News, Culture & Events

OYST IOWA ERS over

How does a landlocked state serve fresh shellfish successfully? With increasing demand, they simply make it work. Pg. 40

The Cult that Caught Fire Outside Kalona a romance-Only bookstore in Marion

Iowa Songwriters bridget bell & James Tutson ballet Des Moines’ Grande Jeté

The company that carries forward the name of master modern dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey is— to put it simply—simply breathtaking.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11 | 7:30 P.M. | HANCHER AUDITORIUM

Photo by Dario Calmese

INDEPENDENT IOWA NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

Sparks Fly

“Designated relationships” were used to control followers of the Walk, an Iowa-based cult.

From classics to BookTok and all in between, this one-of-a-kind bookstore will find you a keeper.

The Girls Rock! music program has fostered a 14-year-old student by day, recording artist by night.

Little Village (ISSN 2328-3351) is an independent, community-supported news and culture publication based in Iowa City, published monthly by Little Village, LLC, 623 S Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Through journalism, essays and events, we work to improve our community according to core values: environmental sustainability, affordability and access, economic and labor justice, racial justice, gender equity, quality healthcare, quality education and critical culture. Letters to the editor(s) are always welcome. We reserve the right to fact check and edit for length and clarity. Please send letters, comments or corrections to editor@ littlevillagemag.com. Subscriptions: lv@littlevillagemag.com. The US annual subscription price is $120. All rights reserved, reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. If you would like to reprint or collaborate on new content, reach us at lv@littlevillagemag. com. To browse back issues, visit us online at issuu.com/littlevillage.

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EDITORIAL

Publisher

Jordan Sellergren jordan@littlevillagemag.com

Editor-in-Chief

Emma McClatchey emma@littlevillagemag.com

Arts Editor

Chuy Renteria chuy@littlevillagemag.com

News Director

Paul Brennan paul@littlevillagemag.com

Graphic Designer

Kate Doolittle kate@littlevillagemag.com

Calendar/Event Listings

Emily Rundell calendar@littlevillagemag.com

Corrections editor@littlevillagemag.com

February Contributors

Britt Fowler, Dawn Frary, Elisabeth Oster, Erin Durian, Jane Claspy Nesmith, John Busbee, K. Twaddle, Kellee Forkenbrock, Kembrew McLeod, Kent Williams, Kirsten Kraklio, Kauren Haldeman, Lucas Benson, Melody Dworak, Natalie Benway, Ramona Muse Lambert, Rob Brezsny, Rob Cline, Sam Locke Ward, Sara Williams, Shelly Melton, Tom Tomorrow

INDEPENDENT NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

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Meet this month’s contributors!

Britt Fowler is a Des Moines photographer specializing in documentary style, landscape and portraiture. Her active project Shoot Des Moines (Shoot DSM) catalogues sights and stories from the Mecca of the Midwest.

Dawn Frary is an Iowa City-based writer, photographer, death doula and wildlife educator.

Elisabeth Oster is the marketing manager for the Englert Theatre, a freelance writer and designer, and collector of dad rock.

Erin Durian is a native of Iowa City who spends her time working for local food hub Field to Family and directs and dances with IC Dance Company.

Jane Claspy Nesmith is a writer and teacher living in Cedar Rapids. She liked learning about oysters more than eating them.

John Busbee produces The Culture Buzz, a weekly arts and culture radio show on kfmg.org, covering Iowa’s arts scene, with an inclusive sweep of the cultural brush. His first published poem was in Lyrical Iowa

K. Twaddle is an Iowa transplant and a lifelong book enthusiast. She lives in rural Iowa with her partner and three cats.

Kellee Forkenbrock is the award-winning Public Services Librarian for North Liberty Library. She writes romance under the pseudonym Eliza David.

Kirsten Kraklio lives and works in Ames and loves writing, photography, and cutting it close to deadlines.

Lauren Haldeman is a graphic novelist and poet, she has received an Iowa Arts Fellowship, a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award and fellowships from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Lucas Benson is a freelance writer-newtime rucker-comedy nerd-nonprofit consultantpinball enthusiast-Piscean Iowa Cityzen.

Melody Dworak is a librarian at the Iowa City Public Library, juggling two to three books at any given time.

Natalie Benway-Correll LISW has been a licensed clinical mind/body psychotherapist for over 18 years, and is the founder of the Well Lived Life, a business dedicated to collective care and well-being.

Ramona Muse Lambert makes art and music. Sometimes she’s in charge of dinner too. Buy her art at Ramonamuselambert. com.

Rob Cline is a writer and critic who would gleefully give the current state of things a negative review.

Sara Williams is a multidisciplinary artist who was raised in Bondurant, Iowa. She currently resides near Amana.

Issue 337 February 2025

Oyster photos by Zak Neumann, Cover design by Kate Doolittle

Love ’em or hate ’em, you can’t deny these shellfish are fresh. Crack into some of Iowa’s best oysters. Plus: Poetry, songwriting, romance lit, ballet, a pleasure exercise, Kiki’s kinkiest question yet and a love triangle of cult leaders.

Kembrew McLeod is a founding Little Village columnist and the chair of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa.

Kent Williams lives, works, writes and complains in Iowa City.

Sam Locke Ward is a cartoonist and musician from Iowa City. He self publishes the comic zines Voyage Into Misery and ’93 Grind Out and has put out over 50 music albums.

Shelly Melton is a Japanese artist from Iowa City. She enjoys drawing for friends and running her cat’s Instagram page.

Letters & Interactions

LV encourages community members, including candidates for office, to submit letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com. To be considered for print publication, letters should be under 500 words. Preference is given to letters that have not been published elsewhere.

TO LOVE IOWa, you must maintain a balance of hope and grief. To stay or to return here, to deepen your roots, to be here at all, you must operate from a place of unconditional love.

A lot has changed in this state since I started working at Little Village in 2014. Public school funding is being diverted to private schools. Civil rights, especially LGBTQ rights, have been undermined. Bureaucratic hurdles for unemployment assistance have been raised. New hurdles for Medicaid access have been proposed. Science is disregarded and environmental disasters are ignored, causing horrendous,

toxic water quality issues from the Missouri to the Mississippi. Iowa’s cancer rates have increased to second-in-the-nation, while the national Democratic Party has revoked

LV publisher Jordan Sellergren with news director Paul Brennan, the day of the Iowa Women’s Basketball Final Four game, April 6, 2024.

Drew Bulman / Little Village

HAVE AN OPINION?

our first-in-the-nation caucus—quite understandably! It seems like the only things that haven’t changed in Iowa have been our antiquated cannabis laws.

Things change, that’s for sure, but in this publisher’s opinion, they don’t only have to get worse. Just the other night, I fell into watching one Instagram reel after another from a couple rehabilitating a dilapidated, moldy hoarder house they’d purchased on the brink of disrepair. Caught in a 90-minute-long trance, I witnessed this house evolve from a dangerous, ugly and uninhabitable structure to a sturdy, elegant home that the owners were very proud of.

Did the hopeful couple have to do that work? No. But they knew there was beauty there, and they were determined to live in it.

I know that Little Village—a wet/dry Shop-Vac, perhaps, in this allegorical house rehab—can and will play a role in restoring our dilapidated state. I know that so well that on the first of January, I willingly and enthusiastically became the owner and

Featuring Tom Mattingly's Four Seasons with pianist Douglas-Jayd Burn and a world premiere collaboration with the Aizuri Quartet

In partnership with

publisher of this magazine after over 10 years on staff. Let me put it this way: I have invested because I am invested—in the place that raised me, and the place I chose to return to raise my own. I love it here and I want Iowa to get better.

Through the elevation of the arts, focused environmental reporting, and delightfully subversive journalism from and about our communities, I do believe that we can help bring this beautiful, beloved state back from the brink. The evolution of Iowa will take effort, expertise, education, a lot of editing, open-mindedness, patience, a very good sense of humor and, perhaps more than anything, hope

For many years now, every single staff member, contributor, reader, advertiser and financial supporter of Little Village has given me that hope. So thank you for advertising in, writing for, supporting and reading this magazine. Here’s to you all, and to the future of Iowa.

—Jordan Sellergren, Publisher

Letter

to the editor: Contemplating the life of Joseph Dobrian (Jan. 2)

This was lovely. Made me think. I hope Kent Williams writes about me when I am gone! —Rod S.

He liked to rail on the school board during the public comment session, and then throw up a Nazi hand signal before leaving the podium. Not going to miss that guy. —Julie J.

I’ve never met him but I ‘know’ him. Hundreds of others that have passed through my life that are just as angry and alienated. A mirror image of Don Quixote, chivalry replaced with a vitriol that most of us could never muster, let alone understand how it can be contained in a single vessel. —Matt M.

He could actually be charming and fun. We went out to lunch one day in early spring in his convertible, and he was dressed nattily, as always, in a pinstripe suit topped with a fedora. I asked him, with summer coming, if he would wear a “short pants” suit in the summer, and

he actually thought it was very funny (the answer was “no”). But as time went by, he became surly, cruel and overly convinced of his own importance, and so I cut ties with him. —Tammara B.

We don’t have to like them, we don’t have to let them win, and we sure as hell don’t have to let them damage our community. I believe that we do have to have compassion for every single human being. I know Joseph would disagree. Another thing he was wrong about. —Pat D.

I got to know Joseph by doing several of his author photos, including the one featured here. (And while he gave me copies of all his books, I never read one.) He was odd, off putting, and awkward; I once described him to someone as a pompous blowhard. But strangely enough we got along pretty well and I never once felt disrespected by or uncomfortable around him despite the vast sea of differences between us. Not sure I’d say I liked him; maybe it’s more appropriate to say that I appreciated him as an agent of chaos and controversy. May he find in death the peace that

seemed to elude him in life. —Dawn F.

I knew Joseph (always Joseph, never Joe) since ‘79 or ‘80 when I fell in with the folks he knew from high school, who are still some of my best friends. He was an exceptional cook, I read a couple books of his in rewrite, knew almost all his girlfriends indirectly if not directly, and listened to most of his stories. I may have been one of his best and longest lived friends. I finally had to let go after he said one thing too many. He would have flourished in Edwardian England. That he was born in the 1950s and not the 1850s was the source of his discomfort and most of his suffering. Some people are just “unstuck in time.” Of those people most learn to exist in the time they end up in; he couldn’t make that jump. It got worse as he aged because we all become less flexible as we age. I deeply mourn my friend from the 1990s and before. That friend has been gone for several years but I still miss his killer martinis, purposely bad jokes, and our dinners. I miss wandering through art galleries, going to various kinds of shows, and having him show me his New York. Fare thee well, my friend. I hope he gets reincarnated as one of his cats. That

Little Village’s inaugural

INTERACTIONS

would make him happy. —Jennifer L.B.

Sanctuary Pub has closed, with building’s owner seeking new tenant (Jan. 2)

First bar I ever went to when visiting IC, and the first one I went to when I moved here. The coziness is what made it so special. Ugh, this is heartbreaking. —Samantha F.

It’s been happening in Iowa City for years… sterilizing the local landscape to where the weird stuff just isn’t here anymore… —Ariane P.

The weird stuff was the good stuff. What’s weird is the flattening out of culture in a college town like I.C. —Sarah C.

My son and daughter in law both enjoyed the Sanctuary for years! They now live in Mps and when they have visited, always looked forward to going to the

PERSONALS

Neither animated rodents nor bow-tied hunks, Chip and Dale are a pair of feline brothers with a bond stronger than Velcro. These not-quite-identical twins are 10 years young, and can’t wait to warm your sofa in a big pile of tabby fluff. They would prefer a home with no other pets—only you can complete their soul bond. If you let them inside your world, there’s gonna be one less lonely girl/guy/nonbinary cat person this Valentine’s Day. Visit the Iowa City Animal Center, icanimalcenter.org.

Send your personals for consideration to editor@littlevillagemag.com with subject line “Personals.”

FEBRUARY

RAGBRAI announced the 2025 route (Orange City, Milford, Estherville, Forest City, Iowa Falls, Cedar Falls, Oelwein, Guttenberg) on Jan. 25.

Sanctuary. This ended with newer mgt and finding all the traditional ambience was gone. They understand why business has folded. Sad. —Cynthia M.

The Sanctuary’s best years were in the ’70-’80s. Best folk and jazz in Iowa City. And the veggie tacos!!! —Julianne V.M.

As referenced in the article, the most recent management ruined the ambiance. I went in for a drink after a Hawkeye basketball game recently. Gone were the old oak pews and booths, replaced with cheap tables and plastic chairs. Bright lights replaced the dim ones that gave the place an intimate feel. Two large flatscreen TVs behind the bar played game show reruns at high volume. All the interesting art work on the walls had been replaced with beer signs and mirrors. The beer list was mostly the basic commercial brands, not a large selection of imported or microbrew beers as before. We ordered a pizza, and it was undercooked and tasted like Papa John’s on a bad day. I couldn’t believe what had happened to this once unique and amazing old bar, and I told my friend it wouldn’t last long. It closed 2 weeks later. Hopefully someone can rescue it before it’s gone forever. —Mike M.

My favorite and only memory of the place since Woodie sold it was attending a Satanic Un-baptism there. —Shane O.

I worked at Sanctuary during that event. Satanists are great tippers. —Shawn H.

This is so fucked up. They had live music, the best pizza. Honestly I’m

living in the Pacific Northwest right now and they do NOT know how to make proper pizza. First the Mill, now this? What next? Please not George’s!!!!!!!!!! Come on IC, stop trying to be what you’re not. —Monika M.

Another Barkalow property that’s just going to sit vacant for years. —Armand M.

Tracy Barkalow is a one-man plague on Iowa City. —Trenton O.

Boy, Tracy Barkalow is gutting this town. His properties sit vacant. I wonder if he will put Trump signs in this one as well. —Andy L.

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby…. —Laura C.

The Wedge and its signature specialty pizzas are back in downtown Iowa City (Jan. 10)

The Wedge closing in the ped mall in fall 2014, right after Tobacco Bowl had closed the summer prior, had me feeling very sad about the area. Very happy to see them return. Wee —Jake N.

Nature is healing. bring back the tbowl. —Taylor J.

Went last night!! Fresh pie was ready in under 15 minutes. Also their cheesecake (drool) —Veronica T.

Peak Iowa: How two UI scientists bred the first sperm bank (Jan. 14)

The fertility industry remains incredibly

TRUE LOVE

unregulated to this day resulting in some men becoming the bio parent to sometimes hundreds of children— sperm banks lie to parents— doctors have been found to switch out chosen sperm with their own— anonymity creates medical history gaps— look up Laura High. —H.H.

State plans to remove references to climate change and evolution from Iowa’s science education standards (Jan. 16)

The survey is wild. Two of the questions only include options that support the new standards and basically the degree of awesome you think they are. You have to select ‘other’ and include a statement that you disagree with them or prefer the NGSS. —Kristin L.

Cool cool. Everything is fine. We aren’t even pretending to listen to

Few have the honor, the guts, the threshold for pain, or the responsibility of living as deeply as Virginia Visker. I knew her best from the clothing shop she opened in the Hall Mall in the early ’80s. Her door was always open to angst ridden junior high and high school kids searching for authenticity in the vacant ’80s. Prices were subject to her arbitrary whim and assessment of credibility. All on her terms, always. After school, there’d be a few of us riding her thought process as well as we could. Tiptoeing tenderly, as not to inflame. Compassionate, sarcastic, hilarious, loving, she expanded our minds inversely proportional to the rigor with which she had taken her medication. We would sit with the sage, 20 years our senior, and contemplate the living poetry as we rode the waves of her passions and tribulations. She also listened, but was never one to shy away from a good tongue lashing. She loved the entirety of the world as instinctively as she would declare, “Fuck it! Burn it to the ground!” She was the perfect dystopian street queen for the labyrinth of cold Iowa deflection. Thanks for all that, Virginia, you caustic sweetheart.

—Charlie Huyck

RAMONA MUSE LAMBERT

Virginia Visker at the Mill. Maryann Miller

‘Squatter’s Rights’ by Virginia Visker. Courtesy of Paula Miller

INTERACTIONS

educators and experts anymore, but I’m sure it will be okay. —T.I.G.

It’s not enough that Republicans use taxpayer funds for private schools but they insist on changing public school curriculum. Have your cake, eat it, and then tell everyone else how to eat their cake. —Mark J.

I’ve been skeptical about participating in these committees b/c their work in this political environment is disregarded, misused or both. All the while giving these ideologues a veneer of legitimacy. I’m more and more convinced that working from the inside like this in red states is pointless. —Silvia S.

Only a bunch of clueless ingrates would REMOVE references to global warming and evolution. They DESERVE every ounce of scorn, ridicule and contempt they get on this nonsense, FOREVER. Push back against this

ACCOLADES

Cobble Hill Chef andy Schumacher has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in the category of “Best Chef in the Midwest.” The Cedar Rapids restauranteur is nominated alongside chefs from seven other states. In 2024, Chris Hoffmann, the chef and owner of Clyde’s Fine Diner in Des Moines’ East Village, was a semifinalist for the award. Other past Beard nominees from Iowa include George Formaro (Centro), Nic Gonwa (Motley School Tavern), Joe Logsdon (La Mie Bakery), Steve Logsdon (Lucca), Tony Lemmo (Aposto), Jason Simon (Alba) and two-timer Joe Tripp (Harbinger), all Des Moines chefs.

Holly Hunter, third-grade teacher at Davis Elementary School in Grinnell, was announced as Iowa’s sole winner of the national Milken Educator Award. Hunter was surprised with the honor and a $25,000 check during a school assembly on Jan. 16. The Milken award highlights excellent mid-career educators like Hunter, celebrated for her creative class curriculum and mentorship of other teachers. The cash prize can be used however Hunter likes. She and other winners will be honored in Los Angeles in April.

Two Central Iowa students were chosen as recipients of the ACLU of Iowa Robert Mannheimer Youth Advocacy Award on Jan. 28. West Des Moines’ Danika Jacobsen, 19, was honored for her reproductive freedom work, and Ivy Wishman of Des Moines, 17, for her labor rights advocacy.

insanity HARD. Make their lives hell, just as they are making students’ and teachers’ lives miserable. —Andrew R.

The DOE survey to which you provided a link is ludicrously biased. You can answer that you “strongly disagree” with the recommended changes in the first question. But after that, the question is “Please identify the reasons you believe that the recommended Iowa Science Standards will improve student learning” and “What do you think Iowa educators … will need to best support implementation of these standards.” To answer these, I had to check “Other” and then type in “The recommended standards will NOT improve learning” and “The proposed standards should NOT be implemented,” respectively. I expected an open comment box at the end where I could type in that I wanted the current standards, based on the Next Generation Science Standards, to be maintained. Instead, the button to provide more feedback leads you to a very lengthy process of commenting on each one of the recommendations for every grade level. I wasn’t

sure which grades entailed the changes about climate change and evolution, so I couldn’t narrow it down that way. You cannot skip through all this mess to look for it – they have it set up so that an answer is required to every question in order to move to the next screen. —Laura B.

Wahlburgers loses its biggest franchisee as Hy-Vee quits the celebrity burger business (Jan. 24)

There are two intuitive reasons to possibly justify eating at a grocery store attached restaurant: the food is better quality being that it is basically attached to the world’s largest cupboard or the food is cheaper being so close to the source. Neither is true of any Hy-Vee-attached restaurant I’ve ever been to. Never mind Hy-Vee bankrolling the republican party in Iowa, the fact that its restaurant is just another generic restaurant is reason enough not to go there. —Jason A.

Hy-Vee needs to decide what it wants to be when it grows up. —Julie J.

DES MOINES, JaN. 17

To the beautiful, bubbly, pink haired server in beaverdale. I greatly regret not collecting your information, thank you for the comforting conversation about the importance of community. Your voice and energy brought me back to life and I would love to have more long talks with you.

IOWa CITy, JaN. 26

To the family seated directly in front of me at Hadestown who got up and left after the musical number that suggested it is wrong to try and build a wall to keep poor people out of your neighborhood, thereby greatly improving my view of the second half of the production: What’s it like knowing everywhere you go is better after you leave?

Submit to Missed Connections! Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear in print or online. Think you’re the subject of one? reach out: littlevillagemag.com/missed-connections

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Little Village is a community supported monthly alternative magazine and digital media channel offering an independent perspective on Iowa news, culture and events. The magazine is widely available for free, with a distribution focus on the state’s cultural centers of Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Cedar Falls/ Waterloo, Dubuque and the Quad Cities. Scan here to find which one of LV’s 800 distribution locations is nearest to you >>

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Send Your Mind on a Hike

Iwant summer weather. I want sweat on my brow and aches in my legs. July backpacking is on my list of goals this year: spending five days hiking for miles on an island with no wifi. I wish to filter away the brain-eating amoebas and drink a river with a straw. To sleep under the stars where mosquitoes hunt you and bears try to steal your pic-a-nic baskets.

Romanticizing the wilderness is keeping me warm this month. While training for these hilly hikes, I’ve got my phone playing the Libby audiobook for Kevin Fedarko’s A Walk in the Park: True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon

This book captures the milestones and mishaps of the author’s attempt at hiking the length of the Grand Canyon. His writing is some of the best travel journalism I’ve read in years. Full of humor, hubris and humiliation, I find myself compelled to keep listening— and walking—until I’m forced to move on to something else.

It’s not just detailed desert descriptions that makes this great writing. It’s the tales of the Canyon’s heroes, the legends who challenged themselves to the unthinkable. It’s the quirky characters that teach him about flora and fauna. The best book-length nonfiction entertains while teaching. Fedarko is a master storyteller and does just that.

Another hiking hit is Michael Finkel’s The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit. Published in 2017, the book tells the story of Christopher Knight, a Maine man who spent 27 years living near the state’s North Pond vacation homes. Knight survived by committing about 1,000 burglaries, taking only practical items and candy.

If hiking the length of the Grand Canyon is hardcore, living outside through 27 Maine winters is just as ballsy. The guy didn’t even light campfires for fear of the smoke leading to his discovery.

My hike will be nothing so brazen, but I love reading these stories that boast of the human body’s strengths. We don’t know what we’re capable of until we train and try. We are built to defy death.

The book that first prodded me down this hiking path was Katherine Center’s Happiness for Beginners. The title comes from a psychology textbook owned by one of the college student characters. (Remember all the news about pop psychology courses on happiness?) The protagonist decides to trek through the Wyoming wilderness to find her new beginning. This rom com features a cast of likeable characters with little in common but their desire to conquer the hike. I felt like I was a fellow traveler along for the adventure. Minus the mosquitoes.

These are just a few of the outdoorsy books that will warm my soul this winter. Want more book ideas? Contact us through www. icpl.org/ask.

—Melody Dworak

Get a Grip

Pleasure isn’t something to seek. According to these sex educators, it’s a way of being.

by NaTaLIE bENWay

Ihad a surprisingly sensual and pleasurable experience with a pencil once.

I’ve worked with somatic sex educators for a number of years as a way to reclaim a more embodied and empowered relationship to pleasure. Reading Audre Lorde’s work in college helped me understand that the erotic isn’t just the stuff people do to get off. There’s waaaaay more going on if we take the time to understand it.

In her essay The Erotic as Power, Lorde argues the erotic is a profound source of power, vitality and creativity that transcends sexual expression. The erotic is deeply connected to our emotions, desires and authentic power. It is a vital, intuitive force that can fuel personal and collective transformation when harnessed.

Lorde also challenges the patriarchal systems that suppress the erotic, encouraging people— especially women and marginalized groups—to reclaim it as a tool of empowerment.

But how? It starts with first being willing to explore our desires—what turns us on and off, how our sensory experience of pleasure unfolds.

So back to the pencil. My teacher led me through an exercise called “waking up the hands” from Betty Martin’s book The Art of Receiving and Giving.

Our hands take in sensory information constantly. They are equipped with a wide variety of sensory receptors that help us explore the world around us. Whether we are feeling the warmth of a cup of tea, the stickiness of honey on our fingertips or the line of our partner’s shoulder blade, we are waking up the nerves of the hands and the pleasure centers of the brain.

I took the pencil, and was instructed to first be aware of my hands. My teacher invited me to play with pressure, pace of movement, to explore the pointy and soft edges of the pencil.

At first I rushed through it, a little self-conscious. My guide invited me to take my time and track the sensation in my body. I slowly ran the pencil along the edges of my hand and in between my fingers. There we go! My hands were definitely awake. I had chills radiating through my body.

So, what is the point of playing with a pencil or having awakened hands? And what does this have

to do with sex?

The aim of the exercise is not just to meditate on physical touch, but to deepen our awareness of our own body and desires. Learn what feels good, beyond what you expect to feel good. Then, bring this “data” to erotic experiences with others. Each sensation becomes more vivid, more profound, inviting us to experience the fullness of life. Pleasure isn’t something to be achieved or chased, but is woven into every moment of our day.

In Adrienne Marie Brown’s book Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, she explains that pleasure isn’t just about individual enjoyment but about cultivating collective joy, healing and connection. In a world that often prioritizes productivity and control, embracing pleasure is an act of resistance. It allows us to reconnect with our bodies, challenge oppressive systems and deepen our relationships with others. It’s also a tool for resilience, helping us to cope with and transcend trauma.

“How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life?” she asks.

We can begin with a pencil and an open mind.

Kate Doolittle / Little Village

A Zero with the Rim Rubbed Out

An Iowan-made religious movement founded on bless-ins, death prayers and romantic betrayal hid every kind of abuse. But former “cult kids” aren’t keeping quiet anymore.

by EMMa MCCLaTCHEy

From 1990 to 2018, thousands of southeastern Iowa families flocked to an amphitheater south of Kalona for a highbudget, wholesomely patriotic Fourth of July show. The spectators (the vast majority, at least) didn’t know it, but the fireworks bursting in the sky, the near-professional song-and-dance numbers onstage and the very land they were gathered on were property of a cult.

The cult successfully masqueraded as an allAmerican Christian church and business, selling the kind of bunk medicine and self-help strategies you find in the works of Jim Jones, L. Ron Hubbard, NXIVM’s Keith Raniere and Gwen Shamblin of The Way Down. This cult’s (less flashy) prophets impressed upon members the importance of blending in.

“You can be a normal person and be in this church. You can walk with God and not be from Mars, you know,” Gary Hargrave negged his devoted

Church of the Living Word in North Hills, California. Courtesy of Oops! I’m in a Cult

Charity Navalesi visits the former Shiloh township in Washington County. The cult’s compound was demolished in a controlled burn in 2020 to make way for a subdivision. Dawn Frary / Little Village

congregation in 1992. “People who are in their late 20s, early 30s, that were raised in the Walk … in a sense, [they’re] like cripples, emotional cripples.”

The Walk, also called the Living Word Fellowship, has outlived Jonestown, passed as a real church better than Scientology and, unlike Heaven’s Gate and other millenarian religious movements, maintained the faith after untimely deaths and poorly timed doomsday predictions.

More importantly, you probably haven’t heard of the Living Word Fellowship (LWF), even if you’ve lived mere miles from its Mecca for decades: Shiloh, a roughly 300-acre township boasting a 90,000 sq. ft. compound (built for worship, religious education and as bunker to stockpile supplies for the End Times), nestled amid the Amish and Mennonite communities of rural Washington County, Iowa. While dazzling the secular public with fireworks shows, LWF’s leadership were exploiting their followers—in Iowa, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Brazil and beyond.

“They were like, ‘If anybody asks, do not mention the church,’” former member Scott Barker recalls his adult mentors advising. “We’re just conditioned for so long to be obedient and submissive.”

“We could listen to pop music. We could interact with the rest of the world. We just weren’t … given the space and the freedom to, because we were punished and manipulated into sticking with the cult,” another ex-member, Charity Navalesi, said.

Then one day, it went up in flames.

The aging facilities at Shiloh, erected through the unpaid labor of LWF devotees, were leveled in a demolition burn ordered by the city of Kalona in October 2020. The balloon-shaped “Shiloh” watertower was painted plain white. This literal cleansing followed a metaphorical one: LWF’s central organization and governing body were dissolved in 2018 amid a handful of lawsuits and a growing mountain of allegations brought by former church members. Gary Hargrave resigned.

Former leadership have been charged with

sexually abusing minors in the church. Alleged perpetrators include the son of late, exalted apostle Marilyn Hargrave, Rick Holbrook.

As you might expect, the scouring of Shiloh was “very satisfying for all of us to watch,” according to Navalesi, who performed in the Fourth of July revue as a teenager—and under Holbrook’s direction. “To see it burn was so cathartic.”

She and Barker have been investigating the Living Word Fellowship since leaving the church behind in the last decade, after a lifetime inside. They interview former members and religious experts, investigate

LWF’s origins and cover ongoing legal action against LWF figures on their podcast, aptly titled Oops! I’m in a Cult

Through the podcast (and a documentary in the works), Barker said they hope to reframe their own fraught experiences in the Walk. “It’s an opportunity to research the history that they didn’t want to share, the stuff that they didn’t want exposed, the stories that they were actively trying to cover up and hide, and the [recent] lawsuits.”

In future articles, Little Village will explore the sketchy background of LWF founder and Iowa native John Robert Stevens. We’ll also delve into the consequences of medical misinformation, scams and systematic abuse, including at a summer camp in rural Iowa designed to “break” children’s spirits.

For now, we’ll focus on the cult’s central love triangle, its toxic teachings around sex and gender, and a program of mandatory “relationships” created to control members young and old.

***

Navalesi’s mom was around 15 and her father 20 when they journeyed to Laguna Beach, California in 1970 to join the burgeoning Living Word Fellowship. Her hippie parents sought a sense of belonging, structure, “someone to tell them what to do,” Navalesi explained. “But they also were fed this whole idea that we’re going to change the world and bring the kingdom of God on Earth. This is, like, the new thing that God is doing. Regular Christianity and religion

Rabbit in lap, a young Charity Navalesi poses for a magazine advertisement for Bible covers—one of the many “Kingdom Businesses” subsidizing the Living Word Fellowship over the decades, operated by church members. This photo now serves as the main artwork for Navalesi and Scott Barker’s podcast investigating the dissolved cult organization. Courtesy of Oops! I’m in a Cult

Headstones from Shiloh’s once ornate graveyard sit a pile while the former church property undergoes renovation. Dawn Frary / Little Village

isn’t cutting it.”

John Robert Stevens—billing himself as a saltof-the-earth preacher from Story County, Iowa, with the powers of prophecy, faith healing and speaking in tongues—would host “bless-ins,” gathering young followers in tight circles for meditation and group prayers. These play off the hippie “love-ins” popular at the time, as well pseudoscientific self-help

concepts like the law of attraction and the Power of Positive Thinking

In a pamphlet from Jan. 26, 1975, Stevens condemned “the seeming luxuries that living in Babylon”—that is, the modern world—“pours out. Man in his civilized existence has reached the epitome of wretchedness, weakness, lethargy, perversiveness, sexual depravity, deformity, abnormal obsession,

demon possession and premature death, plus scads of unnamed diseases waiting to pounce upon the unexpected and unaware.”

Before long, the self-styled apostle would order “intercessory prayers” or “sieges”: groups of believers praying in shifts, 24 hours a day, for God to manifest the apostle’s will, whether it be healing his cancer or bringing death upon his critics and ex-lovers.

Shiloh became the go-to gathering spot for these sieges after its construction in the mid-’70s. Raised in the L.A.-area church, Barker regularly flew with his parents—another pair of hippies-turned-LWFfollowers—to rural Iowa for major church gatherings, never venturing outside of the Shiloh area.

Barker has pored through hundreds of hours of audio and video recordings he and his parents collected over the decades, all featuring the sermons of “Papa John” Stevens. (When the Hargraves took over LWF, they continued this recording habit; Barker was one of several church members tasked with recording services over the years. Other former members have revealed they were tasked with editing new and old tapings, removing references to Stevens’ first wife, Gary’s first wife, Marilyn’s first husband, the death prayer sieges, politics, outdated racism, etc.)

These tapes and their transcripts—sold to followers for a tidy profit—were collectively called

The graves of John Robert Stevens, who founded the Living Word Fellowship in 1951, and his widow Marilyn Hargrave remain at the former site of the Shiloh cemetery, unceremoniously marked with simple name plates. Dawn Frary / Little Village

“the Word,” and were studied within the LWF far more diligently than the Bible. Navalesi estimated that for every minute a member spent reading the gospels, they spent at least nine minutes ingesting the meandering, sometimes slurring and occasionally plagiarized Words of the alcoholic Stevens, or one of his successors.

“His every utterance is, like, divine—divine and prophetic and valuable,” Barker said.

An example of Stevens’ divine wisdom, played on the podcast: “They [women] want to be dominated.

Something in the female cries, ‘Grab me by the hair and drag me off to the cave.’”

Stevens eschewed most Christian holidays, instead embracing bastardized versions of Jewish High Holy Days and Shabbat. “We did not celebrate Hanukkah, and we did not celebrate Christmas. No Easter. We did Passover instead,” Navalesi said. “Yeah, it’s very confusing. It was very piecemeal.”

“They would tell us all the time, ‘don’t be religious,’” Barker recalled. “They could change the rules from week to week and get mad at you if you were doing the thing that was last week, because today’s a new day. You never really knew what was happening.”

By the time Stevens succumbed to cancer in 1983, his second wife Marilyn and righthand man Gary Hargrave were already plotting a takeover of the Walk and its assets, including the L.A. home in which Papa John was slowly dying, without hospital intervention.

who wasn’t meant to die at all, ever. Roughly half of LWF’s adherents scattered in the wake of this scandalous change of leadership.

“When John died, Gary spun the narrative, eventually saying that the reason he died was because John didn’t submit to Marilyn, or wasn’t obedient to Marilyn,” Barker explained.

“It is surprising that Marilyn and Gary were able to save it the way they did after his death. They did lose a lot of followers, but to keep people going for another 40 years, almost, is—if it weren’t so terrible, it’s really impressive.”

“aNy MaLE IS a PErFECT TarGET. THaT’S WHy I DON’T LIKE WOMEN. I rEaLLy DON’T CarE FOr a WOMaN’S SPIrIT. I THINK THEy arE a TrIP.” — MARILYN HARGRAVE

According to Kristy Pfeiffer, a guest on Oops! I’m in a Cult who grew up in the cult’s secretive inner circle, Gary and Marilyn were having an affair under the same roof as the dying Stevens, and even forged his will in the final days.

The two wed within a year of the founder’s death at the age of 63—an early demise for a man

Marilyn Hargrave was elevated to Christ-like status within the LWF, worshipped as “the Lamp of Israel.” This didn’t spell a change in the cult’s view of gender roles, however.

“Any male is a perfect target. That’s why I don’t like women. I really don’t care for a woman’s spirit. I think they are a trip,” Marilyn says during a recorded Word from 1980 titled “Girls, Turn it Off!” which was required listening for girls and young

John Robert Stevens. Courtesy of Oops! I’m in a Cult

A “Girls, Turn It Off!” tape, one of the principle teachings in the church used to demean and control women. Courtesy of Oops! I’m in a Cult

women within LWF.

She criticizes the feminine tendency to turn “tittery, giddy, flirtatious, sultry, seductive” and “manipulative” in the presence of men. “Girls are not just cute little Barbie dolls. Back in there is, like, a viper.”

According to Navalesi, Marilyn’s constant message was, “‘Be nothing. Actually just barely exist. Don’t draw any attention to yourself.’ I was told that a guy only liked me because I ‘beamed it at him.’”

Even though many young members harbored some degree of resentment towards the leadership, they were also conditioned to see people outside “the Body” of the LWF as even more uncaring. In the 1992 sermon, Marilyn calls nonWalk society “scary.” “People don’t care. They’re just trying to use you in an overt way.”

volunteer labor,” Navalesi said. “They had people doing their dishes, cleaning their house, doing their shopping, I mean, everything. And then when the whole Elijah-Elijah stuff came out, that’s what all the leaders started doing.”

“THEy HaD TWO PaID aSSISTaNTS, aND THEN THEy HaD VOLUNTEEr LabOr. THEy HaD PEOPLE DOING THEIr DISHES, CLEaNING THEIr HOUSE, DOING THEIr SHOPPING, I MEaN, EVEryTHING.” — CHARITY NAVALESI, FORMER MEMBER OF THE LIVING WORD FELLOWSHIP

“A designated relationship is, is anybody where there’s something in the Lord, you know, God’s in that relationship between the two people,” Gary attempted to explain in a 1992 Word shared with Little Village. “… Don’t leave the shepherding authority out of the loop of what’s going on with you. … If you’re not submissive, you’re going to violate the relationship.”

Unfurling more red flags, he added, “You are creating a bond and a connection with a person that is as deep and as real as what sex does in melting two spirits.”

The Hargraves’ wealth and influence ballooned, even as the church body contracted. (At its peak in the ’70s, there were as many as 100 LWF congregations. At the end, there were 10.)

“They had two paid assistants, and then they had

The Elijah-Elijah doctrine, also called “designated relationships,” required all LWF members to accept a “shepherd” to guide their decision-making: jobs, colleges, tithes, moves, dates, marriages, divorces. Of course, Gary and Marilyn would have final approval over the pairings, and shepherds, almost always non-family members, were expected to report back to the apostles.

Elijah-Elijah was not supposed to be discussed outside the Body. Members were instructed to call it a mere mentorship program, specifically to avoid cult accusations, Barker said.

“Your friends ended up as that person that would control you. You had to be submissive to just some asshole in the church.”

“Someone could be very well intentioned and going to tell one of the shepherds, ‘Hey, Charity said XYZ,’ and I get in trouble, but that person thought that they were just looking out for me,”

Charity Navalesi sings Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” at one of Shiloh’s annual Fourth of July productions directed by Rick Holbrook. Courtesy of Oops! I’m in a Cult

Navalesi added.

“I remember I wanted to go visit with a friend from college, and I asked permission, because that’s what I was supposed to do. I think I was like, 23, you know, I’m not a child. And [my shepherd] says to me, ‘Well, I’m not going to tell you what to do. You decide for yourself.’ I was like, well, that’s new. So I went and saw my friend.”

The next day, Navalesi was scolded by her shepherd for associating with unsavory people outside the church.

This whiplash was nothing new. Throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, Marilyn would love-bomb Navalesi, only to ice her out for years on end over small supposed transgressions, such as sitting in the wrong spot in church. She felt

increasingly isolated.

“She would regularly get on me about not being too much,” Navalesi said. “‘Oh, you were trying to be the center of attention,’ or, ‘You were trying to dress provocatively to get the attention of the guy,’ and I just got to the point where I was like, I can’t do anything right. So I dressed really dumpy and didn’t say a word. … Basically, I just wasn’t myself at all, and just became, as Marilyn would call it, a zero with the rim rubbed down.”

That 1992 recording from Barker’s archive is a four-hour, videotapped sermon on sex and designated relationships led by the Hargraves and attended by adult and high school-aged members. In it, Marilyn claims children begin a “hormonal stage” at the age of 5 or younger, and a “sex drive by 8 or 9.”

“I feel like there is a tremendous amount of sexuality in young children,” she says.

“There’s no question that there’s such a big deal about the innocence of the little kids over here that are molested or whatever. But there’s still an intrigue about that that is sometimes mutual, but the kids die because that whole thing is, like, something they’d have to admit, if only they were honest … as an adult, don’t say ‘my kid isn’t interested.’”

Pfeffer feels safe saying she was groomed by Marilyn and Gary as a child. Beginning with her 8th birthday, the couple would invite her to their house for a private dinner and champagne toast. Pfeffer

The remaining graves at the former Shiloh cemetery are marked by wooden dowels and name plates. Dawn Frary / Little Village

said they would encourage her to drink to the point of intoxication.

Along with homosexuality, the Walk absolutely condemned sex before marriage—even if you’re the victim of unwanted sexual contact. “You have to stay in control of your spirit,” Marilyn advised. “You should never let somebody do something that is a violation to you.”

Inevitably, this attitude from the top allowed sexual abusers to thrive in the LWF. Marilyn’s son from her marriage before Stevens, Rick Holbrook, faced repeated accusations of child sexual abuse and was only temporarily removed, then reappointed, to leadership roles while his accusers were silenced.

punishment for coming out as a lesbian. Though she was pushed into a marriage with a man, she fell in love with a woman and divorced him to be with her.

“Instead of being encouraged to pursue her happiness, be embraced for who she is, she’s kicked out of the church,” Navalesi explained.

Marilyn died in 2015, three years before the reckoning that would take down the Walk. “A fish

“THaT’S

A former cult member interviewed by Navalesi and Barker, Lauren Beckman, described being told by her shepherds to “repent for the part [she] played in” her own rape by a church member. She was forced to work as a live-in servant in her shepherds’ house, and says she was abused on multiple occasions by Holbrook.

“They let him stay in positions of leadership, even though they knew he was a sexual predator of children,” Navalesi said.

Marilyn’s daughter, Rick’s sister, faced far greater

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actually special.”

Navalesi has bittersweet memories from her school days, first in a Shiloh classroom, then in the MidPrairie School District starting in 5th grade, where she and her peers were known as the “cult kids.”

“For the most part, especially in my age group, we really cared for each other, and we just didn’t know we were allowed to,” she said. “We were very siloed. We weren’t allowed to speak to each other about what we were going through, because if we did, and the shepherds found out, we’d get chastised for talking negatively. I think that we really loved each other, and it was the leadership always fucking with us.”

— SCOTT BARKER, FORMER MEMBER OF THE LIVING WORD FELLOWSHIP

doesn’t know it’s swimming in water,” Charity said of the cult mindset, but certain events can create a ripple. Like Stevens, the Lamp of Israel was never supposed to die.

“That’s the thing about most cults in general,” Barker said, “is, like, they can lay down the law. They can instruct people, but they need you to believe. They need you to think that the leaders are

By airing the history of the longrunning, far-reaching and relatively undiscussed cult that controlled the first quarter of their lives, Barker and Navalesi go beyond relishing its fall to find healing.

“My favorite quote from [feminist theologian] Meggan Watterson … ‘The truest teachers are the ones who point us back to our own power,’” Navalesi says on an early episode of Oops! I’m in a Cult. “That’s something that will always stick with me, because with the Living Word Fellowship, all we did was give our power away to leaders who were telling us we had to.”

IMs. Draper Will See You Now

Ms. Draper Will See You Now

Marion’s romance-only bookstore is a one-woman matchmaking operation.

by KELLEE FOrKENbrOCK

’ve been to my fair share of bookstores, and all have left me with something to remember: a dazzling window display, a cozy nook, a roaming cat. My latest store visit can be summed up by the exclaimed observation of a fellow patron: “It’s a penis!”

This plush appendage sat atop a shelf in Happily Ever After (HEA) Book Boutique’s Iowa City Ped Mall pop-up shop.

Headquartered in Marion, HEA is dedicated to romance and its subgenres, including romantic comedy, romantic thriller and historical romance. The steamy selections are plentiful and diverse, covering all races, genders and orientations.

A literary gem in the wordy Midwest, Happily Ever After is one of just 25 romance-only bookstores in the United States.

This past December, I had an opportunity to chat with HEA owner and sole employee Jenn Draper at the IC pop-up. Her space was bustling with dozens of shoppers that wintry day. An energy of curiosity and humor carried throughout the small

but whimsical store, filled with books and cheeky (or should I say ballsy) décor.

“I’ve had writers in the community ask, ‘You can create an entire store on romance?’ and it shocks them when I share that romance books singlehandedly saved the publishing industry,” Draper said.

She’s not wrong: the romance genre generates over $1 billion in annual sales. Coupled with the support of social media’s #BookTok explosion, romance books are finding a new renaissance among readers of all shades, sizes and sexualities. HEA opened its doors in 2023 amid this booming market.

Watching Draper with her shop’s visitors was a masterclass in customer service. Everyone was all smiles, chatting about everything from the latest Colleen Hoover to plans for the upcoming holiday season. It was clear that Draper revels in what she does, providing a space for lovers of the naughty words to gather, gab and, most importantly, buy all the books.

While Draper admits that she “dabbles in

and does pop-up events around the country. via HEC’s website

writing,” the inspiration for HEA began to blossom during her school years. “As a child,” Draper shared with a nostalgic smile, “I would play ‘store’ and pretend to scan my Baby-Sitters Club books.”

Her affinity for bookselling continued as a young adult, working for a bookstore as a high school teen and keeping up with a voracious reading habit well into her college years. It’s no shocker Draper went

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Happily Ever After Book Boutique’s storefront is located at 1026 7th Ave in Marion,

from playing store to becoming Chief Book Babe— her official title at HEA.

Mid-conversation, my eye catches a wicker basket adorned with a paisley scarf. Inside are bookshaped presents, shrouded in the wrapping paper of the season. Draper explained it was a “Blind Date with a Book” display; you pick a wrapped item and buy it with only a short synopsis written on the front to guide your purchasing decision.

I asked her about representation. As a Black

aN ENErGy OF CUrIOSITy aND HUMOr CarrIED

THrOUGHOUT THE SMaLL bUT WHIMSICaL STOrE, FILLED WITH bOOKS aND CHEEKy (Or SHOUD I Say baLLSy) DÉCOr.

woman who has published a dozen romance novels, I was invested in knowing how HEA supports romance authors who are writing from an underrepresented perspective.

“My main goal is to build community around romance,” Draper said. “I’m blessed to have a vast network of writers.” Selections written by BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ authors like Esha Patel, Adib Khorram and Jasmine Guillory are featured prominently in HEA’s pop-up shop, store and social media feeds. “Your ‘happily ever after’ is represented here,” Draper insists.

If Draper has her way, the Chief Book Babe will be representing HEA throughout Iowa and beyond in 2025. With several events already on the schedule, the shop will be popping up in Dallas, Phoenix and Bloomington in 2025. HEA has national appeal, no doubt, but Draper hasn’t forgotten that home is where the heartthrob is.

“Within the next five years,” she said with muchearned confidence, “I’d like to see HEA in multiple locations, including Iowa City. I would also like to employ staff as well.”

Draper is truly a sister doing it for herself. With her dedication, humor and awareness, it’s not hard to imagine every one of her visions coming to fruition.

After an hour of non-stop customers and freeflowing laughs, our conversation ends, and my shopping begins. It takes me about 10 minutes to decide on my Blind Date tome. As Draper scans it, she says, “Something tells me you will love this book.” I’m intrigued by the assuredness of this lively woman who has known me for only an hour.

I rush out of the store as a flurry of new customers come in, hardly making it to my car before ripping off the candy cane-covered gift wrap. Lo and behold, it’s a queer romance by one of my favorite male authors. She was 100 percent right. They don’t call her Chief Book Babe for nothing.

KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION

THE MUSEUM’S COLLECTION AS A CATALYST

JANUARY 7 – MAY 19, 2025

EVERYTHING LEFT UNSAID

JANUARY 23 – MARCH 30, 2025

Andrew Kaufman, Untitled (knot), 2024. Acrylic and watercolor on canvas, 40 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist.

Souvenirs from Outer Space

“Meteor excitement” brought a small fortune to the Amana area in the 1870s.

PaUL brENNaN

On Friday, Feb. 12, 1875, shortly before 10:30 p.m., “one of the most brilliant meteors of modern times illuminated the entire State of Iowa, and adjacent parts of the States of Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.”

“The meteor, in rapidly moving through the atmosphere, produced a great variety of sounds— rolling, rumbling, and detonations of fearful intensity—which in a large portion of Iowa County shook the houses as if moved by an earthquake,” Gustavus Hinrichs wrote in Popular Science Monthly later that year.

Over Iowa County, the meteor “produced three terrific detonations, which shook the buildings for miles around” and could be heard 150 miles away, Hinrichs wrote.

Hinrichs was one of the country’s leading scientists, known for his contributions in fields

ranging from mineralogy to astronomy. He created world-renowned chemistry and physics labs at the University of Iowa, where he taught for over 25 years. Hinrichs also built his own observatory, and in the same year the meteor lit up the nighttime sky, he established the Iowa Weather Service, the first state weather bureau in the country. The Danish-born scientist paid for both out of his own pocket, because neither the university, which had decided to no longer emphasize science, nor the Iowa Legislature would fund them.

Hinrichs estimated the explosion of the meteor

“METEOr-brOKErS” SET UP SHOP TO SELL SCaVENGED bITS OF THE “DETONaTING METEOr.” THE METEOr’S SPECTaCULar aPPEaraNCE aND ENOrMOUS EXPLOSION MaDE INTErNaTIONaL NEWS. MUSEUMS arOUND THE COUNTry aND IN EUrOPE WErE EaGEr TO aDD HOMESTEaD METEOrITES TO THEIr COLLECTIONS, aS WErE MaNy NON-SCIENTISTS.

scattered meteorites over an 18 sq. mile area in Iowa County, with more falling on adjacent counties. (It’s a meteor in the air; the bits that hit the ground are meteorites.) Sometimes called the Amana meteor for the nearby Amana Colonies, it is also known as the Homestead meteor, because Homestead was the nearest village with a train station.

It was at that train station that “meteor-brokers” set up shop to sell scavenged bits of the “detonating meteor.” The meteor’s spectacular appearance and enormous explosion made international news. Museums around the country and in Europe were eager to add Homestead meteorites to their

Meteorite slice in the Estherville Meteorite Museum. Courtesy of Bob Jensen

Iowa County meteorites.

collections, as were many non-scientists.

The meteor-brokers in Homestead typically charged $2 per pound for meteorites and rocks that looked like meteorites. At the time, the average daily wage in the United States was about $2.25.

“Enormous profits were made, creating a ‘meteor excitement’ in the region,” Hinrichs noted. He estimated that by the end of June, 400 pounds of fragments from the meteor had been collected.

The first meteorite collected was called the “Sherlock stone,” because it was found on the property of a man with the surname Sherlock, but this created some confusion. A 1927 article in the journal Science complained that some museum catalogs still called the 1875 Iowa County

meteorites Sherlock stones, regardless where they were found.

Hinrichs made several trips to Iowa County to study the impact of the meteor, and collected meteorites for a collection UI still has. The university didn’t pay for them—Hinrichs did with the help of John Irish, the publisher of the Iowa City Press, a weekly newspaper that eventually became the Press-Citizen

Four years after the last one, there was another spectacular meteor fall in Iowa, this time near the northwestern town of Estherville in Emmett County.

May 10, 1879, was a quiet Saturday in Estherville when suddenly a massive “brilliantly white” object appeared in the cloudless sky. A few moments later there was “a terrible sound resembling the crack of a great cannon, the crack of doom or some other unusual rattle,” Estherville’s Northern Vindicator reported. It was the meteor exploding, with meteorites falling over a wide area. According to the newspaper, “the explosion shook houses.”

The largest piece of meteor slammed into a farm field about three miles north of the city. The 437-pounder burrowed 14 feet into the ground. A local well digger had to be hired to help extricate it.

Hinrichs was the first scientist on site, according to the Vindicator, paying his own way again with “the regents of his University viewing the matter with indifference.” The paper noted with some local pride that after Hinrich examined a large meteorite, he called it “a rare specimen.”

Fifty years after impact, Estherville erected a roadside marker near where the 437-pound meteorite fell. More recently, it has unveiled a statue commemorating the meteor, and opened the Estherville Meteorite Center.

As for Hinrichs, in 1905 he published a 118page booklet on the Amana meteorites. By that time, he was living in Missouri, having gotten fed up with lack of support for, and occasional hostility to, both him and science in Iowa.

Iowa County meteorites. Professor Leonard Collective, Public Domain

COMMUNITY

Contact buzz

The Good Word

Poetry is education, enigma, work and therapy for this Des Moines artist and poet-vangelist.

by JOHN bUSbEE

“We deserve to be on the big stages the way stand-up comedians are,” said Des Moines poet Kelsey Bigelow. “We’re using our stories and our voices. It’s just in a different format.”

Iowa, home of the celebrated Writers’ Workshop and the UNESCO City of Literature, is embracing a new generation of poetic voices, from Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey to the Iowa Poetry Association, with its Poetry Palooza and Poetry on the Prairie events.

Kelsey Bigelow is a leader in this movement. An Iowa poetry ambassador, she tours the state and country promoting the art form, in particular spoken word.

“There’s just something about being on stage and speaking the words out loud [that] is just overwhelmingly powerful,” she said. “There’s so much release in it. Every time I’ve been on tour, every performance so far, no piece has been read exactly the same way because the emotion I’m feeling in the moment is always different. The way I need to release the words from my folder is always different. Sometimes it’s softer and more

Courtesy of Kelsey Bigelow

Slam coming up on March 12.

“THErE’S JUST SOMETHING abOUT bEING ON STaGE aND SPEaKING THE WOrDS OUT LOUD [THaT] IS JUST OVErWHELMINGLy POWErFUL.”

Her flagship paying-it-forward program, the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, meets twice monthly, covering writing and critiquing. She also chairs the annual Iowa Poetry Association Slam, with its qualifying events across Iowa in February, culminating in the final event at the 2025 Poetry Palooza (April 4-5).

— KELSEY BIGELOW

reserved, and other times it’s more powerful and in your face. It’s a very strong tool for feeling the range of emotions in a healthy way.”

Videos of her performances can be found on YouTube, Button Poetry, the Ghost Poetry Show and more. You can catch her live at any number of national poetry slams, including the Boston Poetry

Her role as a teacher often comes down to “encouraging people to keep going if they’re feeling nervous about continuing on the poem, and show that there’s more to poetry than just open mic,” she said. “It’s cathartic, it can have a widespread effect and really have an impact on other people’s lives.”

Bigelow released her debut spoken word album, Depression Holders and Secret Keepers, in 2021. In her 2024 collection Far from Broken,

she “centers on the ‘checklist child’ from a broken family as she unpacks her life in therapy. Throughout the collection, she learns about her C-PTSD, dissociation and depression and learns to care for herself while building a full, healthy life of her own.”

Bigelow often explores poetry as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of mental health disorders, working with organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, NAMI and Planned Parenthood.

“One of my top strengths is helping other people see their worth and skill set and living up to their best abilities,” she said. “Poetry has definitely been an avenue for me to do that, helping others process something they’ve gone through that they didn’t really know how to process until they saw someone else do it.”

Discover what Kelsey Bigelow is up to at kelkaybpoetry.com.

prodigious bedroom exploits has given the oyster a reputation as an aphrodisiac. There’s not much scientific evidence behind that claim. But perhaps its performance-enhancing qualities came from the way Casanova ate them with his lovers. “We sucked them in one by one after placing them on the other’s tongue,” he wrote.

Or perhaps Casanova was inspired by the oyster’s innate sexiness: it is endowed with both male and female sex organs. To reproduce, it spawns into the ocean simultaneously with the other oysters in its reef in a huge oyster orgy.

PErHaPS CaSaNOVa WaS INSPIrED by THE OySTEr’S INNaTE SEXINESS: IT IS ENDOWED WITH bOTH MaLE aND FEMaLE SEX OrGaNS. TO rEPrODUCE, IT SPaWNS INTO THE OCEaN SIMULTaNEOUSLy WITH THE OTHEr OySTErS IN ITS rEEF IN a HUGE OySTEr OrGy.

In the mid-to-late 19th century, new harvesting techniques made oysters a cheap and easy food source in western Europe and the United States. Oysters gained in popularity through the early 20th century, and dozens of oyster recipes were included in most cookbooks from that era: fried oysters, baked oysters, oysters in curry sauce, oyster fritters and, of course, that old Christmas tradition, oyster stew. Oysters were everywhere, and everyone could afford them, even here in Iowa.

But by the mid-20th century, the oyster craze subsided. Pollution and overharvesting decimated oyster populations. The huge oyster reefs 18th century sailors had to avoid in the Chesapeake Bay are gone today.

A taste for oysters is bringing those rugged colonies of shellfish back, though. Today, oyster farming is growing in the United States. From the cold waters off the coast of eastern Canada to the warm gulf coast to the chilly Pacific northwest, oyster farmers are producing loads of waterfiltering, sustainable oysters.

Because they’re alive when they’re shipped, oysters stay fresh for longer than you’d think—up to seven days, if they’re kept refrigerated, though most restaurants finish an order more quickly than that.

“We go through about 1,000 a week,” Derek Eidson, chef and owner of Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster in West Des Moines, told me on a recent visit. He served us oysters Rockefeller—a luxury name if I ever heard one. They’re grilled oysters topped with spinach, bacon, Mornay sauce and

BREAD&BUTTER

parmesan. Oysters Rockefeller are great for diners who aren’t quite sure they want to bite into a raw, slippery and (yes) live raw oyster.

Not everyone is squeamish about raw oysters, though. Chef Eidson says that orders are about evenly split between raw and grilled there. Most people who get grilled oysters prefer them simply prepared with butter, garlic and parmesan.

Other Iowa restaurants feature oysters differently: Mariscos El Capitan in Des Moines serves them with shrimp ceviche, and St. Burch Tavern in Iowa City presents raw oysters on the half shell with mignonette sauce or house-made cocktail sauce.

At Cobble Hill in Cedar Rapids, some friends and I sampled raw oysters during social hour. Both Atlantic and Pacific oysters were available, so we tried some of each. Mignonette sauce complemented the slightly briny Atlantic oysters,

Iowa’s Your Oyster

Channel Casanova this Valentine’s Day and treat your beau to the state’s tastiest invertebrates.

Iowa City area

● Club 76 (March event)

● St. Burch Tavern

● The Webster

● Orchard Green

● Konomi

● One Twenty Six & Moonrakers

● Ruthie’s Steak & Seafood

Cedar rapids area

● Cobble Hill

● Juicy Crab Island

● Crab Attack Seafood Kitchen & Bar

● Crab House

Des Moines area

● Mariscos El Capitan

● Guesthouse Tavern & Oyster

● Clyde’s (Wednesday)

● Prime and Providence

● Irina’s Steak & Seafood

● Django

● Splash

● Laughing Crab

● Beerstyles Taproom & Gastropub

● Oak Park

● 801 Chop House

Waterloo/Cedar Falls area

● El Barco Mexican Seafood Bar & Grill

Quad Cities area

● Sippis American Grill & Craft Beer

while the larger, sweeter, almost cucumberflavored Pacific oysters were good with a squeeze of lemon. Cobble Hill also offered a housemade lemon hot sauce that one of my companions found delicious.

The chef showed us the restaurant’s “Oyster Binder,” two inches thick and listing all the varieties of oysters available to the restaurant at different times: Bodega Bay Sweets or Moonrise, anyone? Along with whimsical names, each oyster’s flavor was described in terms reminiscent of wine tasting: “a complex buttery and nutty flavor with a pleasing briny finish” or “ a pleasant briny taste with a hint of sweetness in the finish.” Apparently, oysters gain a unique flavor depending on the particular part of the seafloor in which they live.

Did I notice those subtle flavor profiles? As an oyster novice, I can’t say that I did. But for an exotic, indulgent and sustainable treat, a plate of oysters just might be what you want.

Volunteers shuck oysters ahead of Club 76’s Stout, Sours & Oysterfest fundraiser. Courtesy of Club 76

Oysters Rockefeller at Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster Jane Nesmith / Little Village

Zak Neumann

BUMPER CROPS

Love & Pinball

Ames’ games make for a great, dorky date night.

by LUCaS bENSON

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and when I think of Valentine’s Day, I think of love. When I think of love, I think of pinball.

The two aren’t that different, really. Both require good timing and the right amount of physical interaction: play too gently and your chances of scoring go down; play too hard and the whole thing will fizzle out before you know it. When you’re new to the game, your whole body is overcome with surges of adrenaline and panic: everything is chaotic and noisy but also bright and pretty and it all moves faster than you can think. The experience for seasoned players is vastly different, though. They’ve become familiar with the various idiosyncrasies and learned at least a few of the complex (and at times incomprehensible) rules. Unexpected developments are always occurring, but over time you learn how to navigate the tough shots and sharp angles. Whether you’re a newbie or an old pro, in pinball, as in love, there is no “winning”: all you can do is try to enjoy your

time and make it last as long as you can. OK, if I extend that analogy any farther, it’s gonna tear its ACL. Let’s get on with the venue reviews!

Time Out Arcade

120 Kellogg Ave, Ames timeoutentertainment.co

My mom moved to Ames recently, so I’ve had a chance to scope out some of the local haunts. For anyone looking to get in some pinball (or play oldschool arcade games), Time Out is the undisputed go-to spot in town.

The exterior of the building is unassuming, save for the Tron-esque logo out front. Its proximity to a nearby train track (with a train rattling by every 20 minutes) and a dirty book store (Romantix, for all your holiday needs) gives this section of downtown Ames the feel of an early Tom Waits song.

The interior has a completely different vibe.

The bar is unusually wide, and the night I walked in, the front half was packed with a crowd of enthusiastic karaoke singers. There’s something about a group of women bellowing out “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” at the top of their lungs that makes me unbelievably happy.

My happiness only deepened as I noticed the Ice Cold Beer machine (not pinball, but an absolute bar/arcade classic) that flanked the hall leading to the back half of the bar, where most of the games are located. Time Out has a stellar lineup of modern machines, including Ghostbusters, Deadpool, Guns N’ Roses, Stranger Things, Godzilla and Guardians of the Galaxy They recently acquired an Addams Family as well, and have justifiably dedicated an entire room to it.

While it definitely skews towards a younger crowd, the overall atmosphere is family friendly, fun and inviting. I can confidently say I did not once feel like the “childless adult at a Chuck E. Cheese,” which is a very real occupational hazard for someone who still enjoys playing arcade games at my age.

London Underground

212 Main St, Ames theundergroundames.com

Once I’d gotten my fill of the pinball offerings at Time Out, I had one last stop to make before I

London Underground regular Benjamin Bolluyt plays the Star Wars machine, on which he holds the high scores. Kirsten Kraklio / Little Village

called it a night. Two blocks away is my favorite bar in Ames, the London Underground.

London has everything I look for in a hangout spot: good lighting, no televisions and a rotating cast of characters straight from a Cheers alternate universe.

It’s stocked with the more unusual whiskeys and beers, frequently hosts drag shows and live music, and a local artist, Mel, does a monthly chalk drawing to reflect the seasonal vibe. They also know how the fuck to do bar food. And I’m not talking Midwestern casserole bar food (which also rules, don’t get me wrong): I’m talking spreads that include Brazilian cheese puffs, pickle wraps (a.k.a Midwestern sushi) and Yorkshire puddings, all of which they freely share with regulars and irregulars alike.

Most importantly, this already-impeccable bar also has a Star Wars pinball machine tucked in the back room, considerately out of earshot from the patrons sidled up at the bar enjoying their conversations. As I made my way to the back to get in a few games, a couple was already at the machine. When their round ended, they turned my direction and asked if I wanted to play.

We quickly struck up a conversation—their

Guardians of the Galaxy, Godzilla and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles machines at Timeout Arcade. Kirsten Kraklio / Little Village

names were Ben and Rachel—and the rest of the conversation took care of itself. There wasn’t any awkward stranger small talk; we launched into chatting as if we’d known each other for years, which I’ve found to be a happy side effect of hanging around these machines. I’m typically a pretty shy person, but people who gravitate towards pinball tend to be good natured, kindhearted goofballs that are easy to relate to, given the built-in buffer of a shared hobby.

As the night went on and I stuck around as the interloping third wheel, I learned that Ben and Rachel made a point of having a pinball date at London every week. It was sweet to see how their larger relationship manifested in their gameplay, which was exemplified perfectly during one particular moment in the evening.

On Star Wars pinball, there’s a unique feature giving the player an opportunity to earn a plethora of points by hitting the action button in the middle of the lockdown bar. However, this requires dedicating one hand to hit the button, which increases the risk of losing the ball. I was in the middle of a heart to heart with my new BFF Rachel, when Ben suddenly shouted “BUTTON!” and Rachel ditched our conversation mid-sentence and bolted to Ben’s side. She began whapping the hell out the action button so he could maintain focus on his gameplay.

I mean, how sweet is that? And not to put too fine a point on it, but really: if you’re lucky enough to find someone who’s happy to whap your action button while you flick the flippers, then isn’t every day Valentine’s Day?

London Underground in Ames. Kirsten Kraklio / Little Village

Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, Bridget Bell. The next singer-songwriter sensation could very well be a kid from Southeast Polk Junior High. by KEMbrEW MCLEOD

How did a junior high student in rural Iowa come to record one of the best releases I’ve heard this decade? For that matter, how does someone from that background acquire the tools to pull off such a thing? If you ask Bridget Bell—who just released her debut EP, forgive and forget—it’s all about staying true to oneself and being surrounded by a supportive creative community.

Her musical journey began when she was 12 years old, when she got up the nerve to perform some of her original songs on ukelele at Slow Down Coffee Co.’s open mic night. It was hosted by Rachel Gulick, executive director of Girls Rock! Des Moines. Also in attendance was Allegra Hernandez, the director of GR!T Records (an acronym for Girls

Rock Informational Technologies).

Girls Rock! Des Moines was established a decade earlier to empower girls, women, nonbinary and trans youth and adults by giving them the means to express themselves through music. Soon after learning about GR!DSM, Bell signed up for their summer camp in 2023 and was hooked. In addition to the summer camp, the org runs a year-round community band that focuses on everything from developing live performance skills to learning how to book DIY shows.

“I made a lot of friends there,” Bell said. “I had my first performance in a group, and after that, I joined their community band. Once you start doing Girls Rock! stuff, it feels like you can do anything.”

Bridget Bell’s passion for music began at age

6, when her grandfather started taking her to piano lessons. After learning to play covers on his ukelele around age 11, she began writing her own songs, building on her interest in penning poetry and stories. She got her first guitar in December 2023, seeking a less bright and childlike sound in her songs than the uke provided.

Aside from her familial influences, she has another North Star. “The artist that I’ve always looked up to since I was about 5 or 6 is Taylor Swift,” Bell told me. “She’s always been my biggest inspiration, because she started writing songs at such a young age, and Taylor started with piano and guitar, just like I did.”

I had been reading Rob Sheffield’s excellent new book Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music, so I quoted a passage for Bell in which Sheffield attends a 2011 Swift concert and is blown away. He could not shut up about it and told anyone who would listen: “Ten years from now, my favorite music will be coming from these girls. The ones who saw this show or

“I MaDE a LOT OF FrIENDS THErE. I HaD My FIrST PErFOrMaNCE IN a GrOUP, aND aFTEr THaT, I JOINED THEIr COMMUNITy baND. ONCE yOU STarT DOING GIrLS rOCK! STUFF, IT FEELS LIKE yOU CaN DO aNyTHING.” —BRIDGET BELL

heard these songs on the radio, heard this voice tell them, ‘Drop everything now.’ They heard her and decided they needed to do it themselves. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened.”

“That resonates with me a lot,” Bell replied. “Because I’m definitely one of those girls that was inspired by Taylor Swift. Her passion for music is insane. It makes you want to write music when you see that sort of passion. She really inspired me to start writing from other points of view, not just from my own, like how ‘barnswallow’ is from my friend’s perspective. I’ve also started writing some other songs that are about fictional characters.”

Swift is a superstar who exists in a different cultural and economic universe than punk rock, but a legitimate case can be made for her as a DIY icon. She has empowered artists like Bell to express themselves in the same way that the Slits, Raincoats and other women artists who emerged from underground music scenes inspired earlier generations.

In early 2025, GR!T Records released forgive and forget, which spans a wide range of styles that

Bridget Bell performs at her EP release show at xBk Live in Des Moines. Britt Fowler / Little Village

are anchored in Bell’s quirky take on guitar-pop. It overflows with evocative lyricism that strikes a universal chord while also feeling singular and idiosyncratic—from the way she sings about “my ephemeral love for some old bird” to the line, “I haven’t seen you in forever / so I’ll see you in your dreams.”

Couple that with Bell’s knack for crafting catchy melodies, and you have a recipe for a sweet and savory set of songs that transcend age and social location. forgive and forget is about “moving on from toxic relationships and figuring out when it’s time to forgive people,” she said, “even if they haven’t forgiven you yet.” Thanks to Girls Rock!, Bell had a platform to turn her middle school hurt and angst into five indelible songs, available for all to hear on streaming services.

“The school that I go to, Southeast Polk Junior High, it’s like the opposite of Girls Rock!,” Bell said. “When I’m at Girls Rock!, I’m surrounded by other people that have the same passion for music as me, and who are also going through the same things. It really does feel like a safe space where I can just grab a mic and start singing. I’m not scared to share my ideas about songs and lyrics or go up to people and make new friends.”

The Girls Rock! version of Bridget Bell is a very different person than the one who walks through the doors of Southeast Polk. It’s in a very conservative rural area, and while she has a good group of friends at that school, most of her peers don’t really understand what it’s like to try to make music, and can be quite dismissive of creative pursuits like recording an EP.

While recording forgive and forget, the halfdozen Girls Rock! campers contributed in a variety of ways: working on musical arrangements, playing instruments, setting up gear and interfacing with digital recording software. “It was just me and

a group of other teens,” Bell said. “We spent the days down in the recording studio learning how to produce music, and by the end of it, I could record a song on my own. It was awesome. They are really, really good at teaching.”

Allegra Hernandez, director of GR!T Records, helped facilitate the sessions—five songs in five days—with assistance from a talented group of

volunteers and staff. Recording was a collaborative effort in which everyone was very supportive, and they enthusiastically helped Bell realize her musical vision from scratch.

“But at the same time,” Hernandez added, “it wasn’t just about Bridget. Everyone had a shining moment and Bridget very much celebrated the work of everyone at camp. I was also struck by her vision. She could listen to a bass track being laid down and say, ‘Oh, you know what? That doesn’t quite go with what I’m playing,’ and just stayed true to what she wanted.”

Bell’s unique approach to songwriting can be heard in “3,727,” which was inspired by a plane ride to see the person who was the subject of the song. What immediately jumps out at the listener is the way she grafts an earworm melody to a potentially unwieldy multi-syllabic chorus (“there’s three thousand two hundred seventy eight miles between us / but only one step away from something new”).

“I liked using numbers throughout that song to tie it together with the title,” Bell explained. “Like that line, ‘It takes me four hours to finally fall asleep when I’m thinking about ya / but only one to write another song about you.’ That song is about this one guy. Most of my songs are about that dude.”

From my early years working as a record store clerk in the ’80s through the decades I’ve spent

Bridget Bell performs at her EP release show. Britt Fowler / Little Village

as a music writer, I have surely listened to tens of thousands of albums in my lifetime. After playing Bell’s forgive and forget on repeat for the past month, I can confidently say that it brings me as much pleasure as most anything I’ve heard in my 54 years on this planet, and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.

“Sometimes I’ll be listening to pop, and sometimes it’s more indie. Sometimes I listen to more rock and alt music,” said Bell, who recently learned to play Hole’s “Doll Parts” in the GR!DM community band. Hernandez added, “Bridget was just telling me how much she’s starting to get into Hole and is really taken with Courtney Love’s voice and songwriting.”

“Yeah, I was introduced to Hole at Girls Rock! camp recently,” Bell confirmed. “I’d say Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan have been my biggest inspirations, but now I really love Courtney Love—her voice, her songs. I absolutely love Hole.”

Once again, I can happily report that the kids are alright.

Kembrew McLeod and has been a longtime fan of young people making music. Ten years ago, he and his better half Lynne Nugent put together the compilation album For Kids and By Kids: Songs From Iowa Rock City, Volume One. One day they hope to release a volume two.

Soul Mates

by KENT WILLIaMS

James Tutson and his friends are sounding out the future of the soul genre.

For James Tutson, music is a lifelong thing. He told me in a telephone interview that growing up, “We had a 10-person congregation, and I had five siblings and my mom, and we were the whole church choir. From the minute you could talk, you were singing in our family and singing in church, you know, gospel music. And listening to soul music. All the legends were present in my house.”

Listening to Fool For You, the latest album by Tutson set to release this month, is an unusual experience—not because it’s strange, but because it’s instantly affecting and familiar. We’ve heard rootsy soul before; it’s part of the DNA of American music. In Tutson’s case, you can hear the soul music he grew up with: Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder. But along with artists like Allison Russell and Rhiannon Giddons, Tutson is finding a new soul vernacular for this century.

After going to college, he moved around. “Chicago, to Minneapolis and Indianapolis. My wife and I’ve been back here since about 2015.” Since returning to Iowa City, “I’ve been slowly but surely getting more into the music scene and writing more,” Tutson said. “Trying my hand at recording my own stuff and doing songwriting, all leading up to this latest project.”

With six previous studio albums, he isn’t a beginner. On this latest LP, you can hear the confidence and freedom in his voice. His plaintive tenor has a bit of a rough edge, and he’s a natural singer, always on beat and in tune.

Tutson began exploring the guitar for the first time as a student at the University of Iowa.

“In college I was like, man, I got to keep this music thing going somehow and I can’t really sing. Guitar is perfect for a dorm room. You know, like the stereotypical college guy, everybody’s got a guitar that they learn songs [on] or whatever.

“But one of my musical mentors, he’s a guy named J.J. Alberhasky, who was a folk player. Pretty quickly, I picked up guitar and sat behind him and learned. I think in folk music, the guitar is so much a part of the songwriting. That’s how I started to play. I would call myself ‘folk-soul.’ As I learned more about the guitar, it’s like you just take one step further each time, adding to the story and to the arrangement and the style of how you play guitar and in the tones that you craft.”

James Tutson with his guitar, solo on stage, could carry a show, no doubt. But underneath the emotion of the songs on the album, there’s always a deep joy in playing with an ensemble.

Tutson will perform an album release concert

Above: James Tutson rehearses in Tyler Carrington’s home studio. Below: Carrington joins in on drums and Erik Lehmann on keys. Kate Doolittle / Little Village

at the Englert Theatre on Feb. 8—and he’ll be far from alone.

“When I was thinking about doing this album release show, I was considering who might be a good opener. I was kind of running through the list of people I could ask. There’s so many great musicians here and people that I would love to share the stage with. It occurred to me, ‘what if I just asked if they would come play songs with me?’ We

could play some of the songs that didn’t make the record that I think would fit their musical styles. I’m grateful. I’m honored that people said yes.”

The first group of performers on Feb. 8 will include Deb Talan, the Diplomettes, Alyx Rush, Bella Moss and Emily Phillippi, joined by a backing band: Tutson on guitar, Blake Shaw on bass and Tyler Carrington on drums.

In the second set, Tutson will present Fool for

“THErE’S JUST SOMETHING abOUT SOUL MUSIC... yOU HEar THOSE [SOUNDS] aND IT JUST MaKES yOU CONNECT WITH GENEraTIONS OF SOUL.” — JAMES TUTSON

You in full with an 11-piece band—complete with a horn section. If the live rendition is anything like the album, the evening will be a modern Iowa spin on the classic Memphis soul sound, exemplified by Al Green. The Iowa part of the sound, for me, is the sincerity and serious love the musicians put into their performance.

“There’s just something about soul music,” Tutson gushed. “People resist genre sometimes, but I love to play in the genre of soul because they’re these sounds that just give you the reassurance of soul. Whether it’s organ or the guitar or the horns on this album. You hear those and it just makes you connect with generations of soul.”

James Tutson Fool for You Album Release Show

Englert Theatre, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m.

James Tutson rehearses with Tyler Carrington on drums and Erik Lehmann on keys. Kate Doolittle / Little Village

Most days I have no desire to live in New York City or Chicago, but there was one thing that could make me pack up and pay $2,500 per month for a studio apartment: Iowa was seriously lacking in professional dance.

Ballet Des Moines may have saved me a fortune in moving expenses. In the past five years, they have gone from a little known stepping stone company to an in-demand regional company with strong local roots, changing the dance scene in Iowa.

“[Des Moines] is an incredible city with an incredible arts community, but there’s a gap where the dance world is concerned,” said CEO Blaire Massa. “That’s why we had the opportunity to rise so quickly through the ranks and to gain such incredible support and momentum over the last five years. But the reality is that there isn’t a ton of professional dance happening in Iowa, and we are excited to not only fill the gap but also give Iowans something unique.”

I see this unique quality in See the Music, a collaboration with the Civic Music Association of Des Moines. The upcoming performance explores the tangible connection between music and movement, with live musicians sharing the stage with the dancers.

“It is more than just a ballet, it is more than just a concert,” Massa told me over Zoom.

The show’s title comes from a quote by master choreographer George Balanchine, known for his musicality: “See the music, hear the dance.” The show

challenges the audience to switch their senses around, to hear the choreography and see the melodies, to play a game in translation and interpretation.

Regional companies like Ballet Des Moines are able to create pieces that couldn’t be made anywhere else, that are relevant to the community they serve. This is the reason why, Massa told me, she works for a regional dance company; she left a job in Washington D.C. five years ago to come to Iowa.

“The really big dance companies are important, but the reality is they are not really pushing the envelope

because they have such machines to drive,” Massa explained “… For an organization with a $20 million budget to change a practice because it’s toxic or to stop doing something even though it’s been done for a long time—those changes are incredibly hard to make on a large scale. Regional companies are doing a much better job at actually reflecting back a community’s values and identity in a way that is unique.”

Ballet Des Moines breaks down barriers to arts access with programs focused not just on ballet, but on movement and music in general. “It’s a pillar of

Costume fitting for Four Seasons. Courtesy of Jami Milne

Dancers rehearse “Fall” from Four Seasons in the studio.

Courtesy of Jami Milne

“WE’rE NOT TryING TO CrEaTE a bUNCH OF baLLErINaS aCrOSS IOWa, bUT WE ARE TryING TO INSPIrE OUr yOUNG GENEraTION TO rEaLLy HaVE THE CONFIDENCE TO STEP OUTSIDE OF THEIr COMFOrT ZONE aND TO SPEaK IN FrONT OF a rOOM aND TO bE THEMSELVES aND TELL THEIr STOry.” —BLAIRE MASSA

our mission to get the arts into the lives of folks that think that maybe ballet is not for them, or the arts are not for them.”

Some creative cross-disciplinary programs have included a “Choreography and Coding” workshop attended by 300 Girl Scouts, and an annual Summer STEM tour that takes the company to rural communities for free outdoor performances and activities incorporating science, engineering and math. I’m told many audience members come for the onion rings but end up staying for Swan Lake.

“There is so much data that backs up our work proving that access to arts and any kind of creative programing when you’re in school can change the outcomes of your life later on,” Massa said. “So we’re not trying to create a bunch of ballerinas across Iowa, but we are trying to inspire our young generation to really have the confidence to step outside of their comfort zone and to speak in front of a room and to be themselves and tell their story.”

BDM’s new downtown space fulfills my big-city fantasy, as well. The giant windows of the studio

invite passersby to glimpse daily class, costume fittings and rehearsals, joining the city’s energy.

“The visibility of being downtown is really impactful for us,” Massa said. “I’m really excited for us to be intricately webbed into the fabric of Des Moines.” Part of this webbing has come from participating in the conversations around revitalizing downtown. The company has committed to partnering with downtown businesses for window displays, hosting studio space for community classes and offering some courses of their own, taught by company dancers for adult learners. “We want this to be a resource for folks who want to be a part of this programming.”

So while I don’t know how long I can take these Iowa winters, my hankering for professional dance is being taken care of. How lucky we are to have a homegrown ballet company visiting small towns, telling Iowa stories and taking risks. I’ll take that over the anonymity of NYC any day.

CEDAR RAPIDS CEDAR RAPIDS CEDAR RAPIDS CEDAR

CEDAR RAPIDS CEDAR RAPIDS CEDAR RAPIDS

Left: A rack of costumes during a costume fitting. Right: A dancer gets fitted for the world premiere of Tom Mattingly’s Strung Courtesy of Jami Milne

A-LIST: February 2025

Planning an event? Add it to littlevillagemag.com/calendar! Please include event name, date, time, venue name/address, admission price (or range) and a brief description (no all-caps, exclamation points or advertising verbiage, please). Contact calendar@littlevillagemag.com with any questions.

Dubuque Community

Introduction to Beekeeping,

Feb. 4 & 11, Convivium Urban Farmstead, Dubuque

What’s the buzz? If you’ve been curious about how to approach bee husbandry, Convivium in Dubuque has a class for you. You’ll learn from beekeeper Ry Meyer about the equipment required, maintaining bee health and weatherization. You will not work with live bees in this class.

Des Moines MUSIC

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m., The Dirty Nil – Winter 2025 Tour, xBk, Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 8 p.m., Guster, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ The Carson Parker Trio, Noce, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Kolby Cooper, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 6, 8 p.m., Zach Top, Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m., Folsom Prison Experience, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m., Bojangles: Napoleon Douglas sings the music of Sammy Davis Jr. w /his jazz orchestra, Noce, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m., No Cap: Before I Disappear Again Tour, Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m., Stark Raving Madge: A Tribute to the 70’s, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m., Chen Conducts Rachmaninoff, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 8, 8:30 p.m., Ramon & The Sometimes present: Cupid’s Lounge, xBk, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 8, 9 p.m., She’s Crafty, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Sunday, Feb. 9, 2:30 p.m., Chen Conducts Rachmaninoff, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Sunday, Feb. 9, 9 p.m., Los Inquietos

del Norte: Tour Los Más Desmadrosos, Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Bay Faction, xBk, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., The Des Moines Big Band, In Residence, Noce, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Blind Pilot, xBk, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ Drummer Christopher Jensen & Co., Noce, Des Moines

Feb. 14, 15, 7:30, 1:30 p.m., Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince In Concert, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m., Brad & Kate, Temple Theater, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., Parmalee: Fell in Love with a Cowgirl Tour, Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 14, 7, 9 p.m., Valentine’s Day w/ Max Wellman, Noce, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ Valentine Ball, xBk, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m., Battle of the Bands ft. The Get Down, Brittany Sword, Zachary Freedom, xBk, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m., Nap

Sings Nat: Napoleon Douglas sings Nat King Cole w/ his band, Noce, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m., The Finesse, Temple Theater, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m., The Warren Haynes Band: Million Voices Whispler Tour, Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 15, 9:30 p.m., Parranderos Latin Combo w/ Son Peruchos, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., Fleshwater, xBk, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m., Neva Dinova, xBk, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m., The Des Moines Big Band, In Residence, Noce, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m., The Black Jacket Symphony Presents The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ Saxophonist Anthony Orji & co, Noce, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m., Voix De Ville: A Noce Folly from Max Wellman, Noce, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m., Satsang w/ Sierra Marin, xBk, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 21, 9 p.m., Emo Nite, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m., Sonia De Los Santos, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m., The

Salvation Army: Unmasking the Singer, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m., Robert Espe Presents: A Gentleman – The Music of Kenny Wheeler, Noce, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Fresh Fighters: A Tribute to the Foo Fighters, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Sunday, Feb. 23, 5 p.m., Get Off My Lawn, xBk, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m., Post Sex Nachos w/ VEAUX, xBk, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m., The Des Moines Big Band, In Residence, Noce, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ Pianist Tanner Taylor & co, Noce, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Vincent Neil Emerson, Wooly’s, Des Moines

Welcome to the world of Slam Poetry.... Prepare for battle. The Iowa Poetry Association is hosting a series of four qualifying poetry slams across the state in the search for the 2025 IPA Poetry Slam Champion. Join PorchLight Literary Arts Center for the CRANDIC Qualifier, where the poets will battle it out to advance to the IPA Poetry Slam Finals to be held in April in Des Moines.

Thursday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m., Otis Julius, xBk, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Voix De Ville: A Noce Folly from Max Wellman, Noce, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., Houndmouth, Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m., Decoy Trio, Jordan Beem, loveyoubye, xBk, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 28, 9 p.m., Taylor Fest, Wooly’s, Des Moines

PERFORMANCE

Feb 1-16, various times, Ripcord, Tallgrass Theatre, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Momix: Alice, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 14, 9:30, 10:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., Adventure Clubhouse: Billy the Goat, The Playhouse, Des Moines

Sunday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m.,

Insidious: The Further You Fear, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Feb. 21-28, various times., Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre: Mary Poppins Jr., Stoner Theater, Des Moines

Feb. 25-28, various times., The Life of Pi, Des Moines Civic Center, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., See The Music, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines

FILM

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m., The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt 1 w/ Audience Interaction, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m., Barbie with Audio Description & Captions, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Opens Friday, Feb. 7, I’m Still Here, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Feb. 7-9, Sherlock Jr with

R.E.M.: A Silents Synced Film, Fleur Cinema & Café, Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Soundtrack to a Coup d’État, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Pitch Perfect: A Galentine’s Day Celebration, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Opens Friday, Feb. 14, Paddington in Peru, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Opens Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., Blue Velvet, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

Opens Friday, Feb. 21, No Other Land, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines

COMMUNITY

Monday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Basi Affia, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines

First

Friday: Layered group exhibition curated by Brittany Brooke Crow, Feb. 7, Mainframe Studios, Des Moines

The first Friday of every month Mainframe Studios in Des Moines has a different themed studio event open to the public. This exhibition, curated by artist and photographer Brittany Brooke Crow, will showcase work from 48 artists across the greater Des Moines area, selected from a record-breaking 286 entries.

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Charles R. Kniker & Dianne Prichard, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Poet: Traci Brimhall, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m., First Friday: Layered group exhibition curated by Brittany Brooke Crow, Mainframe Studios, Des Moines

Friday, Feb. 7, Al HarrisFernandez exhibition opening, Moberg Gallery, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m., Capital City Pride Presents: Tee Franklin, Temple Theatre, Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m., Beaverdale Books Pop-Up Shop at The 44 DSM 55+ Community, 4326 Hickman Road, Des Moines

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 6 p.m., Writing Workshop: Brooke Van Sickle, Beaverdale Des Moines Community

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

Books, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Sharon L. Clark, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines

Saturday, Feb. 24, 9 a.m., Brick Fest Live On Tour, Iowa Events Center, Des Moines

Sunday, Feb. 25, 10 a.m., Brick Fest Live On Tour, Iowa Events Center, Des Moines

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Poet: Angel Bour, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines

Thursday, Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Allen Eskens, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines

Iowa City MUSIC

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6:30

p.m., Your Arms Are My Cocoon, Blind Equation, Pest Heaven, thisworldisnotkind, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m., Red Dirt Renegade, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m., Dearborn, Anthony Worden & The Illiterati, Dirty Blonde, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m., James Tutson, The Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m., Emanuel Ax and Anthony McGill, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m., For Those About to Yacht, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 8, 9 p.m., Emo Nite, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Monday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., The Crossing, Shared Solo Recital, Voxman Music Building, Iowa City

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Morning In May w/ Chasing Satellites, On Hiatus & Eugene Levy, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., Sam Ross Quintet, The James Theater, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., The Crossing, Voxman Music Building, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 14, 6 p.m., Dandelion Stompers Album Release Show, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 15, 7, 9 p.m., Cyrille Aimée, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m., Belmont w/ Young Culture, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m., Yesterday Wine II ft/ Slim Chance & The Can’t Hardly Playboys, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Sunday, Feb. 16, 6 p.m., Seckond Chaynce w/ Spyda JC, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., Lara Ruggles w/ Brian Johannesen, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m., A Year With Frog & Toad, The Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m., Good Habits, New Neighbors, Slow Retreat, Gunk Lung, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m., Arkansauce w/ Flash In A Pan, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m., Fishbait, KL!NG, Second Half, Anti-Cash, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Generation Emerging Artist Festival,

In addition to the regular productions throughout their season, the Waterloo Community Playhouse/Black Hawk Children’s Theatre runs this festival supporting young artists in the community. Collaborating with area schools, the theater brings students’ thoughts and stories to the stage all weekend.

Dubuque Community

The Art of Music, Prettyslush + Civil Division, Feb. 7, Smokestack, Dubuque

It’s a two-in-one at Smokestack in Dubuque this month. The Art of Music exhibition showcases 15 years of DIY music production from the personal archives of local artists and Dubuque’s Ruix labels, featuring album artworks, along with tour and show posters. In addition, Prettyslush + Civil Division: An IndiVISUAL Commentary art show carries that DIY punk aesthetic in an explosion of media challenging societal norms.

Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m., Sincere Engineer w/ Tightwire & Rational Anthem, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m., Ben LaMar Gay Ensemble and Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m., The Uniphonics, Alyx Rush & Colo Channel, The Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Lex Leto x Makebelief & Stnic, The Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m., Good To Be King: Tom Petty Tribute, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 p.m., Daft Punk Night, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m., Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m., Stillhouse Junkies, The

Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Part One Tribe, Rude Punch & Ro Hempel, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m., VERSUS: ChiSongWriter, Tone Da Boss & more, Gabe’s, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Escuela Grind w/ Chain Gang & Decayer, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., Tab Benoit, The Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., Shamel Pitts, TRIBE, Touch of RED, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

PERFORMANCE

Feb. 6-9, various times, The Cure at Troy, Riverside Theatre, Iowa City

Feb. 7-9, Various times, Nolte Productions Youth Theatre Presents: The Aristocats Kids,

The James Theater, Iowa City

Friday & Saturday, Feb. 14 & 15, 8 p.m., From Bawdy, With Love, The James Theater, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., Zainab Johnson, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

Feb. 28-Mar. 2, various times, Native Gardens, Riverside Theatre, Iowa City

FILM

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m., French Cancan, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m,. Dahomey, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 10 p.m., Late Shift at the Grindhouse: Danger Stories: A Word Salad Symphony FilmScene, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 7, 9:30 p.m., Dune (1984), FilmScene, Iowa City

Des Moines Music

Los Inquietos del Norte: Tour Los Más Desmadrosos, Feb. 9,

Val air ballroom, West Des Moines

Los Inquietos del Norte are a prolific group, having steadily released groundbreaking and influential music since the mid-’90s. Check out the fever dream of a video accompanying the recently premiered “Las Patas Del Diablo” for a taste of their upcoming performance at the Val Air Ballroom. The frequently black-clad, sweaty corrido-playing of the Meza brothers and co. promise a raucous night worthy of their reputation.

Saturday, Feb. 8, 10 p.m., My Bloody Valentine, FilmScene, Iowa City

Sunday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m., DIG!XX + Cinema Savant Ondi Timoner, FilmScene, Iowa City

Monday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., Mulholland Drive, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Blue Velvet, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 10 p.m., Lunatics – A Love Story, FilmScene, Iowa City

Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 15 & 16, 11 a.m., Lady and the Tramp, FilmScene, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 3:30 p.m., Lady and the Tramp, FilmScene, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 15, 10 p.m., Romeo + Juliet, FilmScene, Iowa City

Saturday & Tuesday, Feb. 8 & 11, 4, 7 p.m., A Matter of Life and Death, FilmScene, Iowa City

Sunday, Feb. 16, 3:30 p.m., Bonjour Tristesse, FilmScene, Iowa City

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m., The People’s Joker on 35 MM, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 p.m., Bonjour Tristesse, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 10 p.m., The Pit and the Pendulum, FilmScene, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., Curious World: The Short

Films of Jesse Mclean, FilmScene, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m., One Book Two Book 2025, FilmScene, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 p.m., Huesera: The Bone Woman, FilmScene, Iowa City

Monday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m., Minnesota Mean, FilmScene, Iowa City

Monday & Thursday, Feb. 24 & 27, 7 p.m., Heaven Can Wait, FilmScene, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 10 p.m., Love Goddesses of Blood Island, FilmScene, Iowa City

COMMUNITY

Tuesday, Feb. 4, 4 p.m., Exhibit Opening Celebration: A Roll of the Dice: Symbolism in the Sackner Archive, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m., Grant Wood Fellows Artist Talks & Panel, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Caitlin Roach in Conversation

Quad Cities Performance Spectra Reading Series: Local Lovers Open Mic,

Feb. 13, rozz-Tox, rock Island

The Midwest Writing Center’s Spectra Reading Series continues with this Valentine’s Day open mic. The organizers welcome anyone in the Q.C. area “who has an original poem, song, story, soliloquy, bit, rant, performance art piece, etc. they are willing/burning to share with the one(s) they love and a loving audience at the enigmatic Rozz-Tox.”

with Rachel Yoder, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., 2025 IPA Poetry Slam Crandic Qualifier, PorchLight Literary Arts Center, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 7, 6 p.m., Art & Write Night, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m., Conversation with Emanuel Ax and Anthony McGill, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

Sunday, Feb. 9, 5 p.m., Second

A-LIST: FEBRUARY 2025

Sunday Sessions, Press Coffee, Iowa City

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 6:30 p.m., Creative Matters Conversation with Donald Nally and David Lang, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m., Exhibit Opening: it’s a fine thing, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Marc Dickinson & Kyle McCord, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

Saturday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m., NEA Big Read Discussion of Beloved with DK Nnuro, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m., Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Sunday, Feb. 16, 5:30 p.m., Free Generative Writing Workshop: Mauricio Ruiz, PorchLight Literary Arts Center, Iowa City

Monday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., Author Reading: Emily Mester–American Bulk, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m., Weaving Workshop, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., Free Week: SCW Pro Wrestling, The Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m., Allen Eskens The Quiet Librarian in conversation with Tim Johnston, Sidekick Coffee & Books, Iowa City

Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m., Steven Duong & Tramaine Suubi, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

PARK/OAK PARK

Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m., Author Reading: Pamela Grundy–Shattering the Glass: The Remarkable History of Women’s Basketball, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

PARK/OAK PARK

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m., Write at the Stanley, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City

PARK/OAK PARK

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m., Book Matters: Brady G’Sell & Meena Khandelwal, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

PARK/OAK PARK

Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Author reading: Lewis Robinson and Aaron McCollough, Prairie Lights, Iowa City

PARK/OAK PARK

Protect Your Loved Ones from RSV

RSV is a common respiratory virus, which peaks in the winter months.

RSV can be dangerous for infants and older adults. These age groups are more likely to be hospitalized from RSV.

CR/CF/ Waterloo MUSIC

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m., Octopus Songwriter’s Open Mic., Octopus, Cedar Falls

Thursday, Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., Bob Dorr’s Blues Jam, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m., First Friday Jazz: Carson Parker Trio, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids

Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m., Hip Hop/EDM Showcase, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Saturday, Feb. 8, 5:30 p.m., My Bloody Valentine 3, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

Saturday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m., Dave Helmer Band & Jacob Lampman/ Ego Death, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Saturday, Feb. 8, 8 p.m., Ian Munsick: Horses are Faster Tour, Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Now Hear This: Brad & Kate, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m., Valentine’s Day Concert with Cedar Valley Chamber Music, Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls

Friday & Saturday, Feb. 14 & 15, 7:30 p.m., Amy Friedl: Love Letters, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids

Friday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., Date Night with Dueling Pianos, Historic Oster Regent, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Of Old Magic, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m., Other Brothers, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m., Special “Love” Evening with the Slovak Srdcovka Band, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

Thursday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m., Bob Dorr’s Blues Jam, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m., Larry Fleet,

Iowa City Community

Exhibit Opening: it’s a fine thing,

Feb. 13,

Stanley Museum of art, Iowa City

Curated by Katherine Simóne Reynolds, it’s a fine thing explores the rich and often overlooked Black artists of the Midwest. Challenging conventional narratives while exploring themes of erasure and community, the exhibit aims to celebrate the resilience and creativity of artists like Elizabeth Catlett, Kara Walker and LaToya Ruby Frazier.

Iowa City Literature One Book Two Book 2025, Feb. 2223, various locations, Iowa City

Dubbed “a celebration of children’s literature in the City of Literature” One Book Two Book’s ultimate goal is to encourage the talented young writers in the local community. Each year selected student writing is highlighted and shared amid the family friendly literary programming happening all weekend.

Cedar Rapids Performance

Living Improverty, Feb. 22, CSPS Hall, Cedar rapids

A relatively new improv group, Living Improverty started performing around the Cedar Rapids area in 2017. The group performs monthly at CSPS Hall, dabbling in everything from short skits to long-form stories to musical improv. Be prepared to get in on the bit, as the group asks for audience suggestions to create their off-the-cuff comedy scenes.

Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake

Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m., Soultru, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m., Weary Ramblers, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

Saturday, Feb. 22, 1:30 p.m., Music Lab Concert, Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls

Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m., Stephen Pearcy of RATT, Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake

Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m., The Deeves, Guss Royall and the Cardinal Sound, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m., Key Change: French

Impressions, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m., Octopus New Band Night, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m., Cedar County Cobras, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m., The Claudettes, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

COMMUNITY

Thursday, Feb. 6, 5:30 p.m., CRCSD Art Show, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

Friday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m., Coffee and Kolach, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

Sunday, Feb. 9, 4 p.m., Octopus Super Bowl Party, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Octopus Team Trivia, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 8 p.m., Octopus Bingo!, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m., Classic & Modern Czech & Slovak Cuisine class, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

Sunday, Feb. 15, 2 p.m., Young Storytellers Project, Historic Oster Regent, Cedar Falls

Monday, Feb. 17, 1 p.m., Czech ‘Em Out Book Club, National

Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 8 p.m., Octopus Comedy Open Mic., Octopus, Cedar Falls

Thursday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., Classic & Modern Czech & Slovak Cuisine class, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

Thursday, Feb. 27, 1 p.m., Embroiderers’ Guild Demonstrations, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

Thursday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m., Classic & Modern Czech & Slovak Cuisine class, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids

PERFORMANCE

Through Feb. 9, various times, Lost in Yonkers, Historic Oster Regent, Cedar Falls

Friday, Feb. 7, 6 p.m., Bloody Valentine’s Murder Mystery, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

Friday & Saturday, Feb. 14 & 15, 8 p.m., Slippery When Wet, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m., Living Improverty, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids

DUBUQUE

Saturdays, through Feb., 9 a.m., Dubuque Winter Farmers Market, Kennedy Mall, Dubuque

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., Mackin-Mailander Lecture Series: Turning Pain into Purpose and Setbacks Into Success, Clarke University Jansen Music Hall, Dubuque

Feb. 6-9, 12 p.m., Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival, Washington Park, Dubuque

Opens Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m.,

Aboveboard, Bell Tower Theater, Dubuque

Friday, Feb. 7, 12 p.m., First Fridays: Bill Potter, Widdershins Artisan Gallery, Dubuque

Friday, Feb. 7, 4 p.m., The Oracle Poets Event, River Lights Bookstore, Dubuque

Friday, Feb. 7, 5 p.m., Galentine’s Craft Night w/ Candace Eudaley-Loebach, Andonia Giannakouros Studio, Dubuque

Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m., The Art of Music, Prettyslush, Civil Division, Smokestack, Dubuque

Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m., H.M. Bouwman Book Reading and Signing, River Lights Bookstore, Dubuque

Feb. 7-9, 9 a.m., Hand Bookbinding: Make a Sketchbook, Journal,

Guestbook, Bluff Strokes Art Center, Dubuque

Tuesdays, Feb. 4 & 11, 6 p.m., Introduction to Beekeeping, Convivium Urban Farmstead, Dubuque

Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m., DSO Spring Family Concert, Five Flags Theater, Dubuque

Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 15 & 16, 7:30, 2 p.m., Beethoven’s 5th: Darkness to Light, Five Flags Theater, Dubuque

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m., She Unites monthly gathering, The Innovation Lab, Dubuque

Feb. 21-28, various times, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, The Grand Opera House, Dubuque

Thursday, Feb. 27, 5:30 p.m., Opening Doors Trivia Night: May the Luck With You, Grand River Center, Dubuque

Dear Kiki,

I’ve recently discovered I have an interest in cumplay, but here’s the problem: I’m a cis guy in a committed monogamous relationship with a cis woman, and so the only semen-producer in the relationship is me. The problem, of course, is that post-orgasm, when I have the requisite materials, I’m no longer turned on. How do people do this?

––Too Jizzle Too Late

Dear Too Jizzle Too Late,

Well, well, well. You’ve found yourself in a bit of a cum-undrum, haven’t you? [Insert Pun Dog meme here.]

Let’s get the obvious solution out of the way first, Jizzle. I’m sure you and your partner have had this conversation, but I feel obligated to remind you that committed monogamy does not have to preclude play partners. There are as many different healthy ways to do committed monogamy as there are spermatozoa in a load! The key to all of them (to any relationship) is EACH: Always be sure that each person involved is both giving and receiving Enthusiasm, Attention, Compassion & Honesty.

What that means is, you can absolutely bring a willing third party into your sex life for sexual purposes only, as long as everyone’s cards are on the table and expectations are clear. It doesn’t make you any less committed or monogamous. Those labels represent your relationship to your partner; they are promises to be kept, but the boundaries are up to the two of you to define. After all, Jizzle, you couldn’t have discovered this interest in cumplay without some exposure to it—yet some couples include pornography or even masturbation as out-of-bounds when they say “committed monogamy.” The point is, as long as you and your partner are in agreement, it’s fine whatever way you circumscribe it.

But let’s say you’ve already put the idea of extra-curricular ejaculation to bed (so to speak). There’s hope for you yet! Just like relationship definitions, you can learn to challenge what you’ve been taught about how a sex session goes down. The typical assumption, reinforced by jokes

and films and stereotypes galore, is of cis women capable of orgasm after orgasm with cis men being one-and-done. Roll over and go to sleep, amirite? But oh, Jizzle, it doesn’t have to be that way. Lots of research has been done on the refractory period in cis men. That’s the amount of down time needed, ranging from just minutes to a day or more, between producing the “requisite materials,” as you say, and feeling aroused again. A lot of factors go into determining your personal refractory period: Some, like age, are immutable. But others, like cardiovascular health, are reasonably within your control. The techniques for shortening the time it takes to resurrect from the little death haven’t been studied that thoroughly yet. But there are some things that are likely to help, such as quitting smoking, cutting or reducing alcohol consumption—basically, all those heart-healthy habits your doctor has probably been pestering you to adopt already!

Now, we both know it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to reduce your refractory period to zero. So in the absence of miracles, how about you get a little creative? Once you know that you are capable of near-future arousal, Jizzle, you can take your time experimenting. Get your partner involved! There’s more to cumplay than just snowballing. Focusing on her pleasure is a great way to keep yourself in the moment, and the vicarious experience of her excitement will spur on your own. Try cumming on her key erogenous zones: You’ll drive her wild as you touch and tease with it. Let cumplay become a bridge between sessions—a step on the path toward your next arousal, not something you have to be aroused already in order to

Kate Doolittle/Li

Happy lapping! ––xoxo, Kiki

Submit questions anonymously at littlevillagemag. com/dearkiki or non-anonymously to dearkiki@ littlevillagemag.com. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online at littlevillagemag.com.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I envision your life in the coming weeks, I am moved to compare you to certain birds. First, there will be similarities between you and the many species that can literally perceive Earth’s magnetic fields, seeing them as patterns of shadow and light overlaid on their regular vision. You, too, will have an uncanny multi-dimensional awareness that helps guide your travels. Secondly, Aquarius, you will be like the migrating songbirds that recalibrate their internal compass every day when the sun sets. In other words, you will make steady efforts to ensure that your magical ways of knowing are grounded in earthy rhythms.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In some Polynesian cultures, there is a belief that one’s mistakes, including excessive anger, can cause physical sickness. Hawaiians traditionally have employed a ritual remedy for such ills called ho’oponopono. It includes acts of atonement, forgiveness and correction. It may even involve a prayer conference where all the people involved talk about their mutual problems with respect and compassion, seeking solutions and restitution. The coming weeks will be a fantastically favorable time for you to carry out your own version of ho’oponopono, Pisces.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In medieval Europe, beekeepers made formal reports to their hives of significant events in the human world, like births, deaths, marriages and departures. They believed the bees needed to be continually informed so as to ensure robust honey production. The practice was called “telling the bees.” Let’s make this an inspiring story for you in the coming weeks, Aries. I invite you to keep your community fully apprised of what’s happening in your life. Proceed on the assumption that sharing your plans and changes with others will generate harmony and support. Like the beekeepers, you may discover that keeping your community in the loop will strengthen your bonds and sweeten your endeavors.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A regular guy named Jesse Ronnebaum bought an old painting at a yard sale for 50 cents. For the next 10 years, it hung on the wall in his living room. Then he noticed a dim inscription on the painting that suggested maybe it was more valuable than he realized. Consulting an art dealer, he discovered it was an unusual composition that featured the work of seven prominent artists—and was worth a lot of money. Ronnebaum said, “Years of struggling, barely making bills, and the whole time there’s $50,000 hanging over my head, literally.” I am predicting metaphorically comparable events unfolding in your life during the coming months, Taurus. Hidden value will no longer be hidden. You will potentize neglected sources of wealth and finally recognize subtle treasures.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Namibia’s arid grasslands, fairy circles periodically emerge. They are highly regular rings of bare land encompassed by vegetation. What causes them? Supernatural entities, as believed by the local people? Sand termites or hydrogen-loving microbes, according to a few scientists? As yet, no definitive explanation has emerged. I love that! I cherish mysteries that thwart attempts at rational explanation. In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to specialize in tantalizing and unsolvable enigmas in the coming weeks. Your soul needs rich doses of provocative riddles, mysterious truths and fun puzzles. Exult in the liberating declaration, “I don’t know!”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Wherever you wander, be alert for signals that remind you of who you used to be. This will stimulate your creative speculation about who you want to evolve into during the next few years. As you ruminate about your history, you will get inspirations about who you want to become. The past will speak vividly, in ways that hint at your best possible future. So welcome clues from people who are no longer alive. Be

receptive to old allies and influences that are no longer a central part of your world.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Crown shyness” is a phenomenon seen among some trees like lodgepole pines. In forests, they grow big and strong and tall, yet avoid touching each other at their tops. This creates canopies full of pronounced gaps. What causes this curious phenomenon? First, if branches don’t brush up against each other, harmful insects find it harder to spread from tree to tree. Second, when winds blow, branches are less likely to collide with each other and cause damage. There’s a third benefit: More sunlight penetrates to the forest floor, nourishing animals and other plants. I propose that you adopt crown shyness as a metaphor for your use, Leo. Express your beauty to the max—be bold and vivid and radiant—but also provide plenty of space for your allies to shine. Be your authentically amazing self, but create boundaries that allow others to be their amazing selves.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some astrologers assert that you Virgos suffer from an ambition deficit. They authoritatively assert that a fiery aspiration to achieve greatness never burns hot within you. But in the coming months, I will work to show you a different perspective. Let’s start now: Many of you Virgos are highly skilled at being self-sufficient. But sometimes this natural strength warps into a hesitancy to ask for help and support. And that can diminish your ability to fulfill your ambitions. My goal will be to celebrate and nurture your self-sufficiency even as I coach you to be dynamic about gathering all the assistance you can.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Life is not fair. In the coming days, you will be odd proof of this fact. That’s because you are likely to be the beneficiary of uncommon luck. The only kind of karma that will be operating in your vicinity will be good karma. X-factors and wild cards will be more available to you than usual. Your timing will be impeccable, and your intuition will be extra incisive. You may even be tempted to theorize that life is conspiring to bring you an extra supply of meaningful experiences. Here’s the clincher: If anyone in your sphere is prone to feeling envy because you’re flourishing, your charm will defuse it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are three questions to ruminate on: 1. What resources are you afraid you will run out of or squander? 2. What if your fear of running out or squandering these resources obstructs your ability to understand what you need to know and do so that you won’t run out or squander them? 3. How can you dissolve the fear and feel confident that the necessary resources will keep steadily flowing in, and you will use them well?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Most stars have at least one companion star, sometimes two. Our sun, which is all alone, is in the minority. Astronomers have found evidence that our home star once had a companion but lost it. Is there any chance of this situation changing in the future? Might our sun eventually link up with a new compatriot? It’s not likely. But in contrast to our sun’s fate, I suspect that 2025 will offer you a significant diminishment in your personal loneliness quotient. If you crave more camaraderie and togetherness, the coming months will be a favorable time to seek them out. Your meditation question: What’s the opposite of loneliness?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the coming weeks, your authenticity will be your greatest strength. The more genuine and honest you are, the more life will reward you. Be alert for situations that may seem to demand camouflage when in fact they will ultimately reward your complete transparency. You will be most powerful and attractive as you allow yourself to be fully seen. You can even use your vulnerability to your advantage. Be openly, clearly, unabashedly yourself.

NORTHSIDE MARKETPLACE NORTHSIDE MARKETPLACE

This is the fourth time I have reviewed a recording by Iowa City-based vocalist James Tutson. Each of the first three reviews—of 2019’s Make You Free, 2021’s Still and 2022’s Happy—could accurately be described as glowing.

Tyler Carrington on drums and a variety of keyboards. Jay Foote plays electric bass and Vanderpool provides additional guitar, aux percussion and “other magical elements.” Emily Phillipi serves up background vocals and Jordon Rose handles the chimes known as the mark tree.

The key addition to this record, however, is the excellent horn section from the Seattle band The Dip. Brennan Carter on trumpet, Levi Gillis on tenor sax and Evan Smith on baritone sax bring excellent arrangements and stellar playing to the record.

All in all, Fool for You arguably harkens back to the Philadelphia soul (sometimes called the Sound of Philadelphia) of the 1960s and 1970s. Groups like the Delfonics or the O’Jays came to mind as I absorbed Tutson’s always beautiful vocals set against the

GrOUPS LIKE THE DELFONICS Or THE O’JayS CaME TO MIND aS I abSOrbED TUTSON’S aLWayS bEaUTIFUL VOCaLS SET aGaINST THE LUSH aND ENDLESSLy LISTENabLE SETTINGS PrOVIDED by THE baND. TUTSON’S SONGS rEWarD CarEFUL LISTENING, bUT THEy COULD aLSO SErVE aS THE PErFECT baCKGrOUND FOr SEXy TIME.

Here’s a glimpse behind the scenes of the reviewing game: When you have repeatedly given an artist positive coverage and when, for example, you are the reviewer quoted on an artist’s website, you come to a new project with your knives sharpened just a bit. After all, you don’t want to be accused of being in the bag for the creator in question.

So that was my disposition when I sat down to listen to Fool for You, Tutson’s new full-length record set to release this month. I was determined not to be a fool for him.

But damn if Tutson and his mates haven’t made a lovely record. Recorded at Golden Bear Studios in Des Moines in the fall of 2023 and produced, engineered and mixed by Bryan Vanderpool, Fool of You features 11 originals by Tutson who handles lead vocals and guitar. He is joined by his longtime collaborator

LADYIGRAINE.BANDCAMP.COM

The freshly imagined Unum starts and ends in essentially the same way. The soundscape for opening track “Tempest” fades in with one note like it’s revving up for a chorus of guitars, while closing track “A Thousand Armies,” after exploding into one last instrumental jam break, has its final guitar chord prolonged, slowed down and fading. Both are over six minutes of pure guitar-rock alchemy, powering on a fuzzy and electric sonic realm somewhere between glam metal and psychedelic rock, all in a dreamy, atmospheric haze.

’80s glam metal energies, ripe with anthemic hooks, balancing the theatrical with a harder edge of exploding guitars and growling vocals. This guitar sound deftly switches genre in “Barnstorm,” where reverbed guitars and cowbell-esque beats show glimpses of outlaw cowboy—if said cowboy wielded guitars and chain mail. “Scorched Earth” flirts with surf rock with quirky, deeply retro pedal effects, while “Flame in the Wind” hits sonic temperatures that lean toward ’70s groove rock.

Mixing a vast array of throwback genres that give glimmers of everything from country to disco with a metal and prog-rock sound feels innovative and provides a listening experience hard to describe—a cosmic kaleidoscope of sound.

lush and endlessly listenable settings provided by the band. Tutson’s songs reward careful listening, but they could also serve as the perfect background for sexy time.

That said, my beloved had one criticism of the record. During the song “Don’t You Want Me Back?”, Tutson asks the titular question a lot. The lyric is repeated so many times, my wife offered that her answer to the question would be influenced by whether the singer was willing to stop singing that single line over the chord changes. The repetition is of a piece with the tradition in which Tutson situates himself, but fewer reps would probably make “Don’t You Want Me Back?” a stronger number.

Really made use of those sharpened knives, didn’t I? As has become my habit, I strongly recommend you give Tutson and company a listen.

—Rob Cline

One of the newer Iowa outfits, the Davenport-based Lady Igraine clearly knows and loves the rock music landscape. I don’t use that description lightly; the rock genre is one of the most broad musical umbrellas, hard to pin down and even harder to capture in the modern music space.

The lyrics, sprinkled among voyaging instrumental solos, often read like a Middle English poem, declarative and pondering. “Break my heart, tear it asunder, smite it with thunder / I will still hold a piece,” the most reflective track, “Someday,” declares. As with the instrumentation, it’s purposeful—the band’s namesake, Lady Igraine, is the mother of King Arthur of medieval legend, and the album title Unum often appears in medieval philosophies on states of beings, the Transcendental “One.”

The Middle Age mysticism and folk heroes also appear in its musical flourishes, too, with dueling guitar

MIXING a VaST array OF THrOWbaCK GENrES THaT GIVE GLIMMErS OF EVEryTHING FrOM COUNTry TO DISCO WITH a METaL aND PrOG-rOCK SOUND ... PrOVIDES a LISTENING EXPErIENCE THaT’S HarD TO DESCrIbE—a COSMIC KaLEIDOSCOPE OF SOUND.

Self-described as “ambient psychedelia” and “punk soul rebellion,” one could argue the band—with its six-string bass and a multi-neck guitar straight out of ’80s glam rock novelty—covers a lot more subgenre ground, with each song serving a different sound from the storied history of rock.

“Tempest” and “A Thousand Armies” will satisfy those seeking

riffs and the push-and-pull of genre. The battles are fought (maybe won, maybe not), and as drums crash and vocals snarl, day breaks on a wellconstructed universe for Lady Igraine to rule. Just as “Tempest” faded in, “A Thousand Armies” powers down. Lady Igraine lives to fight another day, another album eagerly awaited down the road.

—Elisabeth Oster

LaDy IGraINE Unum

Simóne

in. Courtesy the artist

There is a special type of book that I affectionately refer to as the “kettle corn book.” Growing up, there was no food that my stepmom could eat more of than kettle corn. It was simultaneously awing and terrifying how much of it she could put away without thinking about it. A good kettle corn book can be devoured in one sitting without requiring any thought, and has a guaranteed happy ending.

Misty Urban takes the core concepts

society even as she is heavily critiqued just for her existence. Her foil is Philip Devlin, the sixth son of an Irish baronet who has earned his way into the innermost circles of British society through his work as an informant to the crown. Naturally, they are both stunningly attractive and breathlessly attracted to each other, putting their motives at odds with their desires.

My Lady Melisende toys expertly with tropes, building upon expectations so well that this novel could serve as a defense of romance cliches. The enemies-to-lovers arc between Melisende and Devlin serves as a prime example. Even as feelings blossom, the two never lose sight of their initial concerns. They long for each other with one breath and doubt motives with the second, creating a realistic tension. The anticipation is well earned; their hesitations are forgivable because they are grounded in the fears of the world.

Sof a kettle corn book and elevates them delightfully in My Lady Melisende, the sixth installment in her Ladies Least Likely series. The end result is a romp of a book more complex than many historical romances. Urban confesses the creative liberties she takes with the version of history she presents, and I was more than willing to suspend my disbelief and follow the political drama.

The novel’s titular character, Melisende, is a noblewoman descended from the royalty of the nonfictionalbut-fictionalized Merania. Her singular goal is to restore her father’s rule after he was usurped by a jealous brother; she occupies a liminal space of the alluring foreigner, welcome in polite

The world itself is carefully constructed, with equal development of political landscape and physical details. The ornate clothes and elaborate balls decorate conversations about the American Revolution. The ever-present fear of Russian conflict constitutes necessary spy work. Some of the mamas of the ton gossip about matchmaking and wealth while others engage actively in diplomatic conflict, a refreshing reflection of the potency of feminine spaces. The author chooses her settings well, whether staging an unmasking at a masquerade or a mystery at a bookshop.

Urban threads the needle, creating intrigue that is predictable without being advertised. I am not using predictable as a derogatory term: for a text whose central genre is historical romance, the non-amorous plot needs to be very intentionally layered so it does not cheat the reader out of a satisfying climax. Urban achieves this in a perfect way, leaving just enough doubt that the reveal is satisfying if foreseen, epiphany-like if not.

My Lady Melisandre was fun—the exact book I needed to combat the dark, cold days of the winter months.

—K. Twaddle

by the author just as you’d expect the manager of an all-male erotic dance company to be: gorgeous and guarded, a man about his money but who you can tell has been hurt in another life. This is where Tina and Johnny find a reckoning, an allknowing understanding of what the other has been through. It’s clear from the abrupt meet-cute that the attraction is mutually intense—but so are their respective trust issues. The only thing that burns more than their past regrets is their present passion for one another.

easoned authors know that the best way to get readers invested in their characters is to make them as relatable as possible. Highlighting the flaws of central figures is essential in creating a story that sticks with readers long after the last page. Romance author (and Iowa native) Rachelle Chase accomplishes just that in Hot Dreams, an erotic tale that brings two unlikely characters together to do something that’s difficult for most of us to do: heal their pasts.

As the story progresses, Chase does an excellent job of showing the growth of the characters. Tina and Johnny learn through their blossoming love for one another that they are more than the sum of their disappointments. They learn that they are more than their outer appearances––Tina’s deemed as flawed as Johnny’s are perceived perfect. Chase has crafted this love story in a fascinating way that you don’t see in many erotic tales. She

[CHaSE] EFFOrTLESSLy brINGS THE FaNTaSy OF HOT-bLOODED rOMaNCE INTO THE rEaLITy OF STONE-COLD HEaLING.

As a mother and entrepreneur, I easily related to Chase’s main female character, Tina Edwards. She owns a flourishing nursery business while mothering her young daughter. Ghosts of Tina’s past hurt haunt her throughout the story; bitter memories of an ugly divorce, a facial birthmark seen outwardly by some as a gruesome disfigurement and broken trust burden our heroine. It isn’t until Tina visits the office of a client and sees his gorgeous photo that she begins to imagine a romantic connection again.

That’s how we meet Tina in Chapter One: ogling the photograph of the most delicious looking man she’s ever seen in her life. As Tina’s imagination runs wild, the client arrives in his office in real life, complete in all his brooding glory. Johnny Guerra is described

effortlessly brings the fantasy of hotblooded romance into the reality of stone-cold healing. Tina and Johnny are safe in this author’s hands, leaning on one another to create something magical together.

If you are seeking a heatfilled romance that tells a story of acceptance, forgiveness and healing, Chase’s Hot Dreams should be on your TBR. It embodies the notion that inner beauty is always the better investment—no matter what package it comes in. Chase makes you work for the happily ever after, taking the reader through trials of passion to unlock real love by the story’s end. Hot Dreams is a romance of reality, showing readers that we are bigger than our misconceptions and that we never have to be defined by our pasts to find true love in the present.

—Kellee Forkenbrock

MISTy UrbaN

My Lady Melisende OLIVER HEBER BOOKS

raCHELLE CHaSE Hot Dreams

RACHELLE HENRY

17. Tow ___ (Cars truck whose name sounds like a fruit)

18. Chuck, to a Zoomer

19. *Holiday, e.g.

22. Anthem contraction

23. Animated film whose 2024 sequel holds the record for the highestgrossing Thanksgiving weekend of all time

27. *One who often covers all the bases

32. Hole-in-one, generally 34. “Sports Bureau” that is the official statistician for the NFL, MLB and NBA 35. NYC cultural center

36. Couple in a boat?

37. Eye protector, at times

38. Atkins cousin

39. ___ Little Secret (2024 Lindsay Lohan rom-com)

40. Member of la familia, perhaps

41. Source of some shade

42. *Performer who gets high on the job

45. Company whose logo shows its name ending with an “!”

46. Ability to jump, as it were

47. Place for romantic swaps, or an apt group chat name for the people in the answers to this puzzle’s starred clues

55. ___Dance (TikTok’s parent company, for now anyway)

58. O’Brien whose “Hot Ones” appearance went viral

59. Modern points system, for social capital

60. Sound heard at the start of MGM movies

61. Lying sort

62. Quite a few

63. Rock band camp devices

64. Did some field work?

65. Highly sketch

DOWN

1. Civil rights activist Baker

2. “Heavens!”

3. “Heavens!”

4. Dictionary.com’s 2024 word of the year, popularized by Jools Lebron

5. Tour that wrapped in Vancouver

6. Sponsor of the Mets’ field

7. “Voulez-vous coucher ___ moi, ce soir?” (“Lady Marmalade” lyric)

8. Self-proclaimed “Queen of QVC” Greiner

9. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

10. Concern for a wine snob

11. Blue Moon, e.g.

12. Teenaged king

13. Brown bag classic, for short 20. “Scumbag Steve,” for one 21. French pals

24. If you’re lucky

25. “Cool beans”

27. “The Ants Go Marching” exclamation

28. Duane ___ (NYC drugstore chain)

29. Miami electronic music festival

30. Less of a jerk

31. Hoo-___ (lady part)

32. Popular outdoor team sport in Australia, slangily

33. “Little House” series author Ingalls Wilder

37. La ___

38. They may catch people getting to first base at baseball games?

40. “Hello, this is cat”

41. Ones behind the DJ booth, perhaps

43. America’s Next Top Model contestants, at times

44. Got nasty

48. Dating annoyances

49. Social faux pas

50. Really work at, as a bone

26. Work attire for a Medieval Times staff member

51. One may cover a stoop

52. Party where you’re for sure getting lei’d

53. Stashes for your ashes

54. Word after Old or Green

55. Possible place to wear a wire

56. ___ Kippur

57. Light knock

Little Village issue 337 - February 2025

Independent Iowa News, Culture & Events

OYST IOWA ERS over

INDEPENDENT IOWA NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Sparks Fly

INDEPENDENT NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Top Stories

THANK YOU TO THIS ISSUE’S ADVERTISING PARTNERS

Letters & Interactions

HAVE AN OPINION?

Letter

Little Village’s inaugural

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ACCOLADES

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— SCOTT BARKER, FORMER MEMBER OF THE LIVING WORD FELLOWSHIP

IMs. Draper Will See You Now

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KNOWLEDGE INTO ACTION

EVERYTHING LEFT UNSAID

Souvenirs from Outer Space

COMMUNITY

Contact buzz

The Good Word

BREAD&BUTTER

Iowa’s Your Oyster

BUMPER CROPS

Love & Pinball

Time Out Arcade

Soul Mates

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A-LIST: February 2025

Des Moines MUSIC

PERFORMANCE

FILM

COMMUNITY

First

Friday: Layered group exhibition curated by Brittany Brooke Crow, Feb. 7, Mainframe Studios, Des Moines

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

Iowa City MUSIC

Generation Emerging Artist Festival,

PERFORMANCE

FILM

Los Inquietos del Norte: Tour Los Más Desmadrosos, Feb. 9,

Val air ballroom, West Des Moines

COMMUNITY

Quad Cities Performance Spectra Reading Series: Local Lovers Open Mic,

A-LIST: FEBRUARY 2025

Protect Your Loved Ones from RSV

CR/CF/ Waterloo MUSIC

Iowa City Community

Exhibit Opening: it’s a fine thing,

Stanley Museum of art, Iowa City

Cedar Rapids Performance

Living Improverty, Feb. 22, CSPS Hall, Cedar rapids

COMMUNITY

PERFORMANCE

DUBUQUE

DOWN