Little Village issue 320 - August 2023

2023 2024 HANCHER AUDITORIUM

Aug

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA’S FALL WELCOME CONCERT WITH BRITTANY HOWARD, DAWN RICHARD, AND ELIZABETH MOEN

Friday, August 25 / Music starts at 6:00 p.m. Outdoors on the Hancher Green

Sep

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT

SPECIAL GUEST: WEDNESDAY

Friday, September 8 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

HERBIE HANCOCK

Saturday, September 9 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

RHIANNON GIDDENS

SPECIAL GUEST: ADIA VICTORIA

Wednesday, September 13 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

ATTACCA QUARTET AND CAROLINE SHAW

Sunday, September 17 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

AYODELE CASEL, ROOTED

Friday, September 22 / 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 23 / 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

ALAN PAGE

THE FALL 2023 LEVITT LECTURE

Tuesday, September 26 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Oct

SERPENTWITHFEET, HEART OF BRICK

Thursday, October 5 / 7:30 p.m.

The Englert Theatre

INFINITE DREAM FESTIVAL

First lineup announcement! Full details in early fall.

THE SPHINX VIRTUOSI

Wednesday, October 11 / 7:30 p.m.

The Englert Theatre

LOVE IN EXILE FEATURING AROOJ AFTAB, VIJAY IYER, AND SHAHZAD ISMAILY

MAKAYA MCCRAVEN: IN THESE TIMES

Thursday, October 12 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

JOHN IRVING IN CONVERSATION WITH LAN SAMANTHA CHANG

Friday, October 13 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

MODEL/ACTRIZ

SPECIAL GUEST: TBD

Friday, October 13 / 9:30 p.m.

Gabe’s

Ayodele Casel photographed by Ben Ritter

KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS SPECIAL GUEST: LONNIE HOLLEY AND MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR

Saturday, October 14 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (THE STARS) BY ANDREW SCHNEIDER

Wednesday–Saturday, October 18–21

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

SAMARA JOY

Wednesday, October 25 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

DISNEY / PIXAR’S COCO

LIVE-TO-FILM CONCERT / SCORE PERFORMED LIVE BY ORQUESTA FOLCLÓRICA NACIONAL DE MÉXICO

Friday, October 27 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Nov

MIC CHECK POETRY FEST SHOWCASE WITH DANEZ SMITH AND DENICE FROHMAN

Friday, November 3 / 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Strauss Hall

FEaST FESTIVAL WITH SUN RA ARKESTRA AND THEON CROSS

Saturday, November 4 / 7:30 p.m.

The Englert Theatre

TAKÁCS QUARTET

Thursday, November 9 / 7:30 p.m.

The Englert Theatre

DANCE GALA

Friday & Saturday, November 10 & 11 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

MIDORI AND FESTIVAL STRINGS LUCERNE

Tuesday, November 14 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

ROOMFUL OF TEETH AND GABRIEL KAHANE

Thursday, November 16 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Dec

MAVIS STAPLES

THE WAR AND TREATY

Saturday, December 2 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

JACK QUARTET PLAYS JOHN ZORN

Wednesday, December 6 / 7:30 p.m.

Old Capitol Museum / Senate Chamber

THE KING’S SINGERS WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR

Saturday, December 9 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Jan

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Friday, January 19 / 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 20 / 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 21 / 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Wednesday, January 24 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

JEFF PARKER AND THE NEW BREED - Club Hancher

Saturday, January 27 / 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Strauss Hall

Feb

ELIAS STRING QUARTET

Thursday, February 15 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Strauss Hall

REGGIE WILSON/FIST AND HEEL PERFORMANCE GROUP, POWER

Friday, February 16 / 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 17 / 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO

Wednesday, February 21 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

HAIRSPRAY

Friday, February 23 / 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 24 / 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, February 25 / 2:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Mar

HALEY HEYNDERICKX AND THE WESTERLIES - Club Hancher

Thursday, March 7 / 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Strauss Hall

JUDY WOODRUFF

THE SPRING 2024 LEVITT LECTURE

Tuesday, March 19 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Y LA BAMBA - Club Hancher

Friday, March 22 / 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Strauss Hall

SŌ PERCUSSION AND CAROLINE SHAW

LET THE SOIL PLAY ITS SIMPLE PART

Monday & Tuesday, March 25 & 26 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

GRAHAM100

Friday, March 29 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

Apr

OUMOU SANGARÉ

Friday, April 12 / 7:30 p.m.

The Englert Theatre

LA DAME BLANCHE - Club Hancher

Friday, April 19 / 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Strauss Hall

FIERCE

A New Opera by William Menefield and Sheila Williams

Friday & Saturday, April 26 & 27 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

May

CHICAGO

Friday, May 3 / 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4 / 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 / 2:00 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

June

COME FROM AWAY - New Dates!

Tuesday–Thursday, June 4–6 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage  DISCOVER

MORE AT HANCHER.UIOWA.EDU

28

Old-School Bigotry

It’s not back to school as usual this fall for LGBTQ families.

INDEPENDENT IOWA NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Since 2001

LittleVillageMag.com

10 Ad Index

12 Letters & Interactions

21 Fully Booked

22 Contact Buzz

24 Essay En Español: Closing Kirkwood IC

26 Iowa Legislature: Abortion

28 Education: GSA

32 Q&A: Naomi Pittman

36 Bread & Butter: EI

38 Bread & Butter: CI

40 Prairie Pop

46 A-List: QueertopIA

48 A-List: World Food & Music Festival

51 Events Calendar

67 Dear Kiki

69 Astrology Forecast

71 Album Reviews

75 Book Reviews

79 Crossword

36 the Mixtape Macgyver

Let’s go to Leo’s

A Cedar Rapids institution celebrates seven decades of

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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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Sam Locke Ward is a whiz at pop tunes, cartoons and all things DIY.

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August Contributors

Benjamin Jeffery, Brian Visser, Diane DeBok, Don McLeese, Jameson

Malone John Busbee, Kelsey Conrad, Kembrew McLeod, Lauren Haldeman, Max Adams, Mike Roeder, Rob Cline, Sam Locke Ward, Sarah Elgatian, Sean Dengler, Shane O’Shaughnessy, Tom Brazelton, Tom Tomorrow

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Meet this month’s contributors:

Brian Visser is a librarian at Iowa City Public Library. He likes to fall asleep listening to books, and is partial to science fiction and fantasy.

Diane DeBok is an Iowa native living in Eastern Iowa.

Don McLeese teaches journalism at the University of Iowa. He has been writing about books and music, movies and TV, politics and popular culture, since the dawn of time.

See more of Jameson Malone’s work at jamiemalone.com

Kelsey Conrad is an associate at The Tuesday Agency, a reader for Prairie Schooner and a freelance editorial assistant based out of Iowa City.

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Issue 320 , Volume 2 August 2023

Cover by Jameson Malone

This school year is starting under a cloud of legislation designed to make queer identity taboo in Iowa classrooms. But there will always be at least once safe space in school: GSAs. Also in this issue: abortion law, Sam Locke Ward, tasty traditions and more.

Max Adams was raised between Lincoln, Nebraska and Iowa Falls, and now lives in Des Moines as a graduate student. He spends his time writing, cooking, and occasionally doing schoolwork.

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

Sarah Elgatian is a writer, activist and educator living in Iowa. She likes dark coffee, bright colors and long sentences.

Shane O’Shaughnessy aka Rv. Xen is a cartoonist and illustrator. Their work can be found on the socials via @rvxen.

Tom Brazelton is a freelance writer based in the Des Moines area. He’s always on the search for new music.

Culture writers, food reviewers and columnists, email: editor@littlevillagemag.com

Illustrators, photographers and comic artists, email: jordan@littlevillagemag.com

From the Newsletter

Four of the top stories featured last month in the LV Daily, Little Village’s weekday afternoon email written by Paul Brennan. Subscribe at littlevillagemag.com/support

Iowa City relaxes (some) rules around keeping yard chickens (July 12) Eleven years after allowing Iowa City homeowners to keep a few chickens in their backyard, the Iowa City Council has approved several major changes to the city’s urban chicken ordinance. These include increasing the max number of yardbirds allowed—from four hens to six—and expanding the program to include multi-family homes and sideyards.

gov. Reynolds signs confusing new abortion restrictions into law with a lie (July 17) Abortions under almost any circumstances became illegal in Iowa on Friday afternoon, as soon as Gov. Kim Reynolds signed HF 732 into law. The bill bans almost all abortions after any cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo by an ultrasound probe. There are narrow and burdensome exceptions for rape and incest victims, as well as medically risky pregnancies.

Iowa abortion providers may resume care after judge issues temporary injunction halting law signed Friday (July 18) Abortion is legal again in Iowa, after a Polk County District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the state from enforcing the severe abortion ban signed into law before the weekend. Judge Joseph Seidlin issued his order Monday afternoon; for three days, abortion care in Iowa was more restricted than it’s been in 50 years.

Hamburg Inn has closed indefinitely for the second time this year (July 26) Republicans running for president are moving into full-campaign mode in Iowa, but one iconic campaigning spot is currently unavailable to those hoping for a Reagan-adjacent photo op. A sign on the door of Hamburg Inn No. 2 said the Iowa City diner was “TEMPORARILY closed” due to “staffing issues.” But reporting by IPR shows the restaurant’s problems run deeper.

Adamantine Spine Moving (67)

Arnott & Kirk (26)

Baker Paper & Supply (72)

Broadlawns Medical Center (45)

Catch Des Moines (44)

Cedar Rapids Community

Concert Association (29)

City of Iowa City (63)

City of North Liberty (59)

Coralville Public Library (4)

Core4 (33)

DVIP (17)

Des Moines Art Center (35)

Des Moines Metro Opera (35)

Des Moines Performing Arts (50)

Des Moines Playhouse (47)

FilmScene (65)

Full Court Press (52, 78, 79)

Goodfellow Printing, Inc. (72)

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (76)

Hancher Auditorium (2-3, 41, 43)

Historic Valley Junction (45)

Honeybee Hair Parlor and Hive Collective (9)

House of Glass (55)

Independent Cedar Rapids (54-

THANK YOU TO THIS ISSUE’S ADVERTISING PARTNERS

55)

- NewBoCo

- Goldfinch Cyclery

- Next Page Books

- Cobble Hill

- The Daisy

Independent Downtown Iowa City (14-15)

- The Green House

- Critical Hit Games

- Merge

- Release Body Modification

- Mailboxes of Iowa City

- Basic Goods

- Beadology

- Record Collector

- Yotopia

- Revival

- Prairie Lights

- Hot Spot Tattoo

Independent Highland Park / Oak Park Neighborhood (34-35)

- Des Moines Mercantile

- Bill’s Window and Screen Repair

- The Collective

- The Slow Down Independent Northside

Marketplace (22-23)

- John’s

- Russ’ Northside

- Artifacts

- Pagliai’s Pizza

- R.S.V.P.

- Press Coffee

- Oasis Falafel

- Marco’s Island

- George’s

- Dodge St. Tire

Indian Creek Nature Center (44)

Iowa Children’s Museum (9)

Iowa City Book Festival (37)

Iowa City Downtown District (39)

Iowa City Public Library (61)

Iowa Department of Public Health (16, 17, 18, 42)

KCCK Jazz 88.3 (9)

KRUI 89.7 FM (9)

Kim Schillig (49)

Micky’s Irish Pub (68)

Musician’s Pro Shop (72)

National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library (11)

Nearwood Winery (55)

New Pioneer Food Co-op (74)

Nodo (76)

Obermann Center (63)

Orchestrate Hospitality (35)

Phoebe Martin, REALTOR (70)

Polk County Conservation (76)

Primary Health Care (72)

Public Space One (12)

Raygun (69)

Riverside Theatre (30)

Science Center of Iowa (76)

Shakespeare’s Pub & Grill (49)

Sierra Club (80)

Summer of the Arts (19)

Table to Table (66)

Taxes Plus (68)

The Club Car (49)

The Englert Theatre (57)

The James (59)

The Wedge Pizzeria (17)

University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art (6)

Varsity Cinema (53)

West Music (61)

White Rabbit (35)

Wig & Pen (17)

World of Bikes (35)

xBk (68)

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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.

Gov. Reynolds calls a special session of the Iowa legislature to pass a new abortion ban (July 5)

Gubernurleitner Kim wants every cell that divides inside a woman’s reproductive organs to have the inalienable right to be slaughtered by an assault weapon at a mall, movie theatre, or their underfunded middle school. —Will J.

Jaysus, Kim! How about letting the LGBTQ+ community having a fraction of the rights you want fetuses to have? —Shauna C

She’s always trying to be the best at spending the most to do the least good and the most harm. I hope these antics give rise

y español)

to new leaders. So tired of her ineptitude, brutality and utter lack of interest in her constituency. —C.W.

Cedar Rapids settles lawsuit for $10,000 that alleged police review board discriminated against white applicants by requiring at least five POC members (July 5)

I really wonder who thought this was a good idea? I personally support the idea of the board. And we should be ensuring minority groups are represented on that board. But 5 out of 9 members isn’t representative of Cedar Rapids’/Iowa’s demographics. Over 80% of the city is white. —A.M.

Considering almost the entire point

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Better

of the board was to provide a method for primarily minority people feeling oppressed by the police to seek redress, it makes sense for the board to consist primarily of the groups likely to use it. One of the problems leading to the board’s creation is the blind denial that anything untoward happened and the default stance of siding with the police among white people who mostly don’t deal with being targeted by police without cause. Filling the board with mostly people who don’t need to deal with the problems the board is meant to address could potentially completely undermine its purpose. —F.S.

But as a poor white person when I was young, the cops absolutely hassled us for various reasons as well. Poverty attracts crime, which attracts suspicion and harassment from the cops at times. Some of it is warranted...some of it quite literally was not in my case. Clearly

LittleVillage READER POLL

What is your favorite part about starting the new school year?

this affects minorities more, but we (poor whites) also need a voice. The revised requirements seem like a good compromise. —R.A.

The anti-abortion bill set to pass in Iowa this week would go into effect immediately (July 10)

If Reynolds gets her wish, in Iowa, a corpse will have more rights than a female of childbearing age over her own body. How effed up is that? She has already made it so hard for women to get safe and legal abortions that they can’t go to their own OB-GYNs because of their fear of reprisals. It’s just dystopian and no business of the state’s.

—Nikole P.T.

The Iowa that I left behind 22 years ago was one of the more moderate states in the country. Now, after decades of exporting its youth to more prosperous and culturally active states, the aging population that has stayed behind, have turned it into one of the most far right in the country. It’s truly heartbreaking to behold. —Lance E.

I think the governor should be personally sued for the cost of the special session and security costs as well. The republican’s abortion ban was not an emergency that needed immediate action, it was a “choice.” —Randi B.

Magic the Gathering. Video Games. Warhammer. Warmachine. RPGs. Board Games. X-Wing. Dice. LotR. HeroClix. Miniatures. GoT. Blood Bowl. L5R. Pokemon. Yu-Gi-Oh. Kidrobot Vinyl. Retro toys. Pop vinyl & plushies. Gaming & collectible supplies.

Huge Magic singles inventory plus we buy/trade MtG cards. Weekly drafts, FNM, league play, and frequent tourneys.

Now buying/selling/trading video games & toys! Bring in your Nintendo Gameboy, NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Sega, WiiU, Xbox 360, PS1-2-3, & other used games, consoles, action figures, and toys for cash or trade credit!

Fun atmosphere and great customer service!

115 S. Linn Street (by the Public Library), Iowa City Tel: 319-333-1260; Email: chg@criticalhitgames.net www.criticalhitgames.net @criticalhitgamesiowacity

We won’t be able to attract a lot of talented people anymore if (when) this happens. —David R.

As the governor prepares to

sign a new, fast-tracked abortion ban into law, ACLU of Iowa prepares its legal challenge

(July 12)

So much concern for fetuses, so

MOMBOY LAUREN HALDEMAN

little concern for actual children in need. “We’re going to force you to give birth to a child, after that you and the baby are on your own.” —Edward

K.

The Gas Lamp goes out after 12 years serving the Des Moines music scene (July 13)

My favorite Des Moines bar. I’m so sad this has happened.

—Alan C.

Part of the continuing wasted opportunity of the “western gateway”. Interesting cultural spaces like this make the area desirable places to be and raise the land value, and then developers miss the point by turning it into luxury apartments or corporate headquarters no one wants. —M.G.

Iowa’s ‘chocolate milkshake’ water, expensive to filter and a menace downriver, comes courtesy of Big Ag and its allies in the statehouse (July 14)

“Since 1990, Iowa’s large animal feeding operations increased almost fivefold, from 789 to 3,936. These operations now house more than 22.7 million hogs” from EWG.org. The demand is largely from Japan, China, and Mexico. Iowa farmers are the ones responsible for making deals with these mega producers. DNR is responsible for not setting limits on # of CAFOs, not well-regulating use of hog waste on fields, and removing buffer restrictions that used to be in place for runoff filtration. These pigs eat corn and soy grown right here in Iowa. It’s a well oiled machine that would take a colossal effort to dismantle. —Belinda

B

Anyone in Iowa that has grown up here should be able to see what the lakes and rivers have turned into. The lake near me that I used to swim in as a kid is no longer in use. And it hasn’t been for years! —Sara W.

Half-price gift cards

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Milkshake does describe the look of Midwest water, but it’s too positive. How about “Siltshake” instead? —S.M.

Gov. Reynolds signs confusing new abortion restrictions into law with a lie (July 17)

Prior to 24 weeks gestation, the brain of a fetus is so primitive it has not even achieved the first glimmer of consciousness because the nerve fibers connecting the thalamus to the cerebral cortex required for consciousness have not even started to be created. It thinks nothing, thinks no thoughts, feels nothing, feels no pain, knows nothing, is nothing. It doesn’t even know it exists. It truly is just a mindless clump of primitive cells slowly taking human form. It is far more cruel to force a young woman to stay pregnant against her will at the barrel of a government gun than it is to abort something that is so primitive that it doesn’t even know it exists. They are destroying an actual conscious, sentient human life economically, mentally/emotionally, and/or physically for an unconscious, non-sentient clump of cells that prior to 24 weeks gestation does not even know it exists. There is nothing noble about their cause. It’s cruel, sick and twisted. Here’s something else to think about. All of the animals humans eat have more highly developed nervous systems, brains, and consciousness than any 2nd trimester fetus, and yet… The “right to life” doesn’t include using someone else’s body to sustain that life. If it did, I could demand you give me your kidney if I would otherwise die of kidney disease. Nobody has the right to use your body against your will. Embryos and fetuses are not special exceptions. —Carol

G.

Her law would further victimize rape and incest victims. —Dorma G.

Kim Reynolds is a legitimate hate monger. But this also seems performative, much like Trump used to do. Placating her base, distracting and angering her opponents, ultimately for her own self image and gain. —Belinda B.

As ‘Oppenheimer’ drops, local cinemas focus in on nuclear films, Iowa’s atomic history (July 18)

Thank you to Lee [Sailor] and FilmScene for the showing of Threads.” A film I’d never heard of until this series, that I will never, ever forget. It definitely made my viewing of Oppenheimer last night even more intense.

—Wendy D.

Burger Haul $20 gift card

Dandy Lion

Raygun

Almost Famous Popcorn $20

White Rabbit

goldfinch $50

Willow & Stock $20

Iowa Children’s Museum $50

Essay: RAGBRAI’s one-note music lineup is an insult to riders (July 19)

Have you looked at the demographics of the riders? Not a lot of overlap with attendees at recent Lizzo/ Harry Styles/ Doja Cat concerts… —David H.

Part of me wants to hold RAGBRAI accountable, (because absolutely yes to all of this)… the other part wonders if POC would WANT to perform or even feel safe with how racist and republican the state is getting. —Heidi A.

Who actually participates in the bike rides? Mostly white men. So what bands are they going to be attracted to? The ones that are going to be there. Sure, organize more diversity. But when people of color participate in the ride, that’ll be something to talk about. —Jarod W.

Seems to me bands wouldn’t exactly be clamoring to come to Iowa in July and play for people who largely aren’t there for them.

—Dina A.S.

Yes but the KFMH of my youth can not in any way be held responsible for such a county fair lineup. —Joel K.

I see ads for concerts and if I want to see the band, I go. I don’t tell anyone who wants to go that they are wrong about doing so. They could have booked a bunch of other bands that didn’t have a mass appeal, such as Dream Theater or Animals as Leaders or W.A.S.P. or Beartooth or Shinedown but they went with different choices. I will say that introducing any of those bands to a totally different audience would be awesome, to me, but I don’t know if anyone else would think so! By the way, Bush was awesome in 2015 - Gavin walking up the aisle and highfiving me was something I won’t forget. This article strikes me like someone going to the Super Bowl and being upset that it’s not a ping pong game. —Paul H.

They are catering to their highest demographic which are privileged white men. Why is anyone surprised. RAGBRAI is a week-long exercise in white entitlement trashing the entire state as they go pretending to be environmentalists.

Jennifer A.

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Fully Booked

The best Star Wars novels in the galaxy

Along time ago, in a Carnegie library in Pella, Iowa, I discovered The Empire Strikes Back on VHS. It was my first step into a larger world, and I was immediately enamored. I soon learned that there were Star Wars books, and purchased the first title I saw, X-Wing: Rogue Squadron by Michael A. Stackpole. I tore through it, and knew that I needed more. The library, once again, supplied. I checked out everything that I could get my hands on.

After a while, though, the stories all began to feel the same, and I fell out of love with Star Wars books, and even Star Wars itself a bit. But when the sequel trilogy arrived, my interest was reignited. I dove back into the world of Star Wars books—here are the titles that I feel are standouts.

The High Republic is a whole new series set in an era that hasn’t been explored before—200 years before the prequel films. There aren’t any recognizable characters, which is part of what makes it great. (Yoda is around, but on a space sabbatical?) It’s a time of peace and expansion for the Republic and Jedi. This prosperity is marred by the anarchistic Nihil. Start with the action-packed Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule, but don’t sleep on the Young Adult title Into the Dark by Claudia Gray, which is my favorite of the bunch.

When Disney bought Lucasfilm, all of those books that I read years ago were no longer considered canon. This included my favorite, Heir to the Empire, which featured a new antagonist: Grand Admiral Thrawn. They decided to reintroduce Thrawn into the Star Wars universe in the TV show Rebels and in new books beginning with Thrawn by Timothy Zahn. I really enjoyed this book, and its two sequels are even better! My favorites, though, are the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy, also by Zahn. There’s little connection to the greater universe in this Thrawn origin story, and none of the bestknown aliens and ships from that galaxy far, far away. But there’s something just very Star Wars about it. It’s adventurous, exotic and makes the galaxy seem limitless. Also, Thrawn is possibly the most interesting Star Wars character there is.

I am not a fan of The Rise of Skywalker, but Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher goes a long way to fill in information that should’ve been in the movie. It’s set 20 years after Return of the Jedi, and it features Luke and Lando on a mission together to find a family that are being hunted by the Sith. The connections to other Star Wars stories—in the comics and elsewhere—are a great payoff. I recommend it to anyone who was underwhelmed by the film.

—Brian Visser, Iowa City Public Library

A Lot to Learn

If we’re not fighting to improve education for everyone, what are we doing here?

BY JOHN BUSBEE

“We must create a climate where people agree that human beings are more alike than unalike. The only way to do that is through education.”

––Maya Angelou

Education. A word rife with possibility, capable of triggering memories of a person’s most foundational moments. Today, it has become a malleable lump of social and political clay, pummeled as never before into new shapes, forms and purposes.

Iowa’s education system has experienced an upheaval. Decades ago, Iowa was a nation-leading model of well-educated students, strong community public school systems and an inherent ethic of educational excellence. There were private schools, and those who chose that educational route underwrote their own passage. Now, the learning waters have become muddied by self-serving agendas, stirring up more controversy than most people want in a public education system. Or, that a proven public education system needs.

The cornerstone of excellent education is dedicated teachers. For many, teaching is a calling, not just a job. They encourage inquisitive minds to explore well beyond rote learning, and infuse what they learn into their lives. They also go out of their way to create a safe environment and equal opportunities for all kids in their care.

The seismic shift in Iowa leaders’ respect for public schools and teachers was made clear in January, when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the Education Savings Account (ESA) program into law. The legislation represented a massive and unpredictable reallocation of state funds from public schools to private schools.

The enrollment floodgates were opened on May 31, and 29,025 students signed up to receive a $7,635 voucher for private school tuition, shaving the budget of their local school district. Initially, 14,068 students were expected to enroll at a cost of about $107 million to public funds. With no application limit, taxpayers are on the hook for more than double that amount. When fully implemented, ESAs will cost taxpayers an estimated $345 million annually. Is it worth the price? What will the long-range impact be?

About 60 percent of ESA applicants already attend private schools. A cynic might claim that Iowa is just handing these students and their families a cash gift that could have helped public schools, for the choice they already are making

for their students.

As Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand said during a May town hall meeting, “If there’s no requirement that they [private schools receiving ESA money] actually put that money into educating kids, what are we doing here? It would be entirely legal if they took that money and put it into a European vacation for their principal. The total lack of oversight [and] total lack of transparency to me as state auditor is pretty appalling.”

The leadership that pushed for the ESA program is ironically the same group that espouses letting the market dictate the success or failure of a business. Private schooling is big business, and this Iowa educational industry just received a massive, unrestricted shot in the arm.

Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek said in a statement: “Imagine what an unlimited budget like the one for Gov. Reynolds’ private school voucher program would mean for Iowa’s public school students. State-of-the-art labs and equipment, up-to-date technology and laptops give every student an equal chance for success. We could have nurses and counselors in every building, one-to-one assistance for any child who needs it, music, art and shop supplies to develop new talent and skills, and the list goes on.

“Unfortunately for Iowans, the governor and the majority party in the statehouse have decided that unlimited budgets are reserved for just a select few Iowans. … Ninety percent of Iowa families continue to choose their neighborhood public schools. That is where our precious resources should be directed.”

In May, KCCI-TV8 asked Reynolds’ office why private schools will not be required to follow the same rules that public schools are required to follow regarding how taxpayer dollars are spent and how that spending is publicly documented.

Reynolds’ deputy communications director Kollin Crompton responded in a statement, “Every school, no matter if it is public or private, is accountable to parents and students. If parents and students feel that a school is not meeting their unique needs, they now have the power to make the best determination for their specific education.”

To pull a quote from the musical Godspell , “Did I promise you an answer to the question?” It’s time for the current leadership to pay attention to the overwhelming majority of Iowans.

Essay

Falta de diálogo

El cierre de Kirkwood Iowa City es un revés para nuestra democracia.

POR ALEX CHOQUEMAMANI

Ainicios del mes de enero de este año las autoridades de Kirkwood Community College anunciaron el traslado del campus Iowa City a Coralville. Y también comunicaron la venta del campus al precio de siete millones y medio de dólares.

Las reacciones por parte de estudiantes, profesores, ex-alumnos, no han sido nada positivas. Un profesor ha señalado, “¿por qué no mejor el edificio de Coralville se viene a Iowa City, si el asunto es ahorrar gastos?” Por el lado de estudiantes es común escuchar los siguientes comentarios: “Esto es una noticia triste,” “¿por qué no avisaron con más anticipación para poder resolver el asunto de la vivienda?” Una exestudiante de Kirkwood quien hoy cursa estudios de posgrado en Inglaterra publicó en su cuenta de Twitter: “Me siento horrorizada al saber que no habrá una biblioteca en el edificio de Coralville. Cuando yo era estudiante de Kirkwood, en su biblioteca, encontré libros de estudio que yo no podía comprarlos.”

A lo anterior hay que agregar que se han despedido profesores y trabajadores. Por ejemplo: se despidió a un profesor de matemáticas con más de veinte años de servicio; al director de la biblioteca y a la mayor parte del personal de la misma; al encargado de la cafetería, quien trabajó en Iowa City quince años.

La rapidez con que se llevó a cabo el denominado traslado no ha dado lugar a preguntas dirigidas a las autoridades de Kirkwood Community College sobre el por qué de esta drástica decisión. Tampoco hubo una discusión abierta entre los afectados

(estudiantes, profesores, trabajadores y vecinos) y las autoridades del college. La noticia más bien llegó desde Cedar Rapids a Iowa City como una orden que solo queda acatar.

Esta falta de diálogo proyecta la imagen de que todos están de acuerdo con la medida, algo muy lejos de la realidad. Lo que hoy se vive en Kirkwood Iowa City es un ambiente de confusión y frustración.

Según Lori Sundberg, máxima autoridad del community college, dos serían los motivos del traslado: la baja tasa de matriculados y el gasto anual de cuatrocientos mil dólares. En otras palabras: razones de tipo económico. Pero la autoridad no menciona otros factores importantes que ayudarían a contextualizar y comprender el problema de Kirkwood Iowa City. Estos factores incluyen el desfinanciamiento

gradual de la educación pública en Iowa y los reveses causados por la pandemia de COVID-19.

Pues trasladar o cerrar un community college es una decisión fácil. Lo difícil es encontrar otras soluciones más creativas que respondan a la siguiente pregunta: ¿cómo se resuelve la baja tasa de matriculados y el problema económico sin sacrificar el rol educativo, social y cultural que cumplía Kirkwood en Iowa City (la quinta ciudad con mayor población de Iowa con más de 80 mil habitantes), y pueblos aledaños (West Liberty, Lone Tree, Columbus Junction)? Dicho de otro modo: ¿cómo se mantiene y mejora los servicios educativos de un community college que facilita el acceso a la educación y fortalece nuestra democracia, la diversidad cultural, el sentido de pertenencia a una comunidad, en lugar de venderlo al mundo privado y empresarial,

Sid Peterson / Little Village

cuyo objetivo principal es el lucro?

Lo ocurrido con Kirkwood Iowa City (así como la Universidad Wesleyana de Iowa en Mt. Pleasant) demuestra que la educación en Iowa no está siendo considerada como una prioridad por parte de la gobernadora y otras autoridades

One professor asked, “Why wouldn’t it be better for the Coralville building to come to Iowa City if it is an issue of controlling spending?” From students, it is common to hear, “This is sad news” and “Why didn’t they let us know sooner so we could resolve our living situation?” A Kirkwood

motives for the move: the low rate of enrollment and the annual spending of $400,000. In other words: typical financial and economic reasons. All of this may be true; however, the administration does not mention other important factors that would help contextualize and understand the problem. These factors include the gradual defunding of public education in Iowa and setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

públicas. Esta actitud es preocupante porque al descuidarse las instituciones públicas educativas también se descuida la convivencia ciudadana, el debate de ideas, la inclusión del otro, el escrutinio público. En otras palabras se pone en riesgo a la misma democracia.

A Lack of Dialogue

BY ALEX CHOQUEMAMANI tRANSLAtED BY ALLISON StICKLEY

At the beginning of January, the administration at Kirkwood Community College announced they would move the Iowa City campus to Coralville. They also announced the sale of the entire Iowa City campus for $7.5 million.

The reactions on the part of the students, professors and alums have not been at all positive.

alum currently studying a graduate degree in England tweeted: “I feel horrified knowing there won’t be a library in the Coralville building. When I was a Kirkwood student, I found textbooks that I couldn’t buy in the library.”

The layoffs of professors and workers also have to be included. For example, a mathematics professor with more than 20 years of service, the cafeteria manager, who has worked there for 15 years and library personnel were laid off.

The swiftness with which the so-called move is being carried out has not given space for questions directed to the administration about why they have made this drastic decision. There has also not been an open discussion among those impacted (students, professors, workers, neighbors) and the Kirkwood Community College administration. The news simply arrived in Iowa City from Cedar Rapids as a hierarchical order meant to be obeyed.

This lack of dialogue projects an image that everyone was in agreement with the decision, which was far from reality because the Iowa City Kirkwood of today is an environment of confusion and frustration.

According to Lori Sundberg, a top administrator at the community college, there are two

Closing or moving a community college is an easy decision. The difficult part is to find other, more creative solutions that respond to the following question: How can the problems of low enrollment and financing be resolved without sacrificing the educational, social and cultural role that Kirkwood filled in Iowa City (the fifth largest city in Iowa, with a population of more than 80,000) and the surrounding area (West Liberty, Lone Tree, Columbus Junction)? Said another way, how can a community college— tasked with facilitating educational services and strengthening our democracy, cultural diversity and sense of community—be maintained and bettered instead of sold to the private sector, where the main objective is profit?

What happened with Kirkwood Iowa City (not to mention Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt. Pleasant) demonstrates that education is not considered a priority by the governor and other public authorities in Iowa. This attitude is worrisome because the neglect of public educational institutions is also the neglect of the public citizenry, public debate, inclusion of others and public scrutiny. In other words, it puts democracy at risk.

Alex Choquemamani is a Peruvian writer who currently works at Kirkwood Community College. The opinions expressed in this essay are his alone and do not reflect those of his employer.

The closure of Kirkwood Iowa City is a setback for our democracy.

CUSTOMIZED LEGAL SERVICES POWERED BY

La rapidez con que se llevó a cabo el denominado traslado no ha dado lugar a preguntas dirigidas a las autoridades de Kirkwood Community College sobre el por qué de esta drástica decisión.

Roe Across the Border

BY PAUL BRENNAN

As this issue of Little Village went to print, abortion up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy remained legal in Iowa. But that was only because a state district court judge issued a temporary injunction stopping enforcement of a near-total ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy that Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law on July 14. Unless the governor’s attorneys persuade the Iowa Supreme Court to reverse the injunction, it will stay in place while the Emma Goldman Clinic and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland

challenge the constitutionality of the new law.

The case will certainly end up in the Iowa Supreme Court, but when that will happen and much else remains uncertain. The new law itself is vaguely worded and uses anti-abortion jargon

Minnesota

instead of accurate medical terminology. No rules have been drafted to administer it. There narrow and burdensome exemptions for rape and incest victims, as well as exemptions to save the life of a patient or when the pregnancy poses a “serious

“The message that we’re sending to Minnesota is very clear: your rights are protected in this state,” Gov. Tim Walz said as he signed a bill on Jan. 31 that codified the right to an abortion in state law. It was the first major piece of legislation passed this year by the state legislature.

Missouri

It was the first state in the nation to ban abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, ending federal recognition of abortion rights. The state legislature passed an abortion ban in 2019 designed to take effect if Roe was overturned. Just minutes after the Supreme Court decision was announced, Missouri’s attorney general declared the abortion ban was now in effect.

Abortion is now illegal in Missouri, except for narrowly defined medical emergencies that put a patient at immediate risk of death. There are no exemptions for victims of rape or incest.

South Dakota

The state was a little slower than Missouri in declaring abortion illegal, even though it had a similar trigger law in place since 2005. The only exemption in the state’s current abortion ban is to save the life of the patient. There are no exemptions for rape or incest.

Abortion up to fetal viability—typically 24 to 26 weeks into a pregnancy—was already legal in Minnesota, with post-viability exemptions to protect the life and health of a patient. The new law will make it more difficult for any future legislature to limit the abortion rights in Minnesota.

Illinois

In 2017, the Illinois Legislature repealed a 42-year-old trigger law that would have made abortion illegal if Roe was overturned. Two years later, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law establishing abortion as a human right in Illinois.

Like in Minnesota, abortion is legal in Illinois prior to fetal viability and there are post-viability exceptions for the life and health of a patient.

Nebraska

In May, Republican governor Jim Pillen signed a bill banning abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The bill allows for an abortion if the patient’s life is at stake, but that is the only exception. There is no exemptions for victims of rape or incest. Prior to the new law, abortion had been legal in Nebraska up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.

In August 2023, it can be difficult to determine where your rights start and stop in this godforsaken country. As many red states—including Iowa— target abortion access, some neighbors are committed to staying a safe haven.

Protesters gathered at the Iowa State Capitol on Tuesday, July 11 before Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the six-week abortion ban.

Courtney Guein / Little Village

risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” But there is no official guidance for doctors regarding the limits of the care they can provide under the new law.

Ruth Richardson, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) sees this uncertainty as part of a strategy of “manufactured confusion” intended to discourage people from seeking the care they need.

“The unfortunate reality about this situation is that this manufactured confusion and chaos, it’s not new,” Richardson said at a news conference after the temporary injunction was issued on July 17. “Since the Dobbs decision when Roe was overturned, there has been a lot of confusion with patients around what types of health care that they are able to access.”

PPNCS has patient navigators available to help people seeking abortion care, whether at a clinic in Iowa or in a neighboring state. Although abortion remains legal in Iowa as this is being written, it’s still useful to review its status in neighboring states, if only to see how Iowa fits into the post-Roe landscape.

Wisconsin

The situation in Wisconsin is complicated. After Roe was overturned, the Republicans who control the state legislature insisted an 1849 law made it illegal to perform an abortion in the state unless the patient’s life was at risk. That law was suspended by the Roe decision in 1973, but remained on the books. The governor, a Democrat, maintains that a 1985 law that made abortion prior to fetal viability supersedes the 1849 law, so abortion is legal in Wisconsin. Last year, the attorney general, also a Democrat, filed a lawsuit, seeking to have the 1849 law invalidated and the 1985 law upheld. The lawsuit is still before the courts.

—Paul Brennan

tired of transphobia? Join the Club.

BY EMMA MCCLAtCHEY

If you’ve seen a student-organized drag show or queer rights protest over the past couple decades, odds are a GSA is behind it.

GSAs—gender-sexuality alliances— serve as both social clubs and advocacy orgs for LGBTQ students, those questioning their sexuality and straight, cisgender allies in middle school, high school, college and the occasional elementary schooler. For many students, it’s the first place they come out to classmates, test drive new pronouns or a new name, or encounter an affirming adult in their club’s counselor.

If the same rightwing lawmakers policing school library books could ban GSAs, they undoubtedly would. But as it is, the queer-friendly groups remain one of the most visible, important and protected means of being an out LGBTQ student in the United States—especially blood-red states like Iowa.

The first GSAs, then called gay-straight alliances, formed in schools around Boston, Massachusetts in the late 1980s. To avoid hassle from bigots, organizers often posted meeting information (“Discussion of gay rights, sexual preference, and related topics. Today, 6:45pm.”) to the bulletin board at the last minute and met in out-of-the-way spots. Straight students joined, too, and an accepting teacher—sometimes gay or closeted themselves—served as club counselor.

“For those who live in more enlightened places and more enlightened times, it is difficult to understand how significant such a small group could be,” writes Stephen Lane in his book No Sanctuary: Teachers and the School Reform that Brought Gay Rights to the Masses. “Alleviating feelings of isolation could have a profound effect on students’ well-being. Faculty, too, felt more supported.”

As students around the country submitted

Read a breakdown of the new state laws affecting Iowa students:

applications to form GSAs in their schools, some administrators and districts rejected them. But in 1999, efforts to ban GSAs were quashed with the ruling in Utah–East High Gay/Straight Alliance v. Board of Education of Salt Lake City School District. A federal court found GSAs were covered by the Equal Access Act of 1984—originally lobbied for by Christian groups to protect Bible study programs on campuses that receive federal funding. Further rulings confirmed GSA membership is protected by the First Amendment.

Not only did the Utah case affirm the rights of American students to start a GSA (broadened in recent decades to gender-sexuality alliance), but it drew attention to those rights, inspiring thousands of LGBTQ and allied students to found their own chapter following guidance from orgs like the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. GLSEN was founded in 1990 by some of those first GSA members in Boston.

Iowa has its own GSA network and guidebook operated by Iowa Safe Schools, which supports more than 10,000 LGBTQ students across all 99 counties.

“We have some really high-flying GSAs that are, like, the leading student group in their schools, whether it’s doing movie nights, bake sales, different things like that,” said Damian Thompson, director of public policy and communication at Iowa Safe Schools. “Some of our smaller, more rural ones have just three or four students where they come together and hang out, maybe play board games, and just really have that safe place to feel affirmed in who they are, especially when we have students that aren’t safe at home.”

A GLSEN study showed GSA membership among LGBTQ students rose from 31.1 to 61.6 percent between 2001 and 2019. Those students reported a greater sense of school belonging, upticks in self-esteem and slightly lower depression as a result of GSA participation, according to the 2019 National School Climate Survey.

The same survey found LGBTQ students in schools with GSAs were less likely to hear slurs, experience bullying or miss school due to feeling unsafe or uncomfortable. And since many states’ sex education programs don’t include adequate— or any—information on non-cis/hetero dating and intimacy, GSA members are better equipped to practice safe sex and avoid abusive relationships.

Despite clear and ample data demonstrating the benefits of allowing students, teachers and lesson plans to authentically represent LGBTQ identity, Iowa’s conservative governor and Republican-dominated legislature have had no qualms bringing a political culture war to Iowa classrooms.

Gay/Straight Alliance How-To

Join the Club The GSA is a core club at most U.S. high schools—and a growing number of middle schools—thanks to decades of guidance from GLSEN, Iowa Safe Schools and other LGBTQ youth resources. Here are some of their basic steps for launching a gender-sexuality alliance on a strong foundation.

Make it official Follow your school’s guidelines for starting any extracurricular student-led club. Let administrators know up front, and they can serve as liaisons to teachers, parents, community members and the school board. Remember, you have a right to form a GSA. If you’re facing opposition, contact Iowa Safe Schools for guidance.

Find an advisor Ask a supportive teacher or faculty member if they’d consider signing on as the club’s adult counselor. Advisors are expected to help the GSA’s leaders plan meetings and activities, ensure a safe and positive space to meet and, to the best of their abilities, advocate on behalf of GSA members and LGBTQ students in general to the best of their ability.

Advertise Bulletin boards, morning announcements, social media posts, word of mouth—get creative and colorful to promote the group! Be open to answering questions from classmates. It never hurts morale to provide snacks at meetings, either.

Plan your meetings Design a meeting structure, or borrow the outline provided in Iowa Safe Schools’ GSA Guidebook or from other GSA networks. Respect group members’ time and stay on schedule.

GSAs can serve as social/support groups, educational opportunities, advocacy orgs or, ideally, all three. Figure out the right balance for your group and plan activities accordingly. You can book speakers, watch movies, hold a book club, participate in a Day of Silence, visit a museum, lead a school walk-out, go bowling—whatever builds community and confidence.

Set some ground rules Rulebooks are boring, but a few basic ground rules like “respect others’ experiences,” “no question is a bad question” and “what’s said in the room stays in the room” set the tone for safe and open discussions. Again, turn to GSA guidebooks for rule ideas.

Iowa’s got loyalty, got royalty inside our GSAs—and for many students, the queer-friendly groups are a lifesaver.

“It’s been clear that the leaders in this state have seen LGBTQ students, who are already some of our most marginalized population members, as a cheap political wedge issue to throw them in harm’s way and get kudos from political party leaders or their base,” Thompson said.

“Our GSA leaders are definitely feeling the chilling effects in terms of what they’re able to do as an organization, their comfort level with being active and out and proud in their schools.”

The rise in vitriol towards trans and gender nonconforming individuals in schools reflects “the Trump effect” of 2016, in which educators nationwide reported an increase in students parroting Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim and anti-migrant rhetoric.

“When you have folks like Gov. Reynolds or Ron DeSantis really relentlessly attacking the LGBTQ community, and within that subset LGBTQ students, that is absolutely trickled down to our schools,” Thompson said, noting a spike in self-reported suicidality among the students Iowa Safe Schools works with.

“Working with our rural GSAs and rural students, especially in northwest Iowa, all of those problems really get exacerbated, which is extremely detrimental to student physical and mental health,” he said, adding, “Our GSA leaders are definitely feeling the chilling effects in terms of what they’re able to do as an organization, their comfort level with being active and out and proud in their schools.”

Of course, after the bill banning trans athletes from girls’ sports teams passed the Iowa Legislature, the GSA president at Sioux City’s East High said they’d work to explain the bill’s impact to fellow students and support those feeling hurt.

“I had a pit in my stomach,” Estella RuhrerJohnson told Siouxland News. “Immediately I know this is going to result in multiple suicides of … transgender students in Iowa. Essentially, we are telling those who can’t even have a say,

can’t even have a vote in their government, that ‘you don’t care, you don’t matter to the state.’”

Iowa Safe Schools have seen many trans students “drop out of athletics entirely,” Thompson said. “Our trans female students, we’ve seen them really othered.

“Student athletics is absolutely crucial to feeling included and welcome in the school population and making those crucial friendship connections. Just the camaraderie is absolutely important to student mental health.”

Joining the boys’ team as a trans girl isn’t a safe option for most. “When you have someone that entirely presents as female in the boys’ locker room, that puts them in direct danger, and not only physical danger,” Thompson explained. “The sheer negative mental health consequences of that can really create lifelong harms.”

Even young Iowa students have gotten organized in defense of LGBTQ+ rights at school. In February, Des Moines 11-year-old Noa McIver appeared before the legislature to oppose a vague measure requiring K-3 teachers to inform on students demonstrating gender-nonconforming behavior to their parents, among other policies meant to restrict LGBTQ expression in schools.

“It’s important to let kids decide when and how they come out,” said McIver, who founded a GSA at his elementary school. “We deserve the right to be who we are at home, at school and everywhere in between.”

Gov. Reynolds has misconstrued the contents of these bills, swiftly signing them into law while saying her “heart breaks for” LGBTQ families and “it’s not easy for me either.” She claimed SF 538 would only “pause” gender-affirming care for minors (in reality, the law has no sunset date) while the state works “to understand what these emerging therapies actually may potentially do to our kids.” (She nor any other state Republican have proposed a study.) Others, she’s signed without comment at all, like the ban on students using bathrooms or locker rooms that don’t

correspond to their gender assigned at birth.

The fight against such intransigence can be exhausting, even and especially with stakes so high. It’s something the bullies in the legislature count on, according to trans advocate Nia Chiaramonte.

“These laws are created to cause confusion— to make you freeze enough that you don’t live into your identity any further,” she said. “And we see that a ton of people are scared of being themselves because of these laws.”

A mother of five kids between kindergarten and ninth grade, Nia provides free mentoring for queer families with her wife of 19 years, Katie, through their website, loveintheface.com.

“I came out in 2018 as a trans woman,” Nia said. “We grew up in a pretty religious community … it kind of all fell apart on us. And then on top of that, you got the state saying that we don’t have your back.”

When the anti-trans policy crusade first began, Nia attempted to change the hearts and minds of Iowa’s most ardent conservative lawmakers at the statehouse. They were outwardly polite, but like some of her neighbors, it was clear the warped ideology ran too deep. “They’re getting false information and they’re just listening because they think they have a spiritual war to fight. The people who are making the laws are not listening.”

The Chiaramontes were recently interviewed for an upcoming Hulu documentary about LGBTQ households in the Midwest, and have a book called Embracing Queer Family: Learning to Live Authentically in Our Families and Communities slated for release in May 2024.

Despite building a supportive community around their family in Indianola, they recently decided to move from Iowa to Maryland, where efforts to dismantle LGBTQ healthcare and resources are not a daily source of anguish.

“In the long run, if any of our kids are queer, I don’t want them to have to deal with … a state that’s saying ‘no, your school may not take care of you,’” Nia said.

She’s not alone.

“We’ve already seen a not-insignificant amount of students with affirming families pick up and move out of state,” Thompson reported. “However, some of our students don’t have that privilege, whether it’s having non-affirming parents or being in a low-income household. And so we’re here to still ensure that those students receive the services that they need, and we will be for the foreseeable future.”

“If you have questions” about Iowa’s new legislation, “reach out to our organization, or your own educators, your GSA advisors, so you’re not blindsided by not being able to access the restroom anymore or something like that,” Thompson said.

Being openly LGBTQ continues to be a political act, but that doesn’t mean GSA members have an obligation to fight to the death, Thompson emphasized.

“We absolutely really push people to be involved [in advocacy], and it’s so crucial that folks are aware and engaged in what’s happening, but obviously, it’s a really toxic environment right now. So just knowing when to draw the line for yourself personally is super important.”

Nia’s advice to young activists, whether they’re dealing with unaccepting relatives, teachers or policymakers, is to set boundaries.

“Find those people willing to listen and engage and have those conversations, because those are much more productive and can make you feel seen.

“I think a lot of times,” she continued, “we feel like we have to know who we are, and then we can present this, like, fully formed thing to the world. But we need help and we need sounding boards as we form our identity.”

In need of a sounding board? Consider joining, starting or supporting a GSA.

Emma McClatchey is Little Village’s Editor-inChief.

Student, Activist

BY

Rarely are a student’s biggest bullies the governor and legislature of their state. But that’s the case for many queer K-12 students in Iowa, who are now subjected to several laws passed by Iowa’s legislature and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Plenty of adults and talking heads will gladly share their opinions, but it’s young people that are the most affected by these new laws. People like Naomi Pittman. A rising senior at Waukee Northwest High School, Pittman is a print editor for their school’s newspaper and president of the GSA (genders and sexualities alliance, also known as a gay-straight alliance).

Toward the end of the 2022-23 school year, Pittman kicked their activism into overdrive, helping to organize queer and allied students in school walkouts to protest anti-LGBTQ legislation, an annual Day of Silence in the spring, a Valentine’s Day fundraiser with the Student Council and Black Student Union and other events to encourage community and action.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Pittman to pick their brain about school, activism and being queer in the state of Iowa.

As a student, you’re in a unique position regarding what’s been happening lately in the state legislature. Has your relationship with school changed at all in these last few months? I think it has started to, yes. I figure it’s going to start changing a lot this coming year because the big-impact changes in legislation happened at the end of the last school year. This year’s gonna be different because there are library laws that are gonna be very impactful; there’s the bathroom stuff that’s impacted a lot of our students. I mean, our [school] administration does the best that they can, but they have to obey the law, so this coming year is gonna feel a little more … I don’t want to say “hostile” but, ya know …. School is a place where you’re supposed to feel comfortable and, when there are these laws that are trying to make me and my friends feel out of place, it’s gonna feel less comfortable, essentially. It’s still a supportive environment, there are people there who care, but because of the laws that they have to comply with it’s not going to be as safe a space as it was previously.

How does it affect your ability to focus on your education? It affects a lot! I mean, I’ve always been a very high-functioning student—I’m a perfectionist, it’s a lot—but I’ve been trying recently to be a lot more engaged in activism because I want to serve our community. As GSA president, that’s partially my responsibility to try to make sure people feel safe. It takes a lot of mental energy, I would say. I’ve spent so much time stressing out over, like, what are they gonna do with the laws, like, are our kids gonna be allowed to use the bathroom or use their name and pronouns. It just makes it difficult to focus on, like, normal everyday things when it feels like you’re fighting something so much bigger than you. It’s insane for a regular 16-year-old in the real world to have to think about fighting some higher power while I’m trying to do my classwork.

Would you say that you’ve always been a more outspoken person? Honestly, I’ve been a doormat for quite a while … I’d say a big turning point, when I realized this is something that I can do, was our walkout this year, which I led. Honestly, not a lot of people volunteered *laughs*, and I just decided, “Hey, I don’t need to be in the background.” If I can have the courage to stand up and talk for other people who aren’t willing, or aren’t able, to fight for themselves, then I can make a difference, and I think I just realized that this year. I decided to do my best, even if it’s not the most, to speak out about things I care about, ya know?

Becoming more engaged, being more outspoken, leading walkouts, how does all of that affect your relationships with teachers,

Waukee Northwest gSA: Pride Outside Saturday, Sept. 16 from 1-4 p.m. Open to students in grades 8-12

Visit @waukeenorthwestgsa on Instagram for updates and more information

administrators and classmates? It’s sparked a lot of really interesting conversations. I tell teachers, “Hey, I’m not gonna be here today, I’m walking out of the school,” and all of them have been super supportive. Some of them will pull me aside and say, “I’m really glad that you’re doing this,” and that’s the most that they can do—they can’t walk out with us, so it’s their way of showing support. It’s been really positive in letting me see, and letting other people see, that teachers really do care.

Admin has been amazingly supportive. It helps that admin know me and other people involved in [activism]; they’ll come up and talk to me and be like, “Hey, how did the walkout go?” … I know we’ve had some talks of a couple teachers who have not been that supportive, but for the most part [our activism] allows [teachers] to show that they’re with us.

What would you say are the benefits of having a queer-focused student group like a gSA in a school environment? I think it’s a place where, if people aren’t supported at home, they know they can go to this place because there will be people like them who will listen to them, who will support them and who will really do whatever they can to make them feel comfortable. And it’s also a

“There’s a difference between a safe space and a brave space,” according to Waukee’s GSA president. They want to foster both.

MAX ADAMS

Naomi Pittman with 2022 GSA co-president Molly Campbell. Aidyn Hoffman

place that’s … I don’t wanna say “secretive,” but what happens in GSA always stays in GSA. So, if you can’t be out elsewhere, then there’s at least one place where you can be yourself. Let’s say there’s a trans student who can’t be out in class or at home; they could be out in GSA, and that offers a really safe and powerful space for them to express themselves. If you aren’t able to express yourself, that’s where a lot of those huge mental health issues come into play.

How do the political and social tenets of your gSA compare as far as importance? The social one is the one we try to focus on the most, because there’s a difference between a “safe space” and a “brave space”; [the former] being more about the social unity, “you can come here to feel safe,” and [the latter] is more, “we are doing activism and trying to actively change things.” We try to never make it solely political, because there are a lot of people who can’t attend walkouts or protests because of family or something like that. Honestly, it’s just as important to be out there having your voice heard as it is to be able to just have friends who are like you. We try to balance those as much as we can.

Not to ask a clichéd question, but is there any person or group that serves as an inspiration for you and your activism, or your life in general? There’s a lot! But if I’m thinking personal, we actually have a local activist who used to go to Waukee and now works professionally as an activist in the Des Moines area. Jo Allen is their name, and they’ve been to a lot of recent protests. So I think about them a lot whenever we’re doing a walkout. They came one day because they wanted to talk about what it was like being a Waukee student growing up. They talked a lot about how they wanted to leave Iowa because it’s becoming a dangerous space, but they felt like, if they left, then who would stay to fight?

That’s something that I think about a lot—obviously you can leave if you need to, but I feel like Iowa is my home, and I think about [Allen]’s words a lot when I think that it would be easier and safer to move to, like, Minnesota, or somewhere that is more accepting. But if I leave Iowa then I can’t help Iowa, if that makes sense.

What does “wanting to help Iowa” look like to you going forward? That is a great question. *laughs* I mean, I would love to see more speaking out and protests until people can’t ignore it. If you aren’t involved in these issues it becomes easy to forget about them, to push them out of mind, but I think making ourselves more visible and more loud so that people have no choice but to see the cause, that’s what would help us.

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BY JOSEPH SERVEY

Cedar Rapids—the city of five seasons/smells, and home of Iowa’s best pizza scene.

To celebrate the foundational piece of CR pizza that is Leonardo’s (2228 16th Ave SW) let’s take a look at its origins.

The story begins in the early 1950s when Tony and Leo Naso opened Cedar Rapids’ first pizzeria, Naso’s Pizza House. Leo had sold the family grocery store and was running a restaurant called Park Court Lunch when his brother Tony (“the godfather of Cedar Rapids pizza”) returned from California with an idea that became an instant best seller. So they changed its name to Naso’s and were soon ready to expand, with Tony’s Pizza on the east side and Leonardo’s on the west.

Leonardo’s debuted on 16th Avenue in 1953 at the site of a former drive-in. A decade later, Leo’s would move next door into a newly constructed building, where its cave-like entryway, windowless red-and-black-leather interior, sunken bar, party room and giant neon L sign have since become an iconic part of the city.

Two other Leo’s locations would open and close over the years, the owners ultimately deciding to focus on one joint. The original Leo’s would go on to become the oldest family owned restaurant in Cedar Rapids. Then in 2019, after six decades, Leonardo’s was purchased by the owners of the Starlite Room, another historic CR spot. (And the home of the Super Burger!)

As for the food, Leo’s does what I’d call a classic Midwestern tavern pizza. It’s round, triangle cut and generously topped with a thin, biscuity crust. The menu says a deep dish option is available, but I have never seen anyone order it. Sandwiches and appetizers are also available, and they’re probably good—but this is a pizza place.

During our recent visit we were taken care of by Jill, who has worked at Leo’s for 32 years and was wonderful with my 3-year-old. We went with their two most popular pies, the combo (sausage, mushroom, onion, green pepper, pepperoni) and bacon cheeseburger (ground beef

LV Recommends: Eastern Iowa

Cedar

Rapids’

iconic pizza joint has been charming locals for 70 years.

Jav Ducker / Little Village

with three cheeses, topped with bacon strips and pickle slices). They were perfect as they could be—just tasty pizzas. Truly classic.

I asked my dad about his best meal memories at Leo’s over the years, and a shrimp pizza is what first came to mind. Turns out it’s still an optional topping, along with anchovy and smoked oyster.

My parents were high school sweethearts, both westside kids that graduated from Jefferson in the ‘70s. Back then, Leo’s was a popular hang out and date night spot. The same remained true into the ‘90s for my friends and me. These days, Leo’s has taken on the feel of a quality neighborhood dive—an old-timey family spot and a nostalgic fixture for westsiders.

The mini jukeboxes in the booths may no longer work, but it is still the same Leonardo’s. Come for the amazing pizza, stay for the great vibe.

Joseph Servey / Little Village

gossip tea Coffee

Ankeny is quickly becoming the K-dog capital of Iowa.

BY SEAN DENgLER

After enjoying K-dogs at Naughtea earlier this year, I did not anticipate going back to Ankeny, the mother of all Des Moines suburbs, to peruse a whole new menu of Korean corn dogs and tasty drinks so soon. But there I was on a warm July afternoon—back in Ankeny to try the second and newest K-dog joint in Iowa.

Located in a small strip mall, Gossip Tea Coffee (1510 S Ankeny Blvd, STE 101, Ankeny) looks more like your typical modern coffee shop than a corn dog spot. Fitting, perhaps, because while there were many kinds of teas and coffees to choose from, there were only three K-dog options. That made ordering easy for me: I was going to try all three.

Drink selection was a little tougher, but I was delighted with my brown sugar boba milk tea. This sweet drink brought back memories of eating spoonful after spoonful of brown sugar as a child. The boba balls were delectable, and the cool richness reminded me of a decadent chocolate shake on a warm day. It made a good match for the savory corn dogs.

First up was the potato & mozzarella K-dog. The taste was like a normal corn dog, but the best part was the mozzarella filling the entire interior. The texture of the warm and melted mozzarella blended well with the crispy potatoes in the breading. The combo was only made more perfect with a healthy dip of ketchup.

Next up was the cheesy K-dog. I have tried many a corn dog in my life, from the frozen variety thawed in a microwave, to school lunch ’dogs, to footlong beauties at fairs—and none of them had a flavor as phenomenal as Gossip

Tea Coffee’s cheesy K-dog. It doesn’t matter that this particular K-dog doesn’t have any “dog” to speak of, filled to the brim with mozzarella like the aforementioned potato variety. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hotdog—but line the cheesy K-dog up against any carnival corn dog, and it wins every time.

Last was the potato & fish sausage K-dog. I don’t tend to enjoy fish outside of a particular

at play. Gossip Tea Coffee’s K-dogs were smaller than the Naughtea dogs, but Gossip hit it out of the park when it comes to maximizing the

Read the answer on pg. 67.

fast food chain’s fish sandwich, but I wanted to try this K-dog, nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t for me—the fish taste overpowered every part of this K-dog, from the potatoes in the breading to the breading itself. More devoted pescatarians will likely enjoy this flavor, though.

As for declaring the champion of the presumed K-dog capital of Iowa, a few factors are

mozzarella, unlike the Naughtea cheese options. However, Naughtea’s K-dog menu, while also second-fiddle to their massive drink menu, features an impressive variety, including fun flavors like the hot cheetos corn dog.

Honestly, both places are worth a stop in Ankeny. It is not up to me to decide the K-dog champion of Ankeny. It is up to you.

totally anonymous sex, love and relationship advice.

littlevillagemag.com/dearkiki

“Dear Kiki, Is it better to be fully yourself, or a restrained version of yourself, if you are “a lot” to make people around you more comfortable?”

I have tried many a corn dog in my life, from the frozen variety thawed in a microwave, to school lunch ’dogs, to footlong beauties at fairs—and none of them had a flavor as phenomenal as Gossip Tea Coffee’s Cheesy K-Dog.

Sean Dengler / Illustration by Jordan Sellergren / Little Village

the DIY Warden of Iowa City

Sam Locke Ward churns out earworms and album art faster than many songwriters can pick up a pen.

BY KEMBREW MCLEOD

Since the time Samuel Locke Ward grew up in relative isolation on a family farm in Iowa, he has taken the road less traveled at every turn. With a preternatural talent for crafting earworm hooks and catchy melodies, the prolific musician could very well have beaten a path to Nashville or Los Angeles and developed a career cranking out hit songs for the pop aristocracy.

Instead, Sam stopped in Iowa City, put down roots and took a more underground route through the world of music, one that has led to collaborations with some of America’s most significant left-ofcenter musicians. Over the past quarter century, he has built a jaw-droppingly large discography—more than 60 releases and counting—along with an impressive bullpen of musical partners.

“I love pop music, but a lot of pop is very predictable,” said collaborator Jad Fair, who co-founded the mutant rock group Half Japanese in 1974. “I prefer having the feel of a pop song, but with some twists and turns. Sam is great at that.”

Earlier this year, Jad and Sam released their debut album, Happy Hearts, on the venerable indie label Kill Rock Stars, which also released Purple Pie Plow, the brand-new record by SLW cc Watt, his ongoing project with former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt.

Sam has also worked with members of indie-punk satirists the Dead Milkmen, whose guitarist and vocalist Joe Jack Talcum told me, “I appreciate Sam’s disdain for bigotry and hypocrisy and the way he weaves those sentiments into his lyrics, but I also think he has a healthy optimism about humanity despite the darkness of some of his songs. Also, his melodies are super catchy.”

Born in 1982, Sam was raised by two high school band teachers in a rural interzone somewhere between Oskaloosa and Ottumwa where he messed around with guitars, pianos, horns and other instruments at home or at school. In a pre-internet age, one’s horizons were limited to the menu of options offered by mass media, so when Nirvana hit the bigtime in the early 1990s, Sam began to find his way to underground music.

“Even though Nirvana was a major label platinum-selling band, they were the entryway to DIY music,” he said. “One of the greatest things about 1990s music and art was that there was this fetishization of things that were doable and achievable at a grassroots level. Like, Nirvana made it sound like you could actually start a band.”

With limited pocket change, Sam educated himself with compilation CDs that he bought from mall record stores, like Introducing the Minutemen, Death To the Pixies, and Cream of the Crop: The Best of the Dead Milkmen. As he was hoovering up new musical knowledge, Sam began creating crude multitrack recordings by MacGyvering a children’s karaoke cassette tape machine while he was in high school.

“I started going to shows a ton to see the punk bands of the late 1990s, like the Horrors out of Cedar Rapids,” he recalled. “They had their own tape, so it just seemed doable, like, ‘Oh, well, I can do that!’ Then, at a certain point, I was like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t even need to be a band to do that.’ You know, I can just make music myself.”

After Sam moved to Iowa City in 2001, he lied about his age and experience, and ended up doing sound at the local rock club Gabe’s Oasis, a job he

Prairie Pop

“I started going to shows a ton to see the punk bands of the late 1990s, like the Horrors out of Cedar Rapids. They had their own tape, so it just seemed doable, like, ‘Oh, well, I can do that!’ Then, at a certain point, I was like, ‘Oh, well, I don’t even need to be a band to do that.’ You know, I can just make music myself.”

CITY / ON THE HANCHER GREEN FRIDAY, AUGUST 25

Hancher welcomes back our entire community for a music festival-style event on our front lawn. Students, locals, and visitors can sit, dance, and enjoy the music, fellowship, and late-summer rays as a stellar line up of artists grace our outdoor stage. The event opens with a return play from Iowa native turned big city rocker Elizabeth Moen and closes with the electronic/R&B dance party of Dawn Richard. Superstar songwriter and vocalist Brittany Howard will headline this show (playing in the middle) and carry us all the way home as we celebrate the end of summer and embrace a new school year.

Bring your friends—and your own chairs or blankets—and grab something to eat from the food trucks on site.

Presented in collaboration with the City of Iowa City, Think Iowa City, and SCOPE Productions at the University of Iowa

SCHEDULE

Gathering begins: 5:00 p.m.

Elizabeth Moen: 6:00 p.m.

Brittany Howard: 7:30 p.m.

Dawn Richard: 9:15 p.m.

Please note: Some performances may include explicit lyrics. 

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Sissel in advance at (319) 467-4849 or via email at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu. Accessible parking will be located in the lot closest to the performance space. Hancher staff will be on hand to assist with accessibility needs on the night of the performance.

kept for several years. Today, he works at a daycare and drives a school bus—think Otto Mann, The Simpsons’ bus driver character, if he were really into garage rock and free jazz. According to Sam’s wife, Grace Locke Ward, he writes songs in his head during his day jobs, or while he’s doing the dishes around the home.

“I know because he is always humming something or playing air guitar, but with accurate hand chord positions,” she said. “I don’t think he is ever not writing or planning out art. Even if he is talking about something else, Sam is still creating and planning simultaneously somewhere in his head.”

His home studio consists of a dozen-year-old Dell PC tower loaded with recording software and surrounded by microphones, a drum machine, two keyboards, cassette deck, guitar amp and a bass guitar that he plugs directly into his audio setup. Sam then records each instrument

one at a time until he either has a finished song or the basic framework for a track that he’s making with long-distance collaborators, like Mike Watt.

SLW cc Watt’s brand-new album, Purple Pie Plow, is the follow up to 2021’s Let’s Build a Logjam and its predecessor Real Manic Time The seeds of their project began after Sam opened for the punk legend at Gabe’s. At the end of the night he drunkenly threw one of his CDs into the window of the bassist’s van—which wound up getting a lot of airplay on the Watt from Pedro Show

“I heard that he was playing my music on his show a lot,” Sam said, “and I was like, ‘Man, he must really like this.’ I thought, ‘I’m gonna write him and ask if he’d want to make some music together.’ So, I wrote him, and he agreed.”

All of the SLW cc Watt albums were constructed piece by piece over the internet, similar

“He is always humming something or playing air guitar, but with accurate hand chord positions. I don’t think he is ever not writing or planning out art. Even if he is talking about something else, Sam is still creating and planning simultaneously somewhere in his head.”

—Grace Locke Ward

FEATURED FALL 2023 EVENTS:

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

• Guest artist master class with Frederica von Stade

Thursday, September 14, 11:00 a.m.

Voxman Music Building / Recital Hall

• Key Change Piano Revolutionaries Series Fall Concerts

Voxman Music Building / Concert Hall

• Sunday, September 24, 3:00 p.m.

• Sunday, October 22, 7:30 p.m.

• Thursday, November 30, 7:30 p.m.

• Scott Dunn guest piano recital with Nathan Platte

Thursday, November 2, 7:30 p.m.

Voxman Music Building / Recital Hall

• The University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra and Choirs

Wednesday, November 29, 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage / Auditorium Seating

DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE ARTS

• Estamos Aquí: An All Latin Celebration

Kathleen Marie Guerrero (Artistic Director) (Directora Artística)

Friday, September 15

Theatre Building / Alan MacVey Theatre

Co-Presenting organizations: Latino Native American Cultural Center

• Macbeth

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Mary Mayo

October 6–8 and 11–14

Theatre Building / E. C. Mabie Theatre

• Men On Boats by Jaclyn Backhaus

Directed by Mary Beth Easley

November 3–5 and 8–11

Theatre Building / David Thayer Theatre

DEPARTMENT OF DANCE

• Collaboration with the International Writing Program as part of Hancher’s Infinite Dream festival. Details to come.

• MFA Thesis concert 1: L.D. Kidd and Todd Rhoades

October 26–28

Space Place Theater

• Dance Gala with guest artist Aaron Samuel Davis

November 10–11, 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage / Auditorium Seating

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the sponsoring department or contact person listed in advance of the event.

KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED, PEOPLE.

to the way Watt used to collaborate with Black Flag bassist Kira when they had a two-bass band, Dos. Back in the 1980s, they made their self-titled first album over long distances by mailing cassette tapes back and forth to each other, building their compositions bit by bit.

“Technologies change,” Watt said, “but the primary concept remains the same—it’s about Sam bringing something, with Watt reacting to it, and that’s the result you find in our releases. Our plan is to next try a fourth one, maybe start on it near the end of this year.”

Grace played drums on the first two SLW cc Watt records, which was a logistically difficult task, given that someone has to watch her and Sam’s two kids. “I have a lot going on and usually choose to spend any ‘creating time’ that I have sewing,” she said. “But I love playing drums, and when you’re asked to play on an album with Mike Watt and the dude you love, you fuckin’ make it work.”

Dead Milkmen drummer Dean Clean and Joe Jack Talcum play on the latest SLW cc Watt record, Purple Pie Plow. This collaboration started a dozen years ago when Sam approached Joe about touring together, which was a pleasurable experience for everyone that snowballed into a split LP released in 2011, Just Add Tears.

“It was a lot of fun,” Joe said of their two tours. “Sam was a great travel companion. He always had interesting things to discuss, and he seemed to know someone everywhere we went.”

Dean, the Dead Milkmen’s longtime art director, is a big fan of Sam’s comics, which led the band to ask the Iowa Citian to create the artwork for a bonus EP included in their 2022 album reissue of Metaphysical Graffiti. And the collabs kept coming. Sam had known Jad Fair since around 2010, and during the pandemic he approached the singer to do an album together, but there was a hitch.

“Sam first contacted me when I was working on a project of releasing 100 albums in a year’s time,” Jad told me. “When Sam first wrote to me, I had only recorded 32 albums and I thought it would be difficult to add more to my recording schedule, so I asked Sam to ask me again in a couple months. Two months later, I had finished 50 albums and felt better about being able to record with him and still stay on schedule to reach the 100 mark. Sam and I decided on recording one song each week. I’m very happy with how it worked out.”

Over the years, Samuel Locke Ward has joyfully subverted expectations in all areas of his creative life—as a do-it-yourself home-taper, an underground comics artist and a husband and father of two young children.

“Now that our kids are older,” Grace said,

IF YOU SEE DES BEST AROUND DES MOINES, YOU’RE AT THE RIGHT PLACE. THIS EMBLEM MEANS SOMEWHERE OR SOMETHING HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY LOCALS AS THE BEST AROUND.

“Sam can get away with being loud and recording at home. Our kids think it’s cool and often will contribute something: banging on a drum, singing to his songs. He is writing a series of songs with our 7-year-old, and the first one is called ‘Cats In Space.’

“The kids are always singing and drawing and being creative,” she continued, “or listening to records and realizing that Sam or I played on them. That always blows their minds. Joe Jack Talcum played Candyland with Orson and took him shopping for clothes when he was 4, and then years later Orson starts to listen to the Dead Milkmen and realizes who his friend Joe is. Creativity gets passed down simply by it being part of their everyday lives.”

Kembrew McLeod looks forward to hearing the three other albums that Jad Fair and Samuel Locke Ward have recorded.

Aug.

Aug.

Aug.

Aug.

Aug. 31 Gimikk

Sept.

Sept.

Panels from Futile Wrath’s in memoriam for Record Collector owner Kirk Walther. Sam Locke Ward, Little Village #229, October 2017

A-List: Eastern Iowa

top that

Dreamwell Theatre needs neither Valentine’s Day nor Pride Month to stage a celebration of queer love.

BY ROB CLINE

The details are not yet set, but Iowa City’s Dreamwell Theatre is bringing back its QueertopIA event this fall.

QueertopIA is an offshoot of the Queertopia project in Minneapolis, “a longstanding tradition of an all-inclusive, no holds barred ‘cabaret of queer love’ started in Minneapolis by Jeffry Lusiak and carried on by Nastalie Q,” according to Dreamwell board president Madonna Smith. The variety show includes performances from local artists that include music, spoken word and other short original works.

While the event is typically staged during Pride Month, June tends to be a busy time for queer artists. While the official date and venue for QueertopIA 2023 hadn’t been confirmed at the time of publication, Smith said local can expect the event in autumn.

“This year, after polling our past performers, we decided to not hold the event in June,” Smith explained via email. “We are hoping to hold it in August, September or October this year.”

Smith worked on the original Minneapolis show for a number of years, stage managing and helping with performances.

“It is an amazing celebration to be a part of,” she said. “For 10 years I dreamed of bringing something like this to Iowa City. I had worked with Dreamwell in the past. Our mission, as a theater of exploration … as well as our goal to keep telling the stories that may not otherwise be heard were a good fit for this evening of new works performed by local artists. I reached out to Jeffry and Nastalie and got permission to use the name.”

Dreamwell theatre 2023-24 Season

Wyrd Sisters by Sir Terry Pratchett, adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs, Directed by Josh Sazon at the James Theater, Oct 12-15, 2023

Gnit by Will Eno, Directed by Matthew Brewbaker at the ArtiFactory, February 16-17, 23-24, 2024

Pleasure Play by UI Playwright Eli Campbell, Directed by Meredith Alexander at the ArtiFactory, Spring 2024

Artemisia by Lauren Gunderson, Directed by Carrie Pozdol at the James Theater, June 27-30, 2024

Dreamwell’s QueertopIA at the not-forgotten Mill in Iowa Ciy, 2019. Courtesy of Dreamwell Theatre

Dreamwell’s board president Madonna Smith. Sid Peterson / Little Village

The first edition of QueertopIA was held at the Mill in 2019—and 50 percent of the net proceeds went to Iowa City Pride.

“The Mill co-hosted, providing the space which meant more money could be donated to IC Pride,” said Smith. “We had eight amazing performers sign up. We listened to a staged reading of a brand new work, enjoyed some stand-up, music, poetry and storytelling. There were over 100 people in the house cheering us on. We were sure it was the first of what would become an annual event.”

Of course, a lot of things have happened since 2020, including the closing of the Mill and a pandemic that all but ended live shows for an extended period. QueertopIA returned as an in-person event in 2022 with an eight-person performance at Willow Creek Theatre benefitting the LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library. The audience, though enthusiastic, was notably smaller, which also contributed to the decision to move the event out of the crowded Pride Month.

This past session, punctuated by a June 25 celebration, marked Dreamwell Theatre’s 25th anniversary, and QueertopIA fits neatly into the organization’s approach to its work.

“Dreamwell Theatre has been an advocate for sharing stories that may not otherwise be heard. We love working with new/local playwrights. We typically choose plays and playwrights that have something that needs to be said,” Smith said. “We strive to incite discussions about topics that are relevant to the current social and political climate. Back in the early days, we were one of the only local theaters pushing these boundaries. It’s wonderful to see that in the last five to 10 years more and more theaters are taking more risks to share these kinds of stories.”

QueertopIA is clearly structured around the values Smith notes as instilled in Dreamwell’s efforts from the beginning.

“Our goal [for QueertopIA] is allow people to share what they want to, how they want to. The only real guidelines are no hate speech, minimal set up, and that the act should be approximately five to 15 minutes in length.”

Anyone interested in participating in the 2023 edition—as a performer or in another capacity—can reach out to Smith at president@dreamwell.com.

Rob Cline, a frequent-ish contributor to Little Village, enlisted the aid of Max Cline—who will be studying theater at Millikin University in the fall—on this piece.

How I Became a Pirate 2022-23 Season

A-List: Central Iowa

Dog Days Are Over

BY ISAAC HAMLET

Des Moines World Food & Music Festival is coming early this year as the 2023 celebration moves from its usual September spot to an August appointment.

The festival kicks off Friday, Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. with a naturalization ceremony—during which 100 individuals will gain U.S. citizenship—and from there offers more programming running through the weekend, treating attendees to a wide array of events, activities and foods.

Nearly two decades since the festival first began in 2005, the Des Moines World Food & Music Festival returns to Western Gateway Park for another summer of songs and diverse dishes.

“We have 55 food vendors this year [representing] 25 different countries and 19 [vendors] are new,” said Amelia Klatt, the special events and project manager with the Greater Des Moines

Partnership, which organizes the festival. Klatt noted that, though these food vendors are diverse in the cuisine they prepare, most are Iowa-based.

“There are a few that travel and make the festival rounds—but about 85-90 percent are from the Central Iowa-area, so it’s a great way to support local businesses,” Klatt added.

Among those vendors is Tullpa (3708 Merle Haye Road), a Peruvian restaurant that’s new to the Food & Music Festival this year, having come up through the Sparks DSM Incubator program.

Started in 2022, the program is intended to spotlight and support small businesses in the Des Moines area.

“It started at the Farmers Market and has just kind of grown and flourished,” Klatt said of Sparks DSM. “It basically focuses on minority businesses and helping them establish a business clientele, learn the best business for the area and get exposure.”

Also on the menu for the 2023 festival are things like the Cultural Activity Pavilion which showcases arts and crafts, games and cooking demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Adventure Tents will provide visitors with the opportunity to try food from around the world, every hour of the festival’s three days. Among

This late summer fest has the goods to get you out of the air-conditioning.

World Food & Music Festival, Western gateway Park, Friday, Aug. 25, 11 a.m.-Sunday, Aug. 27, 5 p.m., Free

A 2022 World Food & Music Festival vendor smoking meats. Sid Peterson / Little Village

these vendors is a candy tent and, conversly, a fruit tent, boasting some rare and exotic options.

A Chopped-style cooking competition is also scheduled for Sunday morning.

“It’ll be a cooking challenge where contestants are judged by local celebrities to see who has the best dish,” said Klatt of that event. “We’ll provide a basket of ingredients that is sourced from the Farmers Market and [contestants] have to come up with a dish.”

A “special ingredient” from the Des Moines market is likely to find its way into the competition, Klatt hinted.

As far as the music half of the Food & Music Festival, the weekend will include a total of 15 mainstage acts, with many more on the Cultural Stage.

Friday’s headliner is Flor de Toloache. This all woman, mariachi band has been performing since 2008, and in 2017, the group a Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album with their release Las Caras Lindas. The group’s self-titled 2015 album was nominated, but not awarded, in the same category in 2015.

On Saturday, the Chicago Afrobeat Project takes the mainstage. A 14-piece, Chicago-based music project drawing from music styles across the African-diaspora, Chicago Afrobeat formed in 2002 and, since then, has continued to experiment and morph. The Chicago Tribune acknowledged the group’s What Goes Up album as one of the 10 best Chicagoland indie releases of 2017.

Outside of these two headliners, most of the musical performances this year come from area musicians. Heath Alan, EleanorGrace, BYOBrass, Sharane Calister (of The Voice season 14 fame), Mind@Large (a new group from Ryan Jeter, a founding member of Euforquestra), teen/tween band S.A.F.E., Guitarras ATM, Sonny Side Up (who will bring a special Bosnian music set to the fest), Royce Johns, cover band Suëde— Iowa performers representing a diverse array of genres and cultures, according to Klatt.

“Every act is very different, and this also goes for our Cultural Stage, which is a different feel than the mainstage,” he said. “It has different dances, different instruments being played. It truly is a worldly experience.”

This year, Klatt said, marks the first time the Greater Des Moines Partnership has tagged the Des Moines Music Coalition—which organizes 80/35 and other music festivals—to select acts for this year’s lineup.

Free to attend, more information about this year’s Des Moines Food & Music Festival can be found at dsmpartnership.com.

Isaac Hamlet is Little Village’s Arts Editor.

EDITORS’ PICKS: AuguST 2023 EVENTS

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.

MUSIC CRANDIC

Thursday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. CLUTCH, McGrath Amphitheatre, Cedar Rapids, $30-59.50

Friday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. Iowa City Hard Core, James Theater, Iowa City, $15

Fridays, Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25 at 6 p.m. Rock the Block, NewBo City Market, Cedar Rapids, Free

Fridays, Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25 and Sept 1 at 6:30 p.m. SOA Friday Night Concert Series, Downtown Iowa City, Free

Tuesdays, Aug. 8, 15, 17, 22 and 29 at 6:30 p.m. SOA Music on the Move, Various Venues, Iowa City, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m

Joanne Shaw Taylor, Englert Theatre, Iowa City, $31.25-98.75

Friday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. Kidd G, Wildwood Saloon, Iowa City, $25

Friday and Saturday, Aug. 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m. Lynne Rothrock and Blake Shaw, Opus Concert Cafe, Cedar Rapids, $32

Sunday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. Arlo McKinley w/Justin Wells & Travis Feutz, Wildwood Saloon, $20

Sunday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. Chris Pierce, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids, $16-20

Fall Welcome Concert: Brittany Howard, Dawn Richard, Elizabeth Moen, Friday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m., Hancher Green, Iowa City, Free

As students stream back into Iowa City late this summer, Hancher Auditorium is treating not only those attending the University of Iowa, but the entire community to a set of free concerts. Brittany Howard, Dawn Richard and Elizabeth Moen will each claim the Hancher Auditorium’s outdoor stage to bring tones of R&B, folk-rock and alt. stylings to audiences for the evening. Richard, who released the album Pigments with Spencer Zhan last October, hails from New Orleans and brings Creole culture and Southern swag to her sound. Howard, a five time Grammy-award winner, is also notably the frontwoman and guitarist for rock band the Alabama Shakes. Most locals will already be familiar with Moen, a Iowa-born singer-songwriter who–though based out of Chicago these days–still regularly plays the Hawkeye state.

Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. the Wallflowers, Englert Theatre, $55-75

Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. meth, Amygdala, Koozie, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, Iowa City

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. Bleeding Through w/Too Pure to Die, Gabe’s, Iowa City, $25

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. The Sea The Sea, CSPS Hall, $16-19

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. James Austin Johnson: The Age of JAJ, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, Maquoketa, $28

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 8:30 p.m. Brian Johannesen, James Theater, $20-25

Friday, Aug. 18 at 9 p.m. Adeem the Artist, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, $10-18

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Catfish Keith, James Theater, $15-25

Courtesy of Hancher

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

Sunday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. The Wildwoods, CSPS Hall, $15-20

Sunday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. HOODS w/ Phantom Threat, Die First & Grip, Gabe’s, $12

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m. Backyard Big Show, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City, $45

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. Black Shaw Big(ish) Band, CSPS Hall, $20-100

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. Hannah Frey w/ mars hojilla and Bella Moss, Gabe’s, $10

Monday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter, Englert Theatre, $23-48

Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. GZA w/Ahzia, Englert Theatre, $25-49.38

Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. David Huckfelt, CSPS Hall, $18-20

Des Moines

Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. Casii Stephan w/Sara Routh and Abbie Sawyer, Lefty’s Live Music, Des Moines, $10

Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. Jennifer Knapp, xBk Live, Des Moines, $17-50

Thursday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Summer Concert Series: Not Quite Brothers, Jasper Winery, Des Moines, Free

Thursdays, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 6 p.m. Music in the Garden, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Free-$12

Thursday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. Songs From the Road Band, xBk Live, $11-15

Friday-Sunday, Aug. 4-6. Hinterland Music Festival, Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater and Event Center, St. Charles, $100-1,500

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 8 p.m. Amber Duimstra w/Her Band, Noce, Des Moines, $18-45

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 8 p.m. Look @ Me: Album Release Party, xBk Live, $10-15

Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 8 p.m. Diggin Dirt, xBk Live, $15-18

Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 9 p.m. 360 Experience, Platform, Des Moines, $11

Thursday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. Ward Davis, Wooly’s, Des Moines, $20

Friday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. Run Wilson, xBk Live, $10-15

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. Tommy Prine, xBk Live, $18-22

Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. the Wallflowers, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, $35-69

Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. Born of Osiris, Wooly’s, $22

Sir Chloe, Wooly’s, Des Moines,

Thursday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., $15 Sir

Chloe is an indie rock project spearheaded by Dana Foote—the group’s vocalist, songwriter and guitarist—but also consisting of guitarist Teddy O’Mara, drummer Palmer Foote, keyboardist Austin Holmes and Emma Welch on bass with vocals. Formed in 2017 out of Vermont, the band is finding its way to Wooly’s in Des Moines. Sir Chloe released I Am the Dog, the group’s debut album, in May and have been touring since then as part of the aptly named “I Am the Tour.” The band has previously appeared in Iowa, having come to the University of Iowa in October 2022 with NoSo thanks to SCOPE Productions, a student-led commission dedicated to bringing artists to the college. Prior to the I Am the Dog album, Sir Chloe released Party Favors, a 10-track EP.

Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. the Mountain Grass Unit, xBk Live, $15-20

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. Soulja Boy, Wooly’s, $45-48.50

Friday, Aug. 18 at 9 p.m. Katy Guillen & the Drive, xBk Live, $9-15

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Spitalfield, Wooly’s, $22

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Aviana Gedler, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Daniel Champagne, xBk Live, $25-30

Courtesy of Wooly’s

Monday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. Dominic Fike, Lauridsen Amphitheater, Des Moines, $59.50-99.50

Thursday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. Evening w/the Righteous Babes, xBk Live, $20-25

Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. Old 97’s, Wooly’s, $25

Friday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. Napoleon Douglas & His Band, Noce, $20-48

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. Vimka: Album Release, xBk Live, $10-15

Monday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Tanner Usrey, Wooly’s, $22.50

Thursday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m . Happy Together Tour, Hoyt Sherman Place, $49.50-95

Thursday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. the Counselors of Evil, xBk Live, $10-15

LITERATURE

CRANDIC

Thursday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. Neil Hamilton, Prairie Lights, Iowa City, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. Reading w/Lori Lacina, Prairie Lights, Free

Monday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Jesse Rogers, Prairie Lights, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. Andrew Ridker, Online, Prairie Lights, Free

Art Lovers Book Club, Cedar Rapids

Museum of Art, Thursday, Aug. 17 at 4 p.m.,

Free Folks are gathering at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (CRMA) to chat about street artist Banksy, and more specifically, the book Banksy: You Are An Acceptable Level of Threat by Patrick Potter. The book discusses the artist’s career that spans from the late ‘90s to 2018. Readers will also observe a collection of photographs of Banksy’s work taken from locations all around the world. The Art Lovers Book Club meets monthly at CRMA.

Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. Jamel Brinkley w/ Carmen Maria Machado, Prairie Lights, Free

Sunday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. What’cha Reading Book Club, Craft’d, Cedar Rapids, Free

Sunday, Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. International Writing Program Reading Series, Prairie Lights, Free

Des Moines

Friday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. Poetry Open Mic Night w/Kelsey Bigelow, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Free

Monday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Neil Hamilton, Raccoon River Nature Lodge, West Des Moines, Free

Meet the Author: Mark Guarino, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Monday, Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m., Free

Join veteran journalist Mark Guarino for an event at Beaverdale Books where he’ll discuss his novel Country and Midwestern, a work about the untold story of Chicago’s pivotal role as a country and folk music capital. Guarino will be joined by Don McLeese, University of Iowa journalism professor, author and an award-winning music journalist. The two will talk in-depth about Chicago’s musical history with an emphasis on pre-war country music, the folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s, and touch on the city’s contemporary scene as well.

Monday, Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Julie M. Granger, Beaverdale Books, Free

Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Mindy Mejia, Beaverdale Books, Free

Thursday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Darby Harn, Beaverdale Books, Free

PERFORMANCE

CRANDIC

Wednesdays, Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays Open Mic, Willow Creek Theatre Company, Iowa City, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. Living Improverty, CSPS Hall, Cedar Rapids, $15-20

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 9:30 p.m. Summer Comedy Showcase, Joystick Comedy Arcade, Iowa City, $5

Closing Sunday, Aug. 13. The Lightning Thief, Giving Tree Theater, Marion, $36

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. Die No Die, Ashton Cross Country Course, Iowa City, $10-50

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 9:30 p.m. Comedy Game Show, Joystick Comedy Arcade, $5

Sunday, Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Craig Ferguson, Englert Theatre, Iowa City, $48196

Des Moines

Thursdays, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. On the House: Stand-Up Comedy Showcase, Teehee’s Comedy Club, Des Moines, Free

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. Mark Normand, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, $35-159.75

Friday-Saturday, Aug. 11-12. Willie Barcena Perfectly Flawed, Temple Theater, Des Moines, $45-60

Opening Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. Shrek: The Musical, Stoner Theater, Des Moines, $19.5024.50

A Little Night Music, Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, Opening Friday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m., $20-125

With music and lyrics from the late-great Stephen Sondheim, A Little Night Music first hit Broadway in 1973 and proceeded to win six Tony awards, including best musical. Now, Theatre Cedar Rapids is bringing its own take on the classic musical to the Peggy Boyle Whitworth Amphitheater through Aug. 27. The show is perhaps most famous for the song “Send in the Clowns,” which appears at the end of Act II. The story of the show focuses on fictitious famed-actress Desiree Armfeldt, whose encounter with a romantic flame from her past causes confessions to come to light and a comedy of errors to ensue. Since the show is outdoors, seating occurs on a first-come, first-serve basis. Concessions will be available and attendees are invited to bring their own light snacks and beverages for the evening.

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Various Locations, Des Moines Metro, ThursdaySaturday, Aug.

17-19,

Free

Vaudeville, circus acts and sideshow spectacles collide in this the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, an act that’s been touring since 1995 that harkens back to the history of traditional American circus performance. Those in attendance can expect to see jugglers, sword swallowing, contortionists and other fantastic feats over the course of a performance. Co-founded by Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson, the duo still regularly appears in performances as the troupe performs at various venues across the globe. Three free, family-friendly performances will occur throughout the weekend in Central Iowa at Fort Des Moines Park, Centennial Park in Waukee and Walker Johnston Park in Urbandale respectively.

Theatre Cedar Rapids

Courtesy of DMPA

Wednesday-Friday, Aug. 23-25 at 7 p.m. Leanne Morgan, Hoyt Sherman Place, $35.75-59.75

Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. Black & Bell: StandUp Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. Craig Ferguson, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.50-69.50

Sunday, Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. Dancing on Cowles Commons, Downtown Des Moines, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. Comedy Open Mic, Teehee’s Comedy Club, Free

FILM

CRANDIC

Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 10 p.m. Late Shift at the Grindhouse: La Casa Lobo, FilmScene— The Chauncey, Iowa City, $8

Saturday and Thursday, Aug 5 and 10. Some Like It Hot, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-13

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 8:20 p.m. A League of Their Own, FilmScene in the Park, Iowa City, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Death of a Brewer, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. Late Shift at the Grindhouse: Up the Creek, FilmScene— The Chauncey, Iowa City, $8

Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 12-13 at 1 p.m. CatVideoFest, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-11

Saturday, Aug. 12 and Wednesday, Aug. 16. The Apartment, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-11

Sunday, Aug. 13 and Thursday, Aug. 17. One, Two, Three, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-11

Sunday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. Hackers, FilmScene—Ped Mall—Rooftop, Iowa City, $20

Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 10 p.m. Late Shift at the Grindhouse: Die Die Delta Pi, FilmScene— The Chauncey, $8

Three Women, FilmScene—The Chauncey,

Iowa City, Sunday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m., $12-25

The Vino

Vérité series is back in August with Three Women, a film by Ukrainian director Maksym Melnyk. The evening will consist of hors d’oeuvres, a wine tasting, a screening of the film, a Q/A with Melnyk, in addition to a dessert reception. Three Women is Melnyk’s first feature film upon graduating from a university in Potsdam, Germany last year where he majored in documentary film direction. The film takes place in the Ukrainian village of Stuzhystsya, and it follows three female protagonists who cope with social reality and loneliness. Vino Vérité is presented by Bread Garden Market, Little Village and FilmScene. Tickets are $12 for students, $20 for FilmScene members, and $25 for the public.

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. Pride at FilmScene: Go Fish, FilmScene—Ped Mall, $10

Saturday, Sunday and Thursday, Aug. 19, 20, 24. My Neighbor Totoro on 35mm, FilmScene—The Chauncey, Free-$5

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Top Gun, FilmScene in the Park, Free

Sunday and Wednesday, Aug. 20 and 23. Irma La Douce, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-11

Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. Drylongso, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10

Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 10 p.m. Late Shift at the Grindhouse: Malibu Beach, FilmScene— The Chauncey, $8

Saturday and Wednesday, Aug. 26 and 30. The Fortune Cookie, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-11

Sunday and Thursday, Aug. 27 and 31 Avanti! FilmScene—The Chauncey, $10-11

Sunday, Aug. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Fear of a Black Hat, FilmScene—Ped Mall—Rooftop, $20

Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 10 p.m. Late Shift at the Grindhouse: The Lair of the White Worm, FilmScene—The Chauncey, $8

48 Hour Film Project, Varsity

Cinema, Des Moines, Monday-Thursday, Aug. 7-10, $15-20 Head to Varsity Cinema to catch a few of the 48 Hour Film Project’s premiere screenings in early August. Short films will be presented that were created just days before the screening. Audience members will have the opportunity to talk with filmmakers in-person at the Varsity and vote for their favorite films. The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, Aug. 24.

Des Moines

Friday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Finding Nemo, Birdland Pool, Des Moines, Free

Monday, Aug. 14 at TBD Squaring the Circle Screening and Q/A w/Jay Vigon & Margo Nahas, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines, $9-12

Wednesday, Aug. 16 at TBD. Oldboy, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

Friday, Aug. 18 at 6:30 p.m Monster’s University, Brody Middle School Park, Des Moines, Free

Friday, Aug. 18 at TBD Passages, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

SUMMER SEND-OFF

Aug. 19, 5 – 8 p.m. Centennial Park Say goodbye to summer, and fuel up your superpowers for the school year with super hero-themed fun.

There’s always something fun — and free — to do in North Liberty, including the City Slate collection of special events. Every event on the slate is free to attend. The City Slate is made possible by our community sponsors: Centro, Inc; The Family Dental Center; The Eastern Iowa Airport – CID; Hills Bank; MidWestOne Bank; Shive-Hattery; South Slope Cooperative; University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; Urban Acres Real Estate and Veridian Credit Union. Get the full schedule and all the details at northlibertyiowa.org/cityslate

Courtesy

community

CRANDIC

Thursdays, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 5:30 p.m. Meet Me At The Market, NewBo City Market, Cedar Rapids, Free

Friday, Aug. 4 at 3:30 p.m. Dasia Day, Iowa Children’s Museum, Coralville, Free

Friday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. Art & Write Night, UI Museum of Natural History, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 11 a.m. Writing Arts Grant & Proposals, Public Space One Close House, Free-$20

Sunday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. Summer Flora Circles, Public Space One Close, $40

Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 9:30 a.m. Children’s Health Fair, Ladd Library, Cedar Rapids, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 11 a.m. Downtown Grab-A-Job, Downtown Library, Cedar Rapids, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 5 p.m. Rock the Chalk, Downtown Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 6 a.m. Courage Ride, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City, Free-$90

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 11 a.m. All Ages Art: Balsa Wood Buildings, Public Space One Close, Free

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 12 p.m. IC Press Co-op Open Studio, Public Space One, $10-20

Sunday, Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. Iowa City Flea Market, Public Space One Close, Free

Sunday, Aug. 13 at 12 p.m. Art Gardens School, Public Space One, $10-50

Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. New Bohemia Walking Tour, Masaryk Park, Cedar Rapids, $5-7

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. Trivia Night, Kalona Brewing Co., Free

Friday, Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. Northside Night Market, James Theater, Iowa City, Free

Kick-It Expo, Xtream Arena, Coralville,

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 10 a.m., $15 Sneaker heads, gear up for the next Kick-It Expo, an annual buy, sell and trade expo presented by Vice Iowa City. Kick-It provides a vibrant and exciting space for buyers, sellers and collectors to connect, trade and do business. Expo organizers are celebrating their 5th anniversary this year, and it’ll be the biggest event yet. There will be over 60 vendors at Kick-It selling sneakers, vintage, art, streetwear, jewelry and more. Kick-It will also have entertainment at this year’s event. Tickets are $15 for entry.

Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. Fashion, Art, Activism w/Cey Adams and Andre Wright, Tuesday Agency, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 9 a.m. The Big Fit, Big Grove Brewery, Iowa City, $15

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. core4 gravel, Wilson’s Orchard & Farm, Iowa City, $50-105

Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Plein Air PopUp, Artifactory, Upper City Park North, Iowa City, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. Taste of Iowa City, Downtown Iowa City, Free

Thursday, Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. Grab-A-Job, Ladd Library, Cedar Rapids, Free

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 9 a.m. Art Market, James Theater, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Vendor Market at Dark, Downtown Cedar Rapids, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. Full Moon Night Hike, Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids, $5-7

Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. Game Night, Giving Tree Theater, Marion, $28

Des Moines

Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 6 p.m. Prism Tabletop Club LGBTQIA + Game, the Slow Down, Des Moines, Free

Thursdays, Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 6 p.m. Trivia Night, Exile Brewing Co., Des Moines, Free

Friday, Aug. 4 at 5 p.m. First Friday, Mainframe Studios, Des Moines, Free

Friday and Saturday, Aug. 4 and 5. Art of 20th Century Cinema, Des Moines New Age Shop, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 8:30 a.m. River Run Garbage Grab, Fourmile Community Recreation Center, Des Moines, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. Looking Back, Moving Forward: Art & Activism Teen Workshop w/Rae Stern, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Sunday, Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. Lecture w/Rae Stern, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. 75th Anniversary Community Lawn Party, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Friday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. Belonging Project Reception, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. the Water Ride, Confluence Brewing Company, Des Moines, $25

Sunday, Aug. 27 at 1:30 p.m. Gallery Talk w/ Ingrid Lilligren, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Toast to Terrariums, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, $42.50-50

Ingersoll

Live, Ingersoll Neighborhood, Des Moines, Saturday, Aug. 26 at 3 p.m., Free

The Ingersoll Neighborhood’s annual family-friendly “block party” will fill the streets with food, music, games and more for a summer evening of community and celebration. Festivities kick off at 3 p.m. but music starts up on the event’s West Stage at 5 p.m with the Ducharme-Jones Band, a husband and wife blues duo. Then, at 7:30 p.m. the 10-piece Health Alan Band takes the stage before the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels close out the night at 8:30 p.m. with a rocking set on the event’s East Stage. Across the rest of the evening expect to see activities like face painting, mini golf and balloon twisting to occupy your time. Food vendors like Karam’s Grill, Gusto Pizza and Lachele’s Battle Bus are also set to be in attendance.

Editors’ Picks:

CEDAR FALLS/WATERLOO

Wednesday, Aug. 2 at 11 a.m. August Half Price Hump Days, Grout Museum, Waterloo, $4-7.50

Thursdays, Aug. 3 and 17 at 5:30 p.m. Pint Night Ride, SingleSpeed Brewing Co., Waterloo, Free

Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 3-6. Fame the Musical JR., Cedar Falls Community Theatre, $12-22

Thursday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Outdoor Concert w/Brad & Kate, Hearst Center for the Arts, Cedar Falls, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. Movies Under the Moon: Spider-Man: No Way Home, Overman Park, Cedar Falls, Free

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 4 p.m. Cedar Valley Stem & Stein: Wine, Beer & Spirits Fest, RiverLoop Amphitheatre & Expo Plaza, Waterloo, $35-40

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 9 p.m. Octopus 11th Birthday Comedy Showcase w/Reena Calm, Octopus College Hill, Cedar Falls, $10

Friday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m. RiverLoop Rhythms: Dred I Dread, RiverLoop Amphitheatre & Expo Plaza, Free

Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. Movies Under the Moon: The Sandlot, Overman Park, Free

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. Discussion w/ Ruth Suckow, Hearst Center for the Arts, Free

Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. DEEJ: Inclusion Shouldn’t Be a Lottery, Hearst Center for the Arts, Free

Courtesy of The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand

Courtesy of SingleSpeed Brewing Co.

Pieta Brown w/Bo Ramsey and Joel Sires, Octopus College Hill, Cedar Falls, Friday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., $25

The Octopus is turning 11 and staff are kicking off the big birthday celebration weekend with a show featuring frequent collaborators Bo Ramsey, an Eastern Iowa folk-rock legend, and Pieta Brown, an Americana songwriter and musician from Iowa City. The two will also be joined by special guest Joel Sires, a Cedar Fallsbased songwriter. Be prepared for this listening room show; there will be little to no talking during artist sets. Tickets are $25 each.

SEPTEMBER 21–23

Who gets to compete on teams? How does the structure of sporting entertainment provide opportunities and obstacles to activism?

Courtesy of Pieta Brown

FEED ME WEIRD THINGS PRESENTS

Wolf Eyes

Thu, Jul 27 at 9 p.m. at Trumpet Blossom Cafe

Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band from Burkina Faso

Sat, Sep 23 at 9 p.m. at Trumpet Blossom Cafe

Meitei

Thu, Sep 28 at 9 p.m. at Trumpet Blossom Cafe

TENGGER

Mon, Oct 9 at 7 p.m. at Trumpet Blossom Cafe

FEaST 2023

DAY ONE

Claire Rousay // Zoh Amba & Chris Corsano

Wed, Nov 1 at 7 p.m. at The James Theater

DAY TWO

Drew McDowall (of Coil) // Jairus Sharif

Thu, Nov 2 at 7 p.m. at The James Theater

DAY THREE

Laurel Halo // Kalia Vandever

Fri, Nov 3 at 7 p.m. at The James Theater

DAY FOUR

Bill Orcutt // El Khat

Sat, Nov 4 at 2 p.m. at The James Theater

Porchfest, American Gothic House, Eldon,

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m., Free Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to the American Gothic House and enjoy good food and music all afternoon. Porchfest, a.k.a. Music on the Porch, is an annual music event held on the last Saturday in August across the United States, Canada and beyond. The lineup includes Tom Shadonix, Adam Kulmatycki, Days Live Music with Lauren Ashworth and Wild Bill Willie. Gothic Town Grillers will be offering BBQ at the event.

Editors’ Picks:

FAIRFIELD

For more events and specific details on each of the above below, visit: fairfieldjournal.org

Friday, Aug. 4 at 9 a.m. Geode Paddle, Jefferson County Conservation, Bentonsport Boat Ramp, $5

Friday, Aug. 4 at 4:30 p.m. Zelda TOTK: Party & Exhibition Play, Fairfield Public Library, Free

Friday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. Art Walk, Central Park, Fairfield, Free

Sunday, Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27 at 12:30 p.m. Community Potluck Brunch, Phoenix Rising Hall, Fairfield, Free

Monday, Aug. 7 at 2:30 p.m. Kids Movie, Fairfield Public Library, Free

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 16, 23, 30 at 3 p.m Fairfield Farmers Market, Central Park, Free

Thursday, Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. Business After Hours, Carnegie Historical Museum, Free

Thursday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Summer Outdoor Concert Series: Feel Right Band, Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, Free

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. Starry Nights, Meteor Shower, Fairfield Public Library, Free

Friday, Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Mostly True: Adult Storytelling, Phoenix Rising Hall, $10 suggested donation

Friday, Aug. 18 at 8:00 p.m. Little Giants, Central Park, Free

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. Sci-Fi Book Club, Fairfield Public Library, Free —Fairfield Journal

Courtesy of the American Gothic House

Editors’ Picks:

QUAD CITIES

Thursday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Alex Axup Acoustic Set, Front Street Brewery Restaurant, Davenport, Free

Saturday, August 5 at 2 p.m. Much Ado About Nothing, The Village Theater, Davenport, Pay-What-You-Can

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. Nature Hike, Nahant Marsh, Davenport, Free

Saturday, Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. Create Your Own Green Health & Home Products, Wapsi River Environment Education Center, Dixon, $8

Sunday, Aug. 6 at 4 p.m. Auditions for Skeleton Crew, Playcrafters Barn Theater, Moline, Free

Monday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. Yoga on the Dock, Port Byron Docks, Port Byron, $15

Thursday, Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Kayak Experiences, West Lake Park, Davenport, Free

Friday, Aug. 11 at 6 p.m. TugFest Iowa Parade, Downtown LeClaire, Free

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 12 p.m. QC MultiCultural Festival, Rock Island Campbell Sports Complex, Free

Saturday, Aug. 12 at 3 p.m. Quad Cities Beer Release Party, Wake Brewing, Rock Island, Free

Floatzilla, Downtown Bettendorf and Davenport, Saturday, Aug. 19 at 7 a.m., $40-45

River Action’s annual float and paddle on the Mississippi will return Aug. 19. This event serves as a fundraiser for River Action’s environmental and social programming along the Mississippi River Valley and often beats world records for most paddlers out for a single event. There are speed and fishing tournaments, live music, camping and other events throughout the day. Kayak and canoe rentals are available through third party vendors via River Action.

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. The Atlas Release Party, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island, Free

Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. Living With Loss Support Group (in-person), Gilda’s Club, Davenport, Free

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8:30 a.m. Homebuyer Education Class, McKesson Lofts, Rock Island, Free

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. Sidewalk Sale & In-Store Concert, Ragged Records & Trash Can Annie, Davenport, Free

Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m. Family Fun Day & Polyrhythms Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Rock Island, Free

Sunday, Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. History of Doll Making in Germany, German American Heritage Center, Davenport, Free

Saturday, Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. Women’s Equality Event, Quad City Botanical Center, Rock Island, Free

—Sarah Elgatian

Courtesy of River Action

LOCAL & INTERSTATE

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Dear Kiki, Is it better to be fully yourself, or a restrained version of yourself, if you are “a lot” to make people around you more comfortable?

––Too Much Information

Dear Information, You could never be “too much!” You are exactly who you are and that is definitively just right.

Of course, platitudes you’ve heard a hundred times aren’t very helpful in addressing your quite serious question, are they? It’s a situation your ol’ pal Kiki has been in time and time again, so this hits hard.

The easy answer—the true answer—is that everyone should always strive to be unequivocally, unabashedly themselves. Frankly, the ability to do so is something not many people possess, and the reasons have little to do with an explicit or intentional desire to appease or placate others. Humans are social creatures. And also, humans are nothing more than a stack of swirling clouds of anxiety in a trench coat. It can be hard, sometimes, for humans to even determine where “who they are” ends and society begins. To define yourself with clarity is a gift.

burn them away.

However, it’s important to note how beautiful it is that part of who you are is “a person who cares about the comfort of others.” Not just “cares,” but cares enough to consider dulling your shine. Listen to that impulse, but don’t let it control you. Check in occasionally with the people who matter most to you: Be aware of, but not beholden to, them. Ask what their capacity is in that moment, and dial things back a bit if they’re struggling (usually for reasons that are mostly about them: having a bad day, off their meds, etc). Just don’t make reticence your default mode.

tHERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO tHINK YOU ARE “A LOt.” IN MANY CASES It COMES FROM A PLACE OF CONFUSION OR EVEN ANgER OVER YOUR ABILItY tO LIVE

AUtHENtICALLY, WHEN tHAt SKILL ELUDES tHEM. “WHY CAN’t INFORMATION JUSt BLEND IN LIKE I’VE ALWAYS FELt REQUIRED tO?”

Another factor, of course, is being aware of neurodivergence around you. If you’re considered “a lot” because, say, you’re an effusive hugger, then holding back around people who are touch averse isn’t minimizing yourself so much as it is making space for others. Same with reining in a tendency to interrupt when engaging those who struggle with focus. We all should have the privilege of navigating the world safely in our own boat of social coping mechanisms.

There will always be people who think you are “a lot.” In many cases it comes from a place of confusion or even anger over your ability to live authentically, when that skill eludes them. “Why can’t Information just blend in like I’ve always felt required to?” You’re like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day: temporarily blinding, and a threat to the clouds who know you might

It can take deep situational awareness to tell whether someone is annoyed, lazy and not respecting you or if they’re struggling as much with your behavior as you’re struggling to stifle it. It’s not easy and you’ll probably get it wrong a few times, and that’s okay. But don’t make it a habit to restrain yourself just because some people can’t hang. Eventually, you’ll find the ones who can. And your relationship with them will be stronger for your forthrightness. ––xoxo,

Kiki

at littlevillagemag.com.

ASTROLOGY

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1811, Leo scientist Amedeo Avogadro (1776–1856) formulated a previously unknown principle about the properties of molecules. Unfortunately, his revolutionary idea wasn’t acknowledged and implemented until 1911, 100 years later. Today his well-proven theory is called Avogadro’s law. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Leo, you will experience your equivalent of his 1911 event in the coming months. You will receive your proper due. Your potential contributions will no longer be mere potential. Congratulations in advance!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Israeli poet Yona Wallach mourned the fact that her soul felt far too big for her, as if she were always wearing the clothes of a giant on her small body. I suspect you may be experiencing a comparable feeling right now, Virgo. If so, what can you do about it? The solution is NOT to shrink your soul. Instead, I hope you will expand your sense of who you are so your soul fits better. How might you do that? Here’s a suggestion to get you started: Spend time summoning memories from throughout your past. Watch the story of your life unfurl like a movie.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Nineteenth-century Libran physician James Salisbury had strong ideas about the proper ingredients of a healthy diet. Vegetables were toxic, he believed. He created Salisbury steak, a dish made of ground beef and onions, and advised everyone to eat it three times a day. Best to wash it down with copious amounts of hot water and coffee, he said. I bring his kooky ideas to your attention in hopes of inspiring you to purge all bunkum and nonsense from your life—not just in relation to health issues, but everything. It’s a favorable time to find out what’s genuinely good and true for you. Do the necessary research and investigation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I’m amazed that anyone gets along!” marvels self-help author Sark. She says it’s astonishing that love ever works at all, given our “idiosyncrasies, unconscious projections, re-stimulations from the past, and the relationship history of our partners.” I share her wonderment. On the other hand, I am optimistic about your chances to cultivate interesting intimacy during the coming months. From an astrological perspective, you are primed to be extra wise and lucky about togetherness. If you send out a big welcome for the lessons of affection, collaboration, and synergy, those lessons will come in abundance.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Please don’t make any of the following statements in the next three weeks: 1. “I took a shower with my clothes on.” 2. “I prefer to work on solving a trivial little problem rather than an interesting dilemma that means a lot to me.” 3. “I regard melancholy as a noble emotion that inspires my best work.” On the other hand, Sagittarius, I invite you to make declarations like the following: 1. “I will not run away from the prospect of greater intimacy—even if it’s scary to get closer to a person I care for.” 2. “I will have fun exploring the possibilities of achieving more liberty and justice for myself.” 3. “I will seek to learn interesting new truths about life from people who are unlike me.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Champions of the capitalist faith celebrate the fact that we consumers have over 100,000 brand names we can purchase. They say it’s proof of our marvelous freedom of choice. Here’s how I respond to their cheerleading: Yeah, I guess we should be glad we have the privilege of deciding which of 50 kinds of shampoo is best for us. But I also want to suggest that the profusion of these relatively inconsequential options may distract us from the fact that certain of our other choices are more limited. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I invite you to ruminate about how you can expand your array of more important choices.

By Rob Brezsny

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): My best friend in college was an Aquarius, as is my favorite cousin. Two ex-girlfriends are Aquarians, and so was my dad. The talented singer with whom I sang duets for years was an Aquarius. So I have intimate knowledge of the Aquarian nature. And in honor of your unbirthday— the time halfway between your last birthday and your next—I will tell you what I love most about you. No human is totally comfortable with change, but you are more so than others. To my delight, you are inclined to ignore the rule books and think differently. Is anyone better than you at coordinating your energies with a group’s? I don’t think so. And you’re eager to see the big picture, which means you’re less likely to get distracted by minor imperfections and transitory frustrations. Finally, you have a knack for seeing patterns that others find hard to discern. I adore you!

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Is the first sip always the best? Do you inevitably draw the most vivid enjoyment from the initial swig of coffee or beer? Similarly, are the first few bites of food the most delectable, and after that your taste buds get diminishing returns? Maybe these descriptions are often accurate, but I believe they will be less so for you in the coming weeks. There’s a good chance that flavors will be best later in the drink or the meal. And that is a good metaphor for other activities, as well. The further you go into every experience, the greater the pleasure and satisfaction will be—and the more interesting the learning.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Emotions are not inconvenient distractions from reason and logic. They are key to the rigorous functioning of our rational minds. Neurologist Antonio Damasio proved this conclusively in his book *Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain*. The French philosopher’s famous formula—“I think, therefore I am”—offers an inadequate suggestion about how our intelligence works best. This is always true, but it will be especially crucial for you to keep in mind during the coming weeks. Here’s your mantra, courtesy of another French philosopher, Blaise Pascal: “The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The famous Taurus TV star Jay Leno once did a good deed for me. I was driving my Honda Accord on a freeway in Los Angeles when he drove up beside me in his classic Lamborghini. Using hand signals, he conveyed to me the fact that my trunk was open, and stuff was flying out. I waved in a gesture of thanks and pulled over onto the shoulder. I found that two books and a sweater were missing, but my laptop and briefcase remained. Hooray for Jay! In that spirit, Taurus, and in accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to go out of your way to help and support strangers and friends alike. I believe it will lead to unexpected benefits.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Did you learn how to think or how to believe?” When my friend Amelie was nine years old, her father teased her with this query upon her return home from a day at school. It was a pivotal moment in her life. She began to develop an eagerness to question all she was told and taught. She cultivated a rebellious curiosity that kept her in a chronic state of delighted fascination. Being bored became virtually impossible. The whole world was her classroom. Can you guess her sign? Gemini! I invite you to make her your role model in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the coming weeks, I advise you not to wear garments like a transparent Gianfranco Ferre black mesh shirt with a faux-tiger fur vest and a coral-snake jacket that shimmers with bright harlequin hues. Why? Because you will have most success by being down-to-earth, straightforward, and in service to the fundamentals. I’m not implying you should be demure and reserved, however. On the contrary: I hope you will be bold and vivid as you present yourself with simple grace and lucid authenticity.

Say It Again

Quad Cities band Subatlantic’s new album Say It Again opens with a sparsely-arranged synth/ guitar/vocal thematic overture titled “Fate” asking, “What would you say if we tried today? / What would you say if we died today?” Every word counts, and we’re measured by how we use them.

“Fate” acts as the opener to “Critic,” a diatribe against someone who threw a figurative critical apple at the narrator (who is also compared to a furnace, burning

the guitars, keys and vocals adorn. Yet there can be space between the parts; Rice’s vocals often pause between refrains ,letting the rest of the music bloom.

On the album’s fifth track, “New Forms,” Rice’s soaring voice rides dynamically over marching drums and bass. The forest imagery in the lyrics—trees, leaves, mud, paint a picture of stumbling through the dense foliage of a relationship. The scrubbing guitar harmonics serve the clarion call building to the crowd chorus, “All my best of / Intentions / Never could I / Hold on to you.”

The album wraps up with a high energy track titled “Veronica Speedwell” but to me the track before it, “Storm”—with its dreamy atmospheric vibe and its cleansing message of “Let’s get back to where we both grew up”—feels like the emotional finale of the album.

Still, with “Veronica Speedwell,” we get one more encore. One with a crashing, loose and frenetic vibe not found elsewhere on the album. The song’s narrator is calling someone out on their bullshit, reveling in personal drama. “You’d rather fall apart rather than keep it together.” Yet the narrator still is hoping for some redemption. “But, how long should I wait to leave you to your fate?”

EARLY gIRL

Lovers

Out to Pasture

EARLYGIRL.BANDCAMP.COM/ALBUM/ LOVERS-OUT-TO-PASTURE

On their Bandcamp page, Iowa City trio Early Girl proudly proclaim to be “bringing queer aesthetics back to pop rock.” The gritty opening riff of “Green Eyes” telegraphs this plainly, immediately invoking the shimmy bop of the B-52’s iconic “Private Idaho.”

But Early Girl builds on the influence of their predecessors by weaving a sly aggression into the groove. “Green eyes / Blonde hair / I’m here to make you stare.”

Early Girl knows who they are. They want you to know, too.

solidified. The band is more than happy to bring you along for the ride, but they don’t need you to have a good time.

On the track “Ice,” the self-proclaimed power pop trio charges headlong into classic punk rock. The salty sneer of the lyrics carry all the hallmarks of the genre. Pummeling, lo-fi aggression plunges the listener into the middle of a raw, interpersonal conflict. Just as soon as the spleen had been vented, the subject of the verbal onslaught is dismissed just as flippantly. It’s cathartic and a lot of fun.

The EP’s second track, “FourLeaf Clover” is almost sedate by comparison. The vibe is very pleasant and relaxed, but the song’s structure is rudimentary as it somewhat aimlessly drones along.

“Sink In” closes things out with a refinement of what fails to crystallize on “Four-Leaf Clover.” Sunny and optimistic, it leaves you wanting more.

everything down) and who gets dressed down by acerbic lyrics: “Just stay in your closet/make the world better.”

Rebecca Rice, Adam Kaul, Sean Chapman and Phil Pracht gathered in a cabin on the Mississippi River for an intense few days in Illinois in January 2022 resulting in songs that would guide the next year and a half recording Say It Again with recording engineer Pat Stolley at the helm. The resulting album has a unified, cohesive feel.

Subatlantic’s signature anthemic post-punk sound is here in full force and at times recalls early Interpol. Drums and bass are on equal footing and provide the structure which

This brought me back to the start of the album. Tempting as it may be to think that all of the songs are the same narrator since they use Rice’s voice, I wondered—in this context—is the narrator to “Critic” actually “Veronica Speedwell?”

On Say It Again, Subatlantic crafts an album of songs with a messy, unifying thread that stitches human relationships with attendant fear and darkness. But the album illustrates the optimism, too. As Rice sings in “Diner,” “We realize without our phones … / That we are people, humans with hope.”

—Mike Roeder

There’s a pronounced confidence woven throughout Early Girl’s debut EP, Lovers Out to Pasture. Talera Jensen’s galloping bass line of the aptly named opening track “Sawhorse Sweetie” synced with the tight, propulsive drumming provided by their partner, August Jensen, lays a solid foundation for the brightly charged riffs that Aaron Longoria brings to the mix. The tune commands your attention, daring you not to bounce along with it.

The playful urgency of “Red Lips” chugs along with infectious, fuzzy chords. But as the song ends with the impassioned refrain of “YOU DON’T MEAN SHIT TO ME!” Early Girl’s gritty aplomb becomes not only evident but

There is an interesting dichotomy present in Lovers Out to Pasture. Tracks like “Green Eyes,” “Red Lips” and “Ice” have a strong chip on their shoulder. But there’s a breeziness to tracks like “Sawhorse Sweetie” and “Sink In” that balances everything out.

It’s a treat to encounter an EP as self-assured as Lovers Out to Pasture. Laser-focused, each song gets in and gets out in under three minutes. Early Girl knows how to make a lasting impression without superfluous showboating.

—Tom Brazelton

24tHANKYOU

Everything I Was, Burning Slow

24THANKYOU.BANDCAMP.COM

The bedrooms in old, rented houses from Fairchild to South Lucas are held together by paint— layers upon layers of beiges and grays that do the semester’s tenants the courtesy of covering up mold colonies and mysterious stains. If those bedroom walls could talk through those layers of paint, they’d probably tell a story like Everything I Was, Burning Slow, the debut album from Iowa City band 24thankyou.

The album’s opener and, meaningfully, its title track is an estab-

features the clipped whir of the ticket machine outside the window; a song about issues with self-image, naturally, features the bustle of beautiful people in the Ped Mall.

Because the five members of 24thankyou—Emma Parker, Ethan Traugh, Michael Muhlena, Scott Griffin and Nick Wilkins—each do a bit everything on Everything I Was, Burning Slow, their songs sound like they’ve been done by a single set of hands. On “Interlude ii (Hooded),” a murky riff, an eerily reverbed vocal track, a sample of the artificial chicken separator in a friend’s TikTok feed and an ecosystem in somebody’s backyard complement one another to almost organic effect, like a 2 a.m. hang happened to have the soundtrack of an Apple Store.

These by-all-means compositions, scribbled with indie-adjacent elements, are along the lines of Alex G’s makeshift ditties (which can still only be streamed on Bandcamp). But more than anything, the contrast between the band’s voracious production sensibilities and introspective subject matter feels like a late

ELIZABEtH MOEN For Arthur

ELIZABETHMOEN.BANDCAMP.COM/

Fall Welcome Concert, Friday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., Free

The teenaged Arthur Russell left Oskaloosa in 1968. He was a musical prodigy (cello and piano), a hippie vagabond and a spiritual seeker. He moved to a Buddhist commune in San Francisco, passed his high school equivalency, then became Allen Ginsberg’s accompanist and perhaps lover. Five years later, he hopped to New York City where he attracted notice in avant-garde circles, following a musical progression that transcended category and recording way more music than he ever finished or released. He died from AIDS complications in 1992, just short of his 41st birthday.

Her voice has more power than Russell’s, her range more expansive. She transforms the opening “Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart” into sultry soul balladry, with steel guitar providing the sonic signature. But much of the rest hews more closely to Russell’s originals, the singing almost subliminal, the arrangements bare-boned. Melodies this lilting and lyrics so straightforward don’t need much dressing up.

“I Never Get Lonely” and “Words of Love” have a strippeddown intimacy that makes both sound as personal to Moen as they were to Russell. Nothing in these suggests performance; listeners might feel like they are eavesdropping. Moen herself nearly disappears into Russell’s music. For someone known for such a big voice, the restraint underscores her vocal command.

lishing shot of one such bedroom. At first, the song is lo-fi and familiar, with lyrics that relate to the sorry state of the splintering door frame. But the composition is eventually engulfed in something ecstatic as the words “Everything I was, burning slow” become “Everything I want, black snow / Ebbs around my heels, forward, slow.”

The following songs are slathered with sounds sung, strummed, programmed, processed, captured, collaged. The DIY-style production, handled in-house by the band, globs on ambiance throughout the album, in part via room tone and environmental sound. A song written inside a parking ramp booth, naturally,

’90s/early ’00s release on Saddle Creek Records, when the Platonic ideal of indie (at least at the time) began to draw influence from The Faint, featuring little moments of “whoa” in songs by Bright Eyes, Azure Ray, etc.

Everything I Was, Burning Slow returns to the bedroom in that old, rented house for “I Washed It Out,” the album’s aptly titled cleanse of a closer. The track’s lived-in room tone has had its hums mic’d and amplified, and amplified some more, to the foreground of instruments and voices. And yeah, you can hear the beiges and grays and just how much took place in between.—Benjamin

Jeffery

The New York Times and the Village Voice noted his passing. The former described him as “a cellist, vocalist and composer who was known for his fusion of classical and popular music.” The latter said, “his songs were so personal, that it seems as though he simply vanished into his music.”

Vinton’s Elizabeth Moen didn’t know Russell’s music until she also left her native Iowa, moving to Chicago in the midst of Covid. Yet her 5-song For Arthur sounds uncanny in its interpretive artistry, with Moen channeling a kindred spirit in a way that transcends gender, generation and geography. The songs receive fresh life from a contemporary artist whose “don’t fence me in” attitude toward categorization she plainly shares.

She draws from Russell’s more accessible side, from what a sticker on 2019’s Iowa Dream compilation called “the sublime folk and pop side of Arthur Russell.” The flip side of such sublimity is very much in evidence on another Russell compilation, the recently released Picture of Bunny Rabbit. Here he pushes his cello toward abrasive extremes and buries his voice in the echoey murk, creating a darker strain of dub ambient sound.

There is little hint of the introspective troubadour on Picture of Bunny Rabbit, yet Russell’s music was plainly representative of his radical creativity and restless spirit, as if these weren’t separate musical pursuits but parts of the same continuum.

Moen’s EP may introduce some of Russell’s fans to her, and her fans to him. It has been launched with all proceeds benefiting One Iowa—a nonprofit that describes itself as “a catalyst for improving the lives of LGBTQ Iowans.”

In her dedication, Moen says the music is “for queer people in red states or small towns who don’t feel like they can be themselves. For anyone who feels lonely or heartbroken.” ––Don

McLeese

tHE DIY-StYLE PRODUCtION, HANDLED INHOUSE BY tHE BAND, gLOBS ON AMBIANCE tHROUgHOUt tHE ALBUM, IN PARt VIA ROOM tONE AND ENVIRONMENtAL SOUND.

JASON BRADFORD Stellaphasia NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW

Posthumously published from his MFA thesis, Jason Bradford’s Stellaphasia (North American Review, 2023) chronicles life inside a disabled body. It’s unfair to say that this collection is about being disabled or having a disability, though. This is a book of emotional observations, connection and communion. Bradford—a University of Northern Iowa alum—has lived as we all do, but he writes like a watcher.

The title of the collection is borrowed from the opening poem and combines Bradford’s difficulty with breathing and speaking (aphasia)—a side effect from his muscular dystrophy—with the stellar. As a collection, Bradford’s preoccupation with that which is elemental and ethereal, the title speaks to every single poem it presents.

Bradford’s felicity is underscored by his use of visual poetry: he cuts words into halves and syllables, using enjambment as illustration. In a few poems I noticed mixed meanings part way through and went back, reread, built understanding upon a scaffolding. If his content weren’t humbling on its own, his deftness with language might be overpowering. As it is, the two complement each other and build depth in interaction.

The split words appear throughout the book, including in two titles: “Alter/native” and “dis●ease.”

In the poem “Confessions #4” many of the split words could be read as separate words and every instance requires a review. For

example: “The ocean mass / ages my ear / drums / to sleep” and “A star / fish buries its / elf in my lower man / dible.”

There are several poems in response to visual art by other artists, in particular photos by Vivian Maier (there is a QR code in the notes at the end of the book, showing each photo with its associated poem) which seem to be explorations of empathy and mortality, as in the poem “After A Photo Of A Dead Horse By Vivian Maier”: “i’m not religious, but i understand religion / because i understand metaphor, or / i understand how / we use metaphor to say / what cannot be said. // how a dead horse is never / just a dead horse / is never just.”

Each poem, but the collection as a whole even moreso, is impactful perhaps because of how cavalier Bradford is in discussing his disability. He filters everything through his muscular dystrophy, “but to you / the disabled body comes off / like a sweet attempt / at sentiment / to wilt your heart.” he says in “The Disabled Body [2].”

CHLOE ANgYAL Pas de Don’t AMBERJACK PUBLISHING

Pas de Don’t is Chloe Angyal’s first novel, a story of romance informed by the author’s years spent reporting on gender and power in American ballet.

Angyal, an Australian-born writer now based out of Coralville, is the author of the 2021 nonfiction book Turning Pointe: How a New

will hire her following the break with her ex-fiancé—to prove that she rose to the top on her own merits. There she meets Marcus, her reluctant tour guide recovering from a torn achilles tendon and mourning the death of his father, and finds herself at odds with company policies put in place by the ANB’s new artistic director.

ANgYAL DEFtLY BALANCES tHE FREQUENtLY LIgHtHEARtED, SWOON-WORtHY FORBIDDEN WORKPLACE ROMANCE WItH HEAVIER SUBJECtS, PULLINg INtO VIEW tHE BEHIND tHE SCENES POLItICS OF BALLEt COMPANIES IN

Angyal’s thorough knowledge of ballet is on show throughout the novel, but never makes the story feel weighed down by technical terms and trivia. She deftly balances the frequently lighthearted, swoon-worthy forbidden workplace romance with heavier subjects, pulling into view the behind the scenes politics of ballet companies in the #MeToo era. Pas de Don’t covers the power imbalances that can strip dancers of their ability to protect themselves and speak up, the policies that both protect and inhibit them, the physical toll that dance takes on their bodies, sexual harassment and grief.

The ti-

Every experience Bradford details or dreams of is potent because of its ability to be at once deeply symbolic and simple. This collection is some combination of domestic and surreal. This collection sticks to your bones and makes you dream. It hurts knowing his experience, knowing his death is coming. The first thing I did upon finishing Stellaphasia was write a response to Jason Bradford. I didn’t get up. I didn’t start this review. I replied to the book, to “A Matter of Stasis / Matter of Stasis”: “my friend was alive until i woke to a call ringing otherwise.”

—Sarah Elgatian

Generation of Dancers Is Saving

Ballet from Itself, examining how ballet as a form is grappling with gender, racial and class inequities in the modern day. Beyond that book, more of Angyal’s writing on ballet has appeared in Jezebel and the Washington Post, as well as being quoted in the New York Times

The story of Pas de Don’t follows Heather Hayes, a recently promoted principal dancer in the New York City Ballet’s company, who must suddenly navigate the fallout of an emotionally abusive relationship with one of the world’s most famous ballet dancers.

In the wake of this tumult, Heather accepts a guest position with the Australian National Ballet (ANB)—the only company that

tle is a play on the phrase “pas de deux,” or a duet between two dancers, and makes reference to a policy within the ANB that strictly forbids relationships between dancers. This policy, of course, ends up playing a major role in Heather’s time at the company.

While Pas de Don’t probably only qualifies as a slow-burn for slow readers, it’s the momentum of Heather and Marcus’s relationship, as well as the high stakes of their decisions that make this novel impossible to put down.

Angyal has another romance book, Pointe of Pride, planned for release next year.

—Kelsey Conrad

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PAUL KIX

You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live CELADON BOOKS

When Paul Kix set out to write You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham that Changed America, one of his goals—in spite of the text’s lengthy title—was to ensure the book moves at a fast pace.

By god, does this book move. You Have to Be Prepared to Die is a text that comes from Kix, a Hubbard-born author who also penned The Saboteur and had his 2017 feature story “The Accidental Getaway Driver” adapted as a film. The book seeks to recount the 10 weeks of protesting that took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, and be a definitive recounting of those events.

As Kix himself posited, “[What happened in Birmingham] sets in motion the Civil Rights Act of ’64 … [and] a new life for this country.”

A passing familiarity with the events of Birmingham might conjure images of dogs attacking protestors, fire hoses violently scouring fleeing Black people and Martin Luther King Jr. reflecting from behind bars.

Not only does Kix blaze through theses and other happenings from the Birmingham campaign—the recruitment of child protestors, the moral malleability of Wyatt Walker, the refusal of racist mayor Bull Connor to leave office despite not being reelected—it manages to feel as though no key detail is overlooked.

Even when the book does slow down (as it does briefly toward the center as it catches the reader up on the philosophical trajectories of King and James Bevel) that pace is welcomed after the slew of complications that preceded it. It also helps the readers understand the reasoning of these figures as events unfold.

Perhaps the most praiseworthy aspect of the text is how easy it is to imagine readers coming away with a favorite among the principal cast. I found myself constantly fascinated by Kix’s depiction of an optics-obsessed Wyatt Walker always aiming to escalate the spectacle of protests for the sake of revolution.

But I can just as easily see someone inclined toward the decision-paralyzed depiction of Martin Luther King Jr. bearing the weight of expectation and notoriety. Or the young, ambitious James Bevel, who seems to clearly detect the path forward despite the hesitancy of his seniors. Or the prideful Fred Shuttleworth, the Birmingham pastor and civil rights leader with more skin in the game than any of the other main characters.

While the book does follow the events of those 10 weeks roughly chronologically, Kix skillfully uses his medium to backfill necessary details in stray paragraphs that offer informative asides that manage to never remove the reader from the scene at hand.

The book is a masterclass in nonfiction writing. It emphasizes without embellishing, informs without lagging and prods one to wonder how these horrors could possibly conclude, despite the fact this history informs the nature of our nation today.

—Isaac Hamlet

DOUgLAS BAUER

The Beckoning World UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESS

Though the all-star game of July 11 has passed, baseball fans still looking for a summer read might consider Douglas Bauer’s most recent novel: The Beckoning World (University of Iowa Press, 2022).

This Iowa-set novel tells the story of Earl Dunham, a protagonist facing a crossroad—to chase the dream of baseball, or to give in to love and the pull of practical choices. It’s a familiar conflict, but Bauer

Then comes the choice. Should he stay on the road with the team or be with Emily, start a family, work the farm in Hinton, Iowa and fall into the routine of “fine day-to-dayness”?

As Yogi Berra put it, “Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.”

The story spans from 1914 to 1927 during which the larger forces of a world war and an influenza epidemic bear down on the country. Yet there is still the thrill of baseball. Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth enter the story as they pass through Sioux City on a barnstorming tour. By this time, Earl has a 10-year-old son, Henry, and the two of them are caught up in the swirl around the two luminaries setting off sparks around Earl and his love of the game.

Raised in rural Iowa, Bauer captures the particulars of Iowa’s midwestern ethos when he describes the farm and small-town orbit inhabited by young Henry as a “radius of richly isolated life.” Bauer is the author of three other novels and three non-fiction works including the essay collection What Happens Next? for which he won the 2014 PEN/New England Book Award in NonFiction.

weaves it into a rich portrayal of the time period with a grasp of midwestern sensibilities, deft turns of phrase and descriptions of baseball action that are a pleasure to read.

The story starts as a teenage Earl is setting out to follow his dream of playing professional baseball. There isn’t much to hold him back, only work in a southeast Iowa coal mine and an abusive father who “hated the whole of life with an appetite that thrilled him.” After a scout signs Earl to pitch for the Waterloo Loons, Earl meets Emily Marchand, and the two fall in love.

In The Beckoning World Bauer is at his best when describing the hum of the crowds and the tension of plays on the field—the high-fly ball soaring toward the outfield and the dogged fielder racing to catch it or Earl’s surge of emotion when Lou Gehrig hits a home run during an exhibition game. As he watches the ball leave the park, he thinks, “It could be an exhibition, it could be the World Series, it could be neighbors in a pasture with grain sacks for bases, it would feel just as good.”

––Diane DeBok

EVEN WHEN tHE BOOK DOES SLOW DOWN (AS It DOES BRIEFLY tOWARD tHE CENtER AS It CAtCHES tHE READER UP ON tHE PHILOSOPHICAL tRAJECtORIES OF KINg AND JAMES BEVEL) tHAt PACE IS WELCOMED AFtER tHE SLEW OF COMPLICAtIONS tHAt PRECEDED It.

ACROSS

1. City near Lake Tahoe

5. City near Cayuga Lake

11. Genre popular in Jamaica, then Britain

14. b × h ÷ 2 calculation, for a triangle

15. Sub-Saharan “tree of life”

16. Worker often called to perform welfare checks, unfortunately

17. Songbirds on psilocybin?

19. Style for Young M.A

20. Turns into tiny particles

21. Turns on the lights, so to speak

23. Longoria of the shortlived Telenovela

24. Cliffside home

26. Chinese gambling mecca

29. Cottontailed cutie committed to equity and fairness?

33. Totally

34. Uncertain qualification

35. Flute part

36. Reznor’s act, briefly 37. “Picture it in your mind ...”

40. Aptly named business magazine

41. Uses the Method, say 43. Chippendales bills

44. Ancient Greek spot where Hercules killed a lion

46. Roster of offerings from rag & bone, Guess, etc.?

48. Black column Schiaparelli with a giant fake lion’s head, e.g.

49. Diploma word

50. Intense anger

51. Subsidiary of Penguin Random House

53. Woes caused by wax, perhaps

58. Note of debt

59. Match in which a used copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Microsoft Office 97 is pitted against a coffee-stained Beanie Baby?

62. Easy mark

63. Pain relief brand

64. 1977 Jaws ripoff

65. Song title for Green Day, Selena Gomez, and Tyler, the Creator

66. Person without status

67. Like a positive outlook

DOWN

1. Rig-Veda ruler

2. Quod ___ demonstrandum (Latin “that’s what I was trying to show you”)

3. 2000s R&B singer whose name is a “Matrix” reference

4. “Overnight” breakfast

5. Spanish island known for dance parties

6. Medium on which I originally purchased Forever Your Girl and Rhythm Nation 1814

7. Beer flowers

8. Former Japanese prime minister

9. Malibu or Santa Fe

10. Soak up, as knowledge

11. Modern parental concern

12. Zen paradox

13. Developer’s creations

18. Italian town where Napoleon won a 1797 battle

22. Pope name last taken in 1939

24. Helpful lift

25. School for Prince Harry

26. Nicki who provided the English lyrics for “Tukoh Taka,” the 2022 World Cup anthem

27. “What’s ___ kid like you doing here?”

28. Melon in some agua fresca

29. ___ Loves Chachi

30. Deep desires

31. Bebés

32. Some fitness centers

38. Desirable growth on cheese, perhaps

39. Went around, as regulations

42. It’s initiated by a center

45. Big name in kids’ construction sets

47. Stevens whose Fifty States Project remains stalled at 4% completion

50. Popular 1990s device

51. Prince jam with no bassline

52. Trevor who left The Daily Show late last year

53. Kitchen gadget brand 54. Dead tab?

55. One who may not necessarily wear a cape 56. Keys near F1, often 57. “Don’t leave!”

60. Mattel card game

61. Apprehend

Iowa’s #1 carbon polluter, MidAmerican Energy, is worsening the climate crisis and making our summers hotter, drier, and more deadly by burning coal and refusing to commit to a clean energy transition by 2030.

As temperatures rise, MidAmerican’s five toxic coal plants are costing you more and more every year while the corporation profits. The simple truth is that MidAmerican Energy is pocketing $120 million of Iowans’ money to keep its coal plants open.

Beat the heat. Join us to cool down and call on MidAmerican to close its coal fleet by 2030.

Emma Colman

Organizing

Representative emma.colman@sierraclub.org

IG: @sierraclub_iowabc

FB: @sierraclubiowabc

Twitter: @IABeyondCoal

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