ISSUE 5 August 2022
A L W A Y S
F R E E
Galaxies, Ghosts and Golf Balls at the Observatory
Queer Owners, Vegan Treats and Witchy Advice
Tama Band Rehtek is Here to Melt Faces
Des Moines Break Dancers Build a Legacy
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P. 24
P. 28
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EDITORIAL
SOCIAL MEDIA
Publisher, Arts Editor
Facebook @LittleVillageMag
Issue 5, Volume 1
Genevieve Trainor
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August 2022
genevieve@littlevillagemag.com
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Managing Editor
PRODUCTION
Emma McClatchey
Digital Director
Tucked into the Waveland
emma@littlevillagemag.com
Drew Bulman
Golf Course is a century-old
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observatory with its share of
Cover by Brittany Brooke Crow
News Director
mysteries. This month, LV explores
Paul Brennan
Videographer
ghosts, the cosmos, plant-based
paul@littlevillagemag.com
Jason Smith
baking, competitive break dancing,
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the Iowa State Fair art contest,
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growing up bilingual, and more.
Jordan Sellergren
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jordan@littlevillagemag.com
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Meet this month’s contributors: Britt Fowler is a Des Moines
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food writer, baker and cooking
President, Little Village, LLC
documentary style, landscape
instructor with an out-of-control
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Matthew Steele
and portraiture. Her active project
sweet tooth.
Sid Peterson
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Shoot Des Moines (Shoot DSM)
Adria Carpenter adria@littlevillagemag.com
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catalogues sights and stories
Brittany Brooke Crow specializes Creative Services
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performance documentation.
Kembrew McLeod is a founding
Lily DeTaeye
E-commerce, Videography
Crow received recognition for her
Little Village columnist and the
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chair of Communications Studies at
Arts Council Artist Fellow.
the University of Iowa.
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at the University of Iowa. She has
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been teaching languages and
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Corrections
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second language writing for over
likes dark coffee, bright colors
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20 years.
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Johnson, Sam Standish August Contributors Britt Fowler, Brittany Brooke Crow,
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Top Stories Catch up on Little Village’s most-viewed headlines from last month. Read more at LittleVillageMag.com.
Five questions with West Des Moines’ Samantha Daily,
Former Rep. Jim Leach breaks with the Republican Party,
two-time ‘MasterChef’ competitor
endorses Bohannan for House and Franken for Senate
By Courtney Guein, July 15
By Paul Brennan, July 28
A West Des Moines cooking enthusiast with a penchant for
Jim Leach, who represented Iowa in Congress for 30 years
comfort food has found her way onto the summer’s top-rated food show,
as a Republican, changed his party registration to Democrat ahead of
featuring award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay, chef Aaron Sanchez and
the June 7 primary, the Quad City Times reported this week. “Today,
renowned restaurant owner Joe Bastianich—for the second time.
the Republican Party that I spent so many years with has really let the country down,” Leach said.
Photo Gallery: Iowans rally for fair contract from
Video: ‘We can do better, because we’ve done better’:
Bridgestone-Firestone
Deidre DeJear on Iowa’s future, LGBTQ rights, abortion
By Lily DeTaeye, July 29
access and legalizing cannabis
On Thursday, July 28, members of United Steelworkers
Video by Jason Smith, story by Paul Brennan; July 15
(USW) Local 310 and their supporters marched over NW 2nd Street as
During an interview with journalist and author Lyz Lenz at a campaign
the union engaged in contract negotiations with Bridgestone-Firestone.
event in Iowa City on Thursday, Democratic nominee for governor
The contract covered the more than 3,000 workers USW represents at
Deidre DeJear said Gov. Reynolds and Republicans “have the tendency
the company’s six U.S. plants, located in Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas, Ohio and
… to create problems that really don’t exist, rather than addressing the
Tennessee.
problems that do exist.”
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MOVING SOON?
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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. What to know about abortion in Iowa (Instagram slideshow, June 28)
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The state has no legal, moral or ethical right to be dictating to any woman what she can or cannot do with her own body. and anyone who opposes this should be automatically charged with a felony crime punishable by jail time. —Earl W. Gov. Kim Reynolds announces plans to severely restrict abortion in Iowa (June 29) Passing laws the majority don’t want doesn’t seem very representative… —Ben S.
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You stand for the rich. You stand for everything the majority are against. Do everyone a favor and resign. You’re not welcome anymore. Donate to @iaafund to make a real difference!!! —Gabby M. Iowa Supreme Court rejects key part of Gov. Reynolds’ attempt to impose further abortion restrictions (July 5) Reynolds has to go! Illinois is looking so much better. —@yesteryearglass on Instagram A temporary win with this rabid Governor and Legislature majority, but I’ll take it. —James P.
F U T I L E W R A T H
S A M LO C K E WA R D
HAVE AN OPINION? Better write about it! Send letters to: Editor@LittleVillageMag.com
Letter to the editor: Fourth of July hooligans left Happy Hollow Park a mess (July 5) Des Moines Parks were also trashed by individuals setting off fireworks. —Eric S. The State condones the sale of fireworks even though the municipality forbids using them. People are going to do them anyway much to the detriment of safety. —Judy A. We see this kind of mess created by all sorts of events; parades, picnics, reunions, homecoming, downtown arts fest and jazz fest...it is no fun to deal with the aftermath for sure, but I don’t see this as an event particular to Happy Hollow or July 4th...or why these particular mess makers stand out as hooligans any more than all the above or the kids trashing the ped mall every weekend. —Julie L.
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 9
WO RT H R E P E AT I N G “That sense of relief across all the women who came in is probably what I remember. That and the endless meetings.” —Rebecca Arbogast, a founding mother of the Emma Goldman Clinic, reflecting on its 50 years in Iowa City “The Republican Party has just torn itself apart, and it’s got to pull itself together. I’ll lean toward the Democratic US Office of Party as long as Humanities excellent people are running. … We have an obligation to pull together and vote for anyone who has a moral capacity to lead in a credible way.” —Former Congressman Jim Leach, who changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat ahead of the June primary “As we move forward into what will be a very challenging time, having a union will make sure all of our voices are heard. We will start pushing right away to get our first contract.” — Clinic worker Ashley Schmidt on
the successful unionization vote of Planned Parenthood employees in Iowa and four other states “I did the dirtiest, nastiest jobs but I had dignity. Every time they tried to strip me of it, I fought back.” —John Campbell, a recently retired 32-year employee at the Des Moines BridgestoneFirestone plant, demonstrating in support of United Steelworkers Local 310 during their July 28 contract negotiations with the company “[Republicans’] argument is that they are overtaxing Iowans. My argument is that they are not putting Iowa taxpayer dollars to use. And we see the gross underfunding and defunding of our public systems. They are starving our systems to the point that we won’t be able to handle it, and when they come with their mediocre suggestions and solutions we will have no choice but to say yes.” —Democratic candidate for governor Deidre DeJear at a July 14 fundraiser
Jason Smith / Little Village
Have an opinion? Better write about it! Send letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com 10 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
I N T E R AC T I O N S C’MON people, you are better than this!! Pick up your shit! —Sandy A. Letter to the editor: It’s not as simple as ‘moving on’ after a forced pregnancy/birth (July 7) Especially difficult to leave the pain behind if you’re 10 years old. —Betsy I. Letter to the editor: Don’t let social media discourage you — vote (July 15) In the last two presidential primaries the DNC ignored the desires of the rank and file party members and installed a corporate approved candidate. Which they admitted in open court in response to a lawsuit, stating “It’s our party and we are not required to listen to voters”. Which is actually true, the DNC can (and did) pre pick
MOMBOY
who they, (read:their corporate owners), want on the ballot. So vote away, it’s all a dog and pony show to keep the plebes happy, they’ll run who Wall St. tells them to run. Focus your energy on state candidates for the US House and Senate, there’s where you can make a difference. —Edward K. ‘We can do better, because we’ve done better’: Deidre DeJear on Iowa’s future, LGBTQ rights, abortion access and legalizing cannabis (July 15) Proud that Nikole Hannah Jones is an Iowan and a product of public education … FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS #DeJearForIowa —Shikina Y. It’s a shame DeJear doesn’t have a chance. I’m not alone in wishing there was an ally at Terrace Hill. —Krys J.
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I N T E R AC T I O N S
/LittleVillage READER POLL: With massive droughts plaguing the West, should states bordering the Mississippi River share fresh water with western states? Yes, of course 3.2%
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Only with an end plan 9.7% Forced to downsize, Sweet Tooth Farm focuses on self-care: ‘We can come back stronger’ (July 20) Love LVM pointing out that in the same
Yes, but NO GOLF COURSES 48.4% Absolutely not! 38.7%
year that a city wide decision was made to stop leasing land for gardens - their joke of a food security task force’s main idea was more urban gardens and urban farms lmaooo 10/10 DSM. —@gofarmyourself on Twitter
Thanks @LittleVillage for pointing out the hypocrisy of @DesMoinesGov on the issue of food insecurity & healthy food access. —Rachel M.B. Vandals spray-paint racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in Marion (July 22) I used to be a troubled youth. I can speak to causing trouble because I felt like I was trouble. —Bret S. That’s all good and dandy but it comes down to WHAT they decided to spray paint. It’s [solely] to cause uproar in the area. It’s problematic and I hope they catch these shitheads! —Jeanette L. Former Rep. Jim Leach breaks with the Republican Party, endorses Bohannan for House and Franken for Senate (July 28)
Well, join the club. I remember my parents having Congressman Leach at our house. I remember where I was when he lost his seat. But there are no Leach Republicans anymore. —Peter W.
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Jim is one of the few republicans I voted for. He always had common sense. —Alyce W.S. Why is it that Republicans become so reasonable, calling for accountability and moderation, once they are out of office and have no authority or expectation to act on their newfound enlightenment? —Dave M.
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A Fair Art Fair
Above: The Iowa State Fair fine art display, 1906. Iowa State Fair photograph collection (PH5000.1039), State Historical Society of Iowa,
Celebrating art for art’s sake is perhaps the Iowa State Fair’s best feature.
Des Moines Below: Shawn Palek’s portrait
BY JOHN BUSBEE
of ’80s motorcycle artist and stuntman
S
hawn Palek doesn’t enter competitions any longer. Lately, he prefers to sponsor shows and competitions for emerging artists, mentoring many. He continues to paint new works, with many murals to his credit. But in the early 2000s, the contemporary visual artist and arts advocate decided to venture into the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Competition. The Iowa State Fair (ISF) may be Iowa’s most inclusive legacy of art for art’s sake. Each year, hundreds of artists from across Iowa submit their works to share with arguably the most intense patron visitation of arts the state has to offer. In its 11 days, the fair will attract more than a million visitors. While not all of them will wander the vast displays of artwork in the Patty & Jim Cownie Cultural Center, at least tens of thousands will explore its hallowed, creative halls, enjoying the diversity of expression. The ISF presents several categories, including Fine Art and Photography, Wood Projects and 14 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
Lawrence DeSmedt, a.k.a. “Indian Larry,”
more. In Fine Art, Palek’s division, Adult subcategories include acrylic/tempera, drawing, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, oil painting, pastels, pottery, original hand pulled prints, sculpture and watercolor, none of which quite fit Palek’s work. There are separate Youth, Junior and Children groups. Registration fees are involved, and cash prizes are awarded, including the coveted Best of Show, which spans all disciplines. What makes the ISF’s categorization and process so equitable is how it judges entrants. It is blind judging; signatures/names are covered. If a judge recognizes the style of an artist they know, then another judge would evaluate that work. Any biases about a registrant’s ethnicity, gender, etc. are avoided, allowing the artwork to be evaluated on its merits. The roots of the Fair Fairfield hosted the first state fair in 1854. The first mention of fine arts was the 1860 Iowa City
won Best of Show at the 2005 Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Competition. Palek Studios
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JAZZ CABARET
The Iowa State Fair fine art display, 1910. Iowa State Fair photograph collection (PH5000.1039), State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines
fair, when a 24’ x 140’ hall was built for exhibition. When the fair landed in Des Moines in 1879, after having been in nine other cities, it was staged between 38th, 42nd and Center Streets and Grand Avenue. Its first time at the current east Des Moines location was in 1886. In 1926, famous Iowa author Ruth Suckow wrote about her home state that Iowans had adopted “a timid, fidgety, hesitant state of mind with regard to cultural and intellectual matters, the result of decades of dependence upon New England for guidance in religion, learning and the arts.” “Iowans … fundamentally lacked the confidence necessary to create their own, indigenous culture in their new environment,” she continued, concluding that the original settlers had come to Iowa “with the belief that they were leaving culture behind.” They came to acquire land, farm and make money doing it. However, she did note that by the 1920s, “a native culture has begun to work itself out.” Current perspective “That’s the thing that drew me to it,” Palek said of the ISF’s flexibility and versatility of options. “Both the fine arts and the creative arts, and to be able to enter into both the competitions: A lot of it was free reign.” As an airbrush artist, he uses a urethane-based automotive paint for his artwork. The director admitted that there wasn’t a category for that, so placed his work in the closest fit, the oil paint. Palek attended the awards ceremony, coming directly from work. “I still had on my black work boots, shorts with paint all over them and a black work shirt with the sleeves cut off with my tattoos showing and my long hair. And, they called my name—‘Shawn Palek’—so I walked up there to get my Best of Show prize. I could hear some murmurs and gasps.” Palek occasionally challenges the status quo, and this top honor win was special. He next created a stir with another Fair entry, “Farmer’s Daughter.” Some observers objected to his work’s subject matter. He repurposed a hunk of a semi-trailer to look like nose art from a fictional WWII plane. A protégé served as his model, in the likeness of pinup models often adorning those planes. He added another historically accurate element: markings of small swastikas, called a score card, representing “kills” of enemy planes in combat. The director of the Fine Arts competition defended his artistic expression from the naysayers, and the piece was exhibited. It didn’t receive an award. John Busbee works as an independent voice for Iowa’s cultural scene. 16 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
1326 WALNUT ST
The Fractured State of Iowa Nice
Ranked and Filed CNBC gave Iowa a B, but BIPOC Iowans know the score.
H
BY DANA JAMES
ere we go again. Yet another news company propped Iowa up on a pedestal. Iowa fell a bit this year on the 2022 annual rankings by CNBC, but still ranked No. 12 on a list of America’s best states for business and No. 10 on a list of America’s best states to live. You’ll find rankings like these prominently displayed on the websites of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Iowa Economic Development and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. CNBC recently published its latest rankings, scoring all 50 states on 88 metrics in 10 categories, including workforce, life, health and inclusion and eight others. According to its methodology, most states prioritized the word “workforce” in their economic development literature, so the workforce category carried the most weight in the rankings. States received a letter grade on each category. The rankings, in its 15th year, also used federal data to measure state performance. “Our Top States study considers life, health and inclusion, as the nation struggles to move past the pandemic and states and companies grapple with culture wars,” CNBC explained. CNBC’s rankings seem to say: Move here,
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have a family, start a new business—Iowa is great. People like rankings, even if they are somewhat meaningless and, to me, irksome. Reynolds used to cite rankings like these during her 2018 campaign, when she endlessly cited U.S. News and World Report ranking Iowa No. 1 on its Best States list. Vermont earned the top spot to live this year for ease of voting, among other indicators, according to CNBC. And North Carolina garnered the top spot for business, because of its economy and innovation, according to the rankings.
the hairstyles worn by Blacks won’t make them targets of discrimination at school, work and in their daily lives. Iowa is also a place where some Black legislators jointly led a push to strengthen Iowa’s hate crime laws this year, after “shameful acts of bias,” like when a Michael Williams, a Black man in Grinnell, was murdered in 2020 by a white man (a heinous act many Blacks, including Williams’ family, consider a “lynching,” which is not legally recognized as a hate crime in Iowa). Iowa is a place where Black reporters have faced increased hostility online and while out covering stories in Iowa communities PEOPLE LIKE RANKINGS, EVEN IF THEY ARE (which led, in part, to SOMEWHAT MEANINGLESS AND, TO ME, IRKSOME. the creation of the Iowa “For one thing, state leaders kept managing Association of Black Journalists, of which I am to put aside their very deep political divisions to vice president). The Iowa Secretary of State’s office saw the boost business and the economy,” CNBC noted. Iowa’s political divisions appear to be deep- highest number of new businesses created in ening, not receding, with some Black Iowa state history during 2022, but will Iowa’s qualDemocratic legislators having publicly lament- ity-of-life issues make it difficult to sustain ed not being able to get their priorities passed in those businesses? Issues like parents embroiled a state where the Republican party controls the in fights this year over face masks and school governorship and both chambers of the legisla- curriculum. Fights over books are important. If parents don’t want their children to learn from ture. The Hawkeye state has its appeal, but it’s lack- books written by Black and LGBTQ authors, ing for many Black, Indigenous people of color they probably don’t want them to live next door, (BIPOC) and others who belong to marginalized either. Nor work with them. Or advocate for or groups. The needs of these Iowans often come vote for laws that benefit marginalized people. CNBC gave Iowa a “B” for “Life, Health last or go unmet. When I see rankings like CNBC’s heralding and Inclusion.” You probably don’t have to be a Iowa’s greatness, it’s difficult to equate it with BIPOC or have mental or physical disabilities to the Iowa I know that appears to be increasingly see why that doesn’t quite add up. polarized and segregated. Iowa is hardly a bastion of inclusivity. It’s a place where 25 percent Dana James is founder of Black Iowa News, of the prison population is comprised of Black which publishes on Meta’s Bulletin platform and people. It’s a state where activists have worked is distributed as an email newsletter. The lifelong for years to ban racial profiling by police, but for Iowan is vice president of the Iowa Association a second year, nothing was passed by legislators. of Black Journalists. Black Iowa News is a partIowa is a state where a handful of legislators ner in the Inclusivi-Tea podcast about sustainstill work to gain passage of the CROWN Act, so ability, inclusion and equity.
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En Español
La angustia del idioma para los hablantes de herencia POR CLAUDIA POZZOBON POTRATZ
H
ace unos años entrevisté a una estudiante mexicoamericana de la Universidad de Iowa sobre su lengua materna. Yo estaba realizando la investigación para mi tesis doctoral sobre hablantes de herencia del español, y algo que Celeste dijo me sorprendió mucho: que la lengua que hablan en su casa era “Tex-Mex.” a la que describió como “no es español correcto.” Lamentablemente muchos estadounidenses bilingües consideran el idioma que hablan en sus casas, que tiene una gran influencia del inglés, incorrecto porque no es igual al idioma que ven en libros o en los medios. Si creciste en un hogar hablando un idioma distinto al inglés, eres un hablante de herencia de esa lengua, eres un bilingüe nativo. Como creciste con dos (o más) idiomas simultáneamente, es perfectamente normal que combines dichos idiomas al hablar. Es muy probable que haya ciertas áreas de tu vida que navegues en español, y otras áreas que sólo conozcas en inglés, y que por esto el Spanglish sea el idioma con el que te sientas más a gusto. Las lenguas les pertenecen a quienes las hablan, no a los lingüistas y libros de texto. Si bien es cierto que la lingüística y la gramática son útiles y nos ayudan a estudiar, no te deberían hacer sentir mal por cómo te expresas en tu lengua materna. Nadie aprende el idioma “correcto” a casa. Una vez que entendemos ésto, es bueno saber que estudiar nuestra lengua de herencia en la universidad nos puede ser de gran beneficio. Para empezar, tendremos más confianza al hablar y escribir en cualquier contexto, incluyendo clases académicas. La clase nos ayudará a no sufrir la erosión lingüística, a comprender cómo funciona la lengua y a aprender sobre otras culturas relacionadas con ella. Además, ser bilingüe tiene otros beneficios: estudios recientes demuestran que niños y adolescentes bilingües llegan a la adultez con más materia gris, la parte del cerebro que nos 18 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
ayuda a procesar y comunicar información. Esto se traduce en mejor memoria y menos deterioro cuando envejecemos. Asimismo, y contrario a la creencia popular, no vas a olvidar un idioma si estudias otro. De hecho, hablar múltiples idiomas ayuda con la concentración y la atención, lo cual conlleva a una mejoría en la cognición y otras habilidades del pensamiento. También se ha demostrado que el bilingüismo ayuda a desarrollar la creatividad y el pensamiento crítico. Finalmente, los bilingües poseen mejores habilidades socioemocionales y de comportamiento, las cuales derivan en una mayor capacidad de empatía. La lengua no es simplemente la manera en la que nos comunicamos. Las lenguas que hablamos influyen enormemente en nuestra identidad, determinan quienes somos, cómo nos presentamos ante el mundo, cómo y qué comunicamos, e incluso cómo pensamos. Si eres hablante de herencia del español, tienes que saber que los estudiantes Latine de la universidad de Iowa tienen la oportunidad de mantener y/o recuperar su bilingüismo y multiculturalismo. Celeste se graduó de la universidad habiendo encontrado nuevas razones para estar orgullosa de su lengua materna y su herencia mexicana, pero más importante aún, sin considerar al TexMex como español incorrecto, sino como parte de su identidad. Claudia Pozzobon Potratz es profesora de español como lengua de herencia en la Universidad de Iowa. Tiene más de veinte años de experiencia en la enseñanza de lenguas y de escritura en segundas lenguas.
The Anguish of Language for Heritage Speakers WRITTEN AND TRANSLATED BY CLAUDIA POZZOBON POTRATZ
A
few years ago, I interviewed a MexicanAmerican University of Iowa student from Texas. Celeste and I were talking about her mother tongue. I was doing research for my doctoral dissertation on heritage speakers of Spanish, and I was struck when she said the language in her home, “Tex-Mex,” “no es español correcto” (“it is not correct Spanish”). Unfortunately, many bilingual Americans consider their home language “incorrect” because it doesn’t look like the language they see in textbooks or other printed media, or because it is heavily influenced by English.
If you grew up speaking a language other than English at home, you are considered a heritage speaker of that language. You are a native bilingual. Since you grew up with two (or more) languages simultaneously, you often combine the languages you speak, and that’s perfectly normal. It’s very likely you navigate certain parts of your life in Spanish and others in English, and that’s why speaking Spanglish might feel more comfortable to you. Languages belong to their speakers, not to linguists and textbooks. Yes, linguistics and grammar textbooks are useful and help us study, but they shouldn’t make you feel bad about how you speak. No one learns “proper” language at home. That said, studying your heritage language in college has great benefits. First, you will feel more confident when speaking and/or writing in any setting, including academic classes. You will avoid language attrition, understand how the language works and learn about the other cultures that are linked to it. Plus, being bilingual has other major benefits. Recent studies show that bilingual children and teenagers reach adulthood with more gray matter, the part of the brain that helps us process and communicate information. This translates into better memory and less decay as we age. Also, and contrary to popular belief, you won’t forget one language if you study a second. Speaking multiple languages actually aids in focus and attention, which leads to enhanced cognition and mental function. Bilingualism has also proven to help develop creative and critical thinking skills. Lastly, bilinguals demonstrate better social-emotional and behavioral skills, which lead to a greater capacity for empathy. Language is not simply a way to communicate. Our identities are heavily influenced by the languages we speak. They shape who we are and how we present ourselves to the world, determining how and what we communicate, and even how we think. If you are a heritage speaker of Spanish, I want you to know that Latine students at the University of Iowa have the opportunity to maintain and/or reclaim their bilingualism and multiculturalism. Celeste graduated from UI with a newfound pride in her home language and her Mexican heritage. More importantly, she didn’t consider Tex-Mex to be wrong anymore, but an important part of her identity. Claudia Pozzobon Potratz is a visiting assistant professor of Spanish as a heritage language at the University of Iowa. She has been teaching languages and second language writing for over 20 years.
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The Sightly Knoll Thousands have felt a sense of wonder at the Drake Municipal Observatory, whether they’re watching meteor showers or encountering ghosts.
T
BY ELAINE IRVINE
he Drake Municipal Observatory is probably the only scientific facility of its kind more familiar to local golfers than local school kids. Since 1921, it’s sat between the green on the 17th hole of Waveland Golf Course and the tee of the 18th. It’s an anomalous presence among the fairways and the nearby tennis courts, like a relic of some alternative version of Des Moines. The bluff-colored limestone building is now behind a chain-link fence, the gates of which only open to the public when the observatory is hosting lectures or other events. The exterior of the building shows signs of disrepair, from small dings in the copper plating of the dome caused by errant golf balls to the increasingly decrepit outdoor observation deck, which is now closed because it’s no longer safe to walk on. As night falls, it’s easy to see how the observatory got its reputation as one of the most haunted places in the city. The decision to locate Drake’s observatory on the golf course was made by Daniel Morehouse, who taught astronomy at the university from 1900 until his death in 1941. A renowned astronomer, he gained an international reputation by discovering a comet while still in graduate school. During his life, Morehouse was involved in every aspect of the observatory. After his death, his devotion to it, and the fact his cremated remains are interred in the building, helped inspire many of the ghost stories that surround the observatory. When Morehouse arrived at Drake in 1897 as a 21-year-old transfer student from a college in Minnesota, the university already had a small observatory. It was located in the tower atop the Science Hall which was completed in 1891, only 10 years after Drake’s founding. 20 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
Brittany Brooke Crow
The observatory was largely idle in its first few years, but by the time Morehouse enrolled it had a telescope that was state of the art for its day. Morehouse proved to be such an exceptional student while working on his bachelor’s degree, he was hired to teach physics and astronomy at Drake as soon as he graduated in 1900. Morehouse balanced his teaching duties with graduate studies, first at the University of Chicago, where he earned his master’s. It was while working at Chicago’s observatory at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in September 1908, that Morehouse discovered a previously unidentified comet. He originally called it Comet C, but his colleagues renamed it Comet Morehouse, the name it still bears. After completing his Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley in 1914, Morehouse returned to Drake full time. In addition to teaching, he also served as Dean of Men. He proved such an able administrator he was appointed acting president in 1919 and given the job permanently in 1923. It was during his years as acting president Morehouse oversaw the construction of the Drake Municipal Observatory, his most lasting
legacy at the university and in the city. Even before Morehouse became acting president, Drake’s observatory atop Science Hall had become of limited use. It was always small, but at least it had a fairly clear view of the night sky. Or it did until the neighborhood around the university began to grow. Decades before “light pollution” became a common term, it was a problem for Drake’s original observatory. As neighborhoods around the campus grew, there was more and more artificial light at night from homes and businesses. It made stars less visible both for families in their backyards staring up at the sky and for the astronomers at Drake. And the problems went beyond the light and cramped space. Vibrations caused by passing streetcars rattling along their tracks interfered with some of the observatory’s delicate equipment. The need for a new observatory was obvious to Morehouse. So was the best location for it. Morehouse later told a colleague about walking in what was then Waveland Park shortly after graduating from Drake in 1900, and thinking
IOWA STAR TOURS The Hawkeye State has plenty of space, but what about outer space? These planetariums and observatories offer a glimpse
NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
of the cosmos from the comfort of an air-conditioned room—with expert educators to guide your journey.
Van Allen Observatory University of Iowa Department of Physics & Astronomy, 203 Van Allen Hall, 30 N Dubuque St, Iowa City, Check the Van Allen Observatories Facebook page for upcoming Public Observing Nights, free and open to all Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center 1365 Ivanhoe Rd, Ely, Operated by Cedar Amateur Astronomers, a member of NASA’s Night Sky Network, Public events listed at cedar-astronomers.org/events, free and open to all Norris Corson Family Planetarium Grout Museum of History and Science, 503 South St, Waterloo, Open to all, museum admission $3-6, Opened in 1956, renovated in 2021, Seats 33 and hosts 500 shows a year “I didn’t know that this was here!” —everyone who stumbles upon the Drake Observatory. Brittany Brooke Crow / Little Village
“the sightly knoll in the middle of that beautiful public park was the place for an astronomical observatory.” The year after Morehouse took that walk, the city converted the park, including the sightly knoll, into a golf course. (That 1901 opening date gives Waveland a strong claim on being the oldest municipal golf course west of the Mississippi.) Golfers puttering around didn’t make the site any less attractive. The knoll was the highest point of ground available in the city. Waveland was then at the western edge of development in Des Moines, away from lights and other problems. But it was only two miles from Drake’s campus, making it accessible for students and faculty. And the price for the plot of land couldn’t have been better. It was free. Morehouse negotiated a “gentleman’s agreement” with Des Moines city government. The city would provide the land, build the observatory
and maintain the exterior of the building. Drake would provide the astronomical instruments, the staff and offer educational public programming at the observatory. The building project cost the city approximately $53,000, the equivalent of $897,000 in today’s dollars. The idea of public education programming appealed to Morehouse, who worked to make astronomy as accessible as possible. In an obituary published by the State Historical Society in 1941, one of Morehouse’s colleagues said he structured his lectures at Drake “in such a way as to fascinate students, avoiding the highly mathematical and theoretical aspects of the subject that would interest only specialists.” Construction began in 1920, and the observatory opened the following year. Much has changed since then, as the city grew around Waveland, bringing with it the light pollution Moreland was trying to escape. But walking into the observatory is still the same experience it was in 1921. On both sides of the public entrance the
Emil C. Miller Planetarium and Rooftop Observatory Luther College’s Valder Hall of Science, 700 College Dr, Decorah, free and open to the public, built in 1964, seats 65 Star Theater Planetarium Science Center of Iowa, 401 W Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, Des Moines, Open to all, center admission $11-13 (Closed Aug. 22-31) Drake Municipal Observatory, Waveland Golf Course, 4898 Observatory Rd, Des Moines, operated jointly by Drake University and the City of Des Moines, hosts weekly Public Night Series in spring, summer and fall, free and open to all; celebrates its 101st anniversary in November Sanford Museum & Planetarium 117 E Willow St, Cherokee, Free and open to the public, Public programs every Sunday and Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Cont. on pg. 44 >> LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 21
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Bread & Butter
Practical Magic For this entrepreneurial pair, plantbased baking and astrology readings are a match made in heaven.
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BY ELLE WIGNALL
fter bidding adieu to their Eastern Iowa bed and breakfast in 2020, partners Marti Payseur and Ash Bruxvoort are carrying its spirit forward in a new downtown Des Moines bakery/retail space. Payseur—the owner, recipe developer and baker for Thistle’s Summit—and Bruxvoort— an ancestral astrologist, earth intuitive and herbalist—have spent the past two years serving their respective clientele in Des Moines via custom orders and Zoom calls, farmers markets and online classes. But they’ve always wanted a safe and accessible space to share—not only with each other but with the queer community and beyond. Located at 340 SW 5th St, Unit 122, previously home to a sustainable home goods store called The Collective, Thistle’s Summit had a successful soft opening the last weekend in July. Ash Gravity Astrology, Bruxvoort’s arm of the business, offers consultations by appointment only, and retail hours are Thursday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Little Village spoke with Payseur and Bruxvoort about what’s to come. Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity. Q: How did Thistle’s Summit start? Take us back to the beginning.
Marti: Ash and I after some wine one night were on Zillow, as one does … and we were like, “Well we could run a bed and breakfast!” We got on Zillow and found a house in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and totally fell in love with it. We opened in July of 2019 and then shut our doors March 2020 with the full intention to reopen. And then COVID raged on, and I started cooking full-time totally illegally out of my kitchen, and I have no shame in that—I think we all have to do what we have to do. And you know, Martha Stewart also started that way, which is my favorite fact. How did you wind up back in Des Moines?
M: Our delivery vehicle was actually totaled in Mount Vernon, and we were like, OK, this feels like kind of an omen. And then Ash’s health kind of fell apart. We decided we had resources and people here that cared about our business, and I needed a kitchen. 24 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
Owners Ash Bruxvoort and Marti Payseur open Thistle’s Summit storefront this month. Britt Fowler / Little Village
Q: How will the new space integrate both the Thistle’s Summit bakery and Ash Gravity Astrology?
Ash: The space is a live-work unit, but rather than living there we’re going to use the upstairs loft as my space for my business. So I have an office there where I’m going to be able to meet with clients for astrology readings and hypnotherapy sessions. I also plan to teach classes there as well about astrology and plant medicine and plant communication. I kind of think of it as like practical magic/kitchen witch space. We’re trying to cater to somebody who is trying to explore the witchy world, maybe for the first
time, and wants to learn how they can do that in practical ways around their home with really simple things to make life more magical, which I feel like we all need right now. Q: Marti, you weren’t always a vegan baker. Why did you begin baking vegan and gluten-free?
M: Well, it was so my partner still loves me! When Ash was having some health issues, something we decided to do to mitigate some of the symptoms was to remove egg and to go gluten-free. And by the time you take out eggs in baking, you’re pretty much at a vegan product
LittleVillageMag.com/Dining
lower-volume things, like herbal shortbreads that are inspired by Ash’s teas, and find other ways we can tie our two brands together. Q: What is your ultimate hope for this new chapter of Thistle’s Summit?
A: I hope that it’s a space for people to connect. Having a place where people can come and do things that are very playful and about joy, I think it will be really powerful.
Thistle’s Summit and Ash Gravity’s Astrology opened their doors at 340 SW 5th St, Unit 122, for the first time (and ahead of schedule!) in late July. Britt Fowler / Little Village
already. Ash has eaten so many, so many bad cookies as the first line of R&D. We found that so many of the people in our community were eating vegan and gluten-free and there are very few options ... The need was always there, and I love doing things the hard way because I love learning. Q: And after the B&B?
I just kept experimenting to the point where there really wasn’t a need for animal products or gluten in my baking because I felt I was delivering a product that was on par, if not better, than what you could achieve with butter and flour. I like the idea of catering to people that don’t feel seen. The food world kind of thumbs their nose at dietary restrictions. I think it’s improving but it’s still pretty hard. Being queer, our whole mission is to just make people feel seen, loved and taken care of. And I can find no better way to do that than through really caring about and catering to what people can put in their body. Q: What Thistle Summit goodies will be
in the regular rotation?
M: We are known for our cream-filled cookies—the oatmeal cream pie, or the OCP, is a small cult unto itself. We’ll be well stocked with those. I’ll keep the classics, like the snickerdoodle (which is not a fan favorite but it’s my favorite), the tie-dye Sugar Mamas, in addition to seasonal bars—so a lot of things that you’ve seen through our retailers. But a retail space like this affords us the ability to do things that we just can’t put in pastry cases.
M: It was something I really loved about doing pop-ups and markets: hearing from children that they get to eat a birthday cake for the first time in their lives, or the way someone’s face lights up when they come up to a table filled with baked goods and they’re told they can eat anything they want off of it. They’re gluten-free or they have Celiac, and they haven’t been able to have a good cookie in like 15 years. These stories absolutely affirmed for me that I was on the right track. I’m so excited to be people’s Saturday morning little treat/lifestyle stop and to be able to enrich their lives that way.
Q: On that note, do you have any new baked creations that you’ll be debuting?
M: One thing I’m really excited about—I’m billing them “ZodiCakes”—they are monthly zodiac-inspired flavors and they’ll be lunchbox-sized cakes. You won’t have to preorder; they’ll just be grab-and-go. I’m also just excited to play … this one product, Tom Bumble, it’s like a Butterfinger basically, but a fancy Butterfinger and I just know people are going to be obsessed with it. I produce things in the thousands right now, and I definitely hope that this is so successful that that’s where I’m at. But it’ll be nice to do some
Britt Fowler / Little Village
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 25
LittleVillageMag.com/Dining
Bread & Butter LV Recommends
What’s Fresh at the Farmers Market? Late summer means goodbye kale, hello sweet corn. BY ELLE WIGNALL
W
hether you’re headed to the historic Court Avenue District for your weekly dose of vegetables or a leisurely breakfast and people-watching, the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market boasts something for everyone. Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon (8 a.m. to noon in October), the market comes to life with musical performances on every intersection and vendors from across the state ready to make the morning a memorable one. Late summer marks the shift from leafy greens and strawberries to ripened tomatoes and that coveted Iowa sweet corn, among other hot-weather produce. Slather yourself in sunscreen and read on to see what August has in store for market attendees. What produce is in season? According to local farmers, August marks the optimal time to
Emma McClatchey / Little Village
get your hands on tomatoes, peppers and—on the sweeter side— melons and rhubarb. Ineichen’s Tomatoes of Blue Grass comes prepared each Saturday with a selection of hydroponically grown beefsteak tomatoes that hold their shape well for BLTs and summer salads. While Iowa sweet corn typically reaches its maximum sweetness around the Fourth of July, this year’s unpredictable spring pushed the season back by a few weeks. Penick’s Sweet Corn out of Carlisle brings along juicy white and yellow ears for sale. Yang Homegrown Vegetables of Pella has a large spread of harderto-find produce. including brussels sprouts, lemongrass and okra, as well as watermelon and cantaloupe. Summer squash and zucchini are especially robust ahead of fall squash season and add a bright splash of color to any summer dish; they’re easy to spot in the rainbow-like display under Grade A Gardens’ tent. The Earlhambased farm grows all organic fruit and vegetables and specializes in garlic varietals. The Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market draws in tens of thousands of people each Saturday. If you’re serious about finding the best veggies or getting to know your local farmers, beat the crowd and show up
26 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
before 9 a.m. What’s for breakfast? The ready-to-eat vendors are easy to spot: just follow the good smells and look for long lines, which tend to move quickly. Grab a coffee at Iowa Coffee Company to sip while you peruse the rest of the market. They offer dozens of coffee and syrup flavor combinations, as well as a strong cold brew, fresh-squeezed lemonade and sweet tea for those humid August mornings. If you’re looking for a filling bite, Holy Biscuits’ hearty egg sandwich with your choice of protein is worth the wait. Throughout August, catch Saap Bowl selling Laotian-style breakfast fried rice and addictive jalapeño and bacon crab Rangoon. Maybe lunch is more your speed, in which case Papillon’s Bosnian spinach and cheese pitas or handmade tamales from Tamale’s Industry are a must. And if you’re looking for balance, a shot of wheatgrass from Fresh Cafe and Market can’t hurt. What will satisfy a sweet tooth? The pastries are on point this summer, with the return of market staples like Vander Ploeg Bakery’s Dutch letters and Austrian-style goodies by Strudl Haus. Uncle Wendell’s has the market’s best-kept secret treat: the KouignAmann. Known as the fattiest pastry in all of Europe, the Kouign-Amann is laminated with layers of butter like a croissant and rolled out in sugar before being formed in a spiral or muffin-like shape. The sugar caramelizes the pastry from the inside out, and it’s
best enjoyed after a quick reheat in the oven. If you simply can’t wait for your sugar fix, Wendell’s also serves chocolate chip cookies as big as your face. New to the market this year is Nadia’s, a French-inspired bakery that will transport you right out of Des Moines. Swirly Pain aux Raisins and chocolate croissants go quick, and for good reason: these pastries are earth-shatteringly flaky and could easily be found in a Parisian cafe. BONUS: Post-market
shenanigans
If you’re making a trip downtown on a Saturday morning, why not make a day out of it? The Dart D-Line runs for free from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and delivers riders to the east-and-westernmost corners of downtown Des Moines every 15 minutes. Head to the East Village for more shopping and bar hopping, or swing west to meander through the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. For fun just on the outskirts of the market, stop by the recently opened Surety Courtyard, where Chef Rhateb Aburas of adjoining Mulberry Street Tavern has created a fun summer menu of snacks, shareables and finger foods. No reservation is needed to get your hands on the wildly popular MST burger that comes topped with sriracha pickles and caper mayo, or a refreshing shrimp ceviche with preserved tomatoes. Elle Wignall is a Des Moinesbased food writer, baker and cooking instructor with an out-of-control sweet tooth.
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Culture
Photo courtesy of the band, collage by Jordan Sellergren
Prairie Pop
Boom Boom Pow Combining face-melting guitar riffs with sounds and rhythms heard during Meskwaki ceremonies, Rehtek’s new sound is a metal alloy.
A
BY KEMBREW MCLEOD
bomination, the new album from Iowa metal outfit Rehtek, contains all the ingredients for a pummeling musical feast. Chunky guitar riffage— check. Gut-rumbling bass—check. Double-time kick drums at speed-metal velocities—check. Growling, howling vocals—double-check. “Our influences are vast,” frontman Colton Davenport said. “We listened to everything from thrash, death metal and nu metal, to core. For that reason, it’s always been hard to pinpoint our style. We incorporate so many different elements, which is what I’ve always loved about this band.” Guitarists Joe Youngbear and his brother Mythias Keahna conjure up an eclectic range of sounds, and the same can be said of Davenport’s vocals on Abomination. The album’s first song, “Archon,” begins with a rush of crushing 28 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
instrumentation until his grindcore growls fill the track—while other songs, like “Prism,” feature a mix of screams and melodic singing with harmonized double-tracked vocals. Never a dull moment with this album. “I try not to be boring,” Youngbear told me. “When the music gets very dynamic, sometimes you’ve got to slow it down, and then sometimes you’ve got to give it some power. When I’m writing, I just go with what moves me.” Hailing from Tama, a small Iowa town with a population of 3,000, Rehtek has spent the last decade immersed in the Midwestern metal scene after getting their start playing local bars in the summer of 2011. “Me and four other kids came together that year in the hopes of creating something special,” Davenport said. “It started with a few acoustic songs and eventually transformed into the machine that is Rehtek.” Rehtek found a second home in Des Moines, gigging regularly in that city and throughout the rest of the region as they shared bills with Saliva, Devour the Day, American Head Charge, Dead Horse Trauma, Apathy Syndrome and other major metal acts. “We spent those first few years earning our stripes and making a name for ourselves,” Davenport said. “We took the local music scene by storm and made a lot of great friends along the way. Our experiences
Alpha Wolf w/ Bodysnatcher, Vatican, Rehtek, xBk, Des Moines, Sunday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m., $18
with the metal scene have been pretty great for the most part, especially in Des Moines. We’ve gotten so much love and support there. It’s always been like a second home for us. So many good bands with so much positive energy.” Born in central Iowa, Davenport spent his earliest years moving around with his family before settling in Tama when he was about 8. “There’s not a whole lot to look at here,” Davenport said. “There’s a lot of cornfields around, as you can imagine with any small town in Iowa. We have a beef plant, a couple of different small businesses here and there. But it is home, and it’s the hometown of our tribe, the Meskwaki Nation. It was there I really found myself and developed into the man I am today.” Davenport first got into metal after discovering Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark At the Moon album, and then gravitated to heavier music like Metallica, Cradle of Filth, Slipknot, Korn and Cannibal Corpse. Davenport always had an interest in the arts, especially music, and once he found his bandmates, it was on. “Even as a child I knew I wanted to sing in a
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metal band,” he said. “It wasn’t until we actually started Rehtek that I worked up enough courage to sing in front of anyone.” Youngbear—the band’s guitarist, engineer and producer—is also from Tama, where he attended the Meskwaki Settlement School, a tribal school that is operated by the Meskwaki Nation, which Youngbear, Davenport and Keahna—the three remaining original band members—all belong to. “That is one of the things that really helped us bond, when it came to the experience of creating music,” Davenport said. “We’re all very much involved in our culture. And we draw a lot of inspiration from our culture when it comes to making our music.” By way of example, the singer pointed to “O.I.T.N.,” a song from the new album that begins with a powerful boom boom boom sound. “We actually got that idea for the opening drum beat from the pow wow drums that we use here at our ceremonies,” Davenport said. “Some of the lyrical subject matter is loosely centered around our legends and our stories. I mean, the culture is very much alive here, and you’ll hear some of those influences come through in our music from time to time.” Youngbear’s Godzilla-sized riffs and layers of noise help define Rehtek’s sound, which at times is reminiscent of the bottom-heavy rumble produced by Brazil’s greatest metal export, Sepultura, which also blends heavy rock with influences from their own country’s indigenous music. Drummer Dylan Main and bassist Julian Williams are newcomers to the band, which had been on hiatus since 2019, and Youngbear said they had been debating whether to continue as a band until they decided to make another album. “My brother Mythias has always been onboard,” he said. “Julian, the bass player, was a coworker of mine and a good friend, and Dylan is a great drummer, so we all got together and it just clicked.” Abomination—which was produced and engineered by Youngbear in his home studio—grabs listeners by the collar for 36 minutes before ending with a heavy da-da-dum riff as Davenport’s a capella howl hangs in the air. All killer and no filler, it leaves listeners wanting more. “Abomination, in many ways, is like a rebirth for this band,” Davenport said. “We introduced a whole new sound for this band, and we’ve introduced two new members, Julian and Dylan. I’m proud to say that despite some of the changes, we are just as energetic and as hungry as we’ve ever been.” Kembrew McLeod is a lover not a fighter.
THROUGH SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 info at desmoineartcenter.org SUPPORT FOR THIS EXHIBITION PROVIDED BY The Harriet S. and J. Locke Macomber Art Center Fund
IOWA CITY
DOWNTOWN
DISTRICT
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 29
Culture A-List
Sky’s the Limit Competing among the best takes a passion for the art, according to the Des Moines Breakerz.
I
BY COURTNEY GUEIN
t all started with a vision: to highlight a street style of dance that originated in the streets of New York during the early 1970s. Breakdancing evolved as music was transitioning from disco to hip hop, pioneered by the Black and Puerto Rican communities in New York City and spreading quickly across the country and the world. The athletic style was inspired in part by the wild antics of James Brown and in part by the martial arts skills in the movies of Bruce Lee. Anthony San began building his breaking skills in 2006 at a summer camp in Pella, Iowa. A camp counselor who offered a workshop encouraged San to take his natural talent further. “He was like, ‘You’re really good at doing very difficult movements and poses.’ And I was like, OK. I don’t know if it’s for me,” San explained. It wasn’t until senior year of high school two years later that San turned towards dancing, after deciding he was done trying to get into sports. San and his cousin came to this realization while trying to mimic the style of JabbaWockeez, the first season winners of America’s Best Dance Crew. He started attending competitions throughout Iowa. From there, he noticed that nowhere in Iowa had the same opportunities as large cities like Milwaukee or Chicago. He also realized there was a lack of original breakers in the surrounding areas. “That’s what made me continue: because someone’s got to keep it going,” San said. “Doesn’t matter
if they’re the best or not. But I feel like I have a passion and drive to keep it going.” Once San began taking his dancing more seriously, training more and also teaching, he became a familiar face in the Des Moines dance scene. Since 2008, San has grown the breaking scene in Des Moines with the goal of giving Des Moines dancers the same opportunities as dancers in more populous cities— to travel, compete or perform. “I’ve worked with a lot of kids. And a lot of them don’t have a positive outlet to go to,” San said. He caught the eye of one of his student’s parents about four years ago. Tammra Swartwood shared his vision of putting Des Moines on the map for a growing community in a growing sport. Swartwood could see the positive changes in her son since he started breaking, and she wanted to extend that opportunity to everyone. The two worked together to launch Des Moines Breakerz LLC, which opened earlier this year. The dance school serves breakers of all ages across the Des Moines metro. San serves as head instructor and Swartwood is the general manager. The school has grown quickly,
30 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
with about 150 kids training in their summer program that spans nine locations, including libraries and parks and rec department facilities. The core performance group is made up of 25 adults. Students have taken their skills far and near to showcase their talent on many stages. “If it wasn’t for this man, Des Moines wouldn’t even have a scene right now,” Swartwood said of San. “And that’s a bold statement.” San credits Swartwood for the opportunities that the Breakerz have had so far including performances, connections, trips and battles, or cyphers. This month, Breakerz student and intern Skyler Fongdara, who dances as Homie Sky, will compete at the Breaking for Gold USA National Championships, Aug. 1214, in Philadelphia. Des Moines Breakerz sent Fongdara to a qualifying event in Minneapolis, Minnesota in April and again to Arizona in May. BFGUSA held six opens around the nation featuring one-on-one battles; breakers competed to win top youth, teen, men and women. The placement for nationals was based on a point system, so the more opens you attend, the more points you can earn. Fongdara is among 13
Fongdara competing at Breaking for Gold USA Courtesy of the Des Moines Breakerz
dancers competing for three bracket slots in the teen category. He has been training nonstop, studying and learning from his mentors with the Breakerz. “He needs to build up his endurance,” Swartwood said. “And to do that he’s got to put the work in.” Fongdara agrees. “Especially now is when I really need to exceed my limits,” he said, including expanding his breaking knowledge and vocabulary. He’s also careful to mark moments of fun and accomplishment. “If you’re only remembering the bad experiences, you’re not going to keep pursuing,” San said. Fongdara found his calling at a young age dancing with family members. “I got introduced to break dance by my older cousin, who was a student [of San’s] before I was,” Fongdara said. That cousin was part of a crew from Des Moines Breakerz that performed at the White House. Fongdara looks forward to learning more styles, becoming a stronger all-styles dancer. He’s interested in KPop, hip hop and choreography.
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“I just want to be versatile,” Fongdara said. “Just in any aspect, because then I’ll just want to combine all of it into one style. I can be different, be unique, stand out. I just want to be really unique to where I can make a name for myself.” He even hopes that other people will try out his personal style once he has worldwide exposure. “You don’t see a lot of people do some moves that I put in. Because sometimes I’ll just do a move and pull something from a different type of category of dance within a move. I think it’s what makes me unique as a dancer. Because compared to other breakers, they don’t have that,” Fongdara said. San and Swartwood say Fongdara excels at transitioning
and Squadron crew], he told me that I lack confidence within myself. So, I’m definitely trying to lose myself—give myself confidence and just hopefully see a different outcome,” Fongdara said. The Breakerz have made sure to build a family through their breaking classes. Their community ensures that everyone becomes the best dancer they can be by providing a means to get to bigger dance events, taking care of each other in every aspect and providing the teachers that can help them achieve success. San is hoping to lay a foundation for his students so that when San moves on, the street dance scene in Des Moines will not only still exist but also grow. In the near future, Des Moines Breakerz are planning
“I JUST WANT TO BE VERSATILE. JUST IN ANY ASPECT, BECAUSE THEN I’LL JUST WANT TO COMBINE ALL OF IT INTO ONE STYLE. I CAN BE DIFFERENT, BE UNIQUE, STAND OUT.”
from one move to another very well with a lot of fluid floor movement. “He definitely has a flow thread transition,” San said. “He’s very diverse compared to a lot of the students I worked with.” And training isn’t the only way Fongdara expands his knowledge. Swartwood often catches him studying watching “hours upon hours” of dance videos. “That’s putting in the hours, that’s still doing something instead of just sitting on your butt, wishing I could do this better,” San said of his student. “From a year ago till now, there’s been tremendous growth. … You can see the hunger as well.” Fongdara knows he has some personal adjustments to make to ensure he is putting his best foot forward. But his main focus is boosting his confidence. “One of the best breakers or b-boys in the world [Boston’s Alexander Raimon Diaz, El Nino—a member of Floor Lords
to get their own physical location so that they can have a centralized place for classes to continue developing Olympic-caliber dancers. In addition to Des Moines Breakerz, Fongdara is also a part of an after school program, the North Icebreakers. And just as San hoped, he appreciates breaking as an outlet. “I’d definitely say I built up more [of a] passion about it, knowing that I have somebody who cares about dancing, and just dance in general, as much as I do,” Fongdara said of his mentors. “It’s helped me build a lot of relationships throughout this. And if I didn’t have it, I would probably be living a whole different life. So, I’m definitely really happy that I chose this route in life,” Fongdara said. Courtney Guein is a Little Village staff writer. After interviewing the Breakerz, she was invited to join them for a performance at the Dew Tour on July 30, and more in the future.
INVESTING IN THE ARTS, INVESTING IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
GREATER DES MOINES BR AVOGREATERDESMOINES.ORG
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EVENTS: August August 2022
Planning an event? Submit event info to calendar@littlevillagemag. com. Include event name, date, time, venue, street address, admission price and a brief description (no all-caps, exclamation points or advertising verbiage, please). To find more events, visit littlevillagemag.com/calendar. Please check venue listing in case details have changed.
Joe Crimmings
SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA | WWW.SCIOWA.ORG
Ingersoll Live, The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand, Des Moines, Saturday, Aug. 27 at 4 p.m., Free
Get ready for the block party of the summer! The Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand, a SSMID in the heart of Des Moines, is closing the 2800 block of Ingersoll for three stages, 3-D chalk art and vendors galore. The community stage will be filled with a wide variety of talent starting at 4 p.m. with the Isiserettes Drill & Drum Corp and including poetry, breakdance, theater and a 7:15 p.m. closing performance from Girls Rock! There will also be business and community vendors, artist vendors, food and beverage vendors and a variety of free kids activities. If you ride there, you can enjoy a complimentary bike valet from the Street Collective. Community Connections Friday, Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. 60 FPS:
Friday, Aug. 5 and 19 at 9 p.m.
A Festival of Video Games, Board
Free Flicks: Happy Gilmore and
Games & Illustration, Mainframe
Soul, Various Locations, Des
Studios, Des Moines, Free
Moines, Free
EDITORS’ PICKS: August 2022
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DES MOINES
Saturdays, Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27 and
Thursday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 3 at 9 a.m. Global Greens
UPCYCLE, Grays Lake Park, Des
Farmers Market, Lutheran Services
Moines, Free
AF
re s h P
e r s p e ct
i ve
in Iowa, Des Moines, Free Friday, Aug. 19 at 8 a.m. LGBTQ Sunday, Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. DSM
Older Adults Conference, Uni-
Music Collectors Show (Vinyl, CDs,
tyPoint Education & Resource
Tapes & More), Forté Banquet
Center, Des Moines, Free-$25
Center, Des Moines, Free-$3 Saturday, Aug. 20-21 at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 7 at 1:30 p.m. The
Des Moines Princesses at the Zoo,
Rook Room Game Day, Central
Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, $20-
Library, Des Moines, Free
$35
Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. Cribbage
Primary Health Care Community
Tournament, Brightside Aleworks,
Night, PHC South Side Clinic Park-
Altoona, $5
ing Lot, Des Moines, Free Monday, Aug. 22 at 1 p.m. Open Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 11-21 Iowa
Slay Dungeons & Dragons Youth
State Fair, Iowa State Fairgrounds,
One-Shot Campaign, Franklin
Des Moines, $5-14
Avenue Library, Free Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Puzzlepalooza, Peace Tree Brewing Company, Des Moines, $40 per team Friday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. Opening Reception: Olson-Larsen Galleries Present Timeless, Jordan House, West Des Moines, Free
THE WEEKENDER
Friday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Science Center of Iowa Gala, Science Center, Des Moines, $150 Saturday, Aug. 27 at 12 p.m. The Water Ride, Confluence Brewing Company, Des Moines, $25 Sunday, Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. Sista Soul Fest, Evelyn Davis Park, Des Friday, Aug. 12 at 4 p.m.
Moines, Free
Remarks & Reception with Karen Strohbeen, Moberg Gallery, Des
Saturday, Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. Water
Moines, Free
Lantern Festival, Water Works Park, Des Moines, $35-55
Sunday, Aug. 14 at 12 p.m. Vegan Summer Market, Cowles Commons, Des Moines, Free Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 4 p.m. The Rook Room Party Games, Franklin Avenue Library, Des Moines, Free
FIND MORE EVENTS
YOUR WEEKLY EDITOR-CURATED ARTS COMPENDIUM, A.K.A.
st uf f to do IN YOUR INBOX EVERY THURSDAY LittleVillageMag.com/Subscribe LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 33
EDITORS’ PICKS: August 2022
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Exile Music Festival, Exile Brewing Company, Des Moines, Saturday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m., $35
Nguyen Q. Luong
Exile turns 10 this month and they’re putting on a music festival to celebrate! Head out to the brewery to catch headliner Leftover Salmon, a jamgrass band from Colorado, along with Kyle Hollingsworth, another Coloradian and former String Cheese Incident member. Festivalgoers will also hear some local Iowa rock and jambands: Illegal Smile, Halfloves and Birdie Pie. There will absolutely be plenty of beer, in addition to face paint, spin art and more activities. Kids 14 and under are free to enter. Musical Marvels Friday, Aug. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Steve Earle & The
Thursday, Aug. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Joe Kaplow w/
Friday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. August Burns Red, Val
Dukes, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, $45-
Brian Johannesen, Gas Lamp, $10-12
Air Ballroom, West Des Moines, $29.50-35
75 Thursdays, Aug. 11, 18, 25 and Sept. 1 and 8
Friday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Danielle Nicole, xBk
Saturday, Aug. 6 at 4:30 p.m. Stark Raving
Music in the Garden Concert Series, Des Moines
Live, $25
Madge, Gas Lamp, Des Moines, $10
Botanical Garden, Free-$10
Saturday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. Run Wilson w/One
Friday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. Chastity Brown with
South Lark, xBk Live, Des Moines, $10-15
Lily DeTaeye, xBk Live, $18
Tuesday, Aug 9 at 7 p.m. The Meteors, Lefty’s
Friday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. Glass Ox, Chill Mac,
Live Music, Des Moines, $15
Dose, Static Soul, Ronbot, Gas Lamp, $10-15
Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Melissa
Sunday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m. Dead Horses, xBk
Etheridge, Hoyt Sherman Place, $65-95
Live, $15-20
Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. Cicada Rhythm,
Thursday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. Salt Creek, xBk
xBk Live, $15-20
Live, $17-20
Saturday, Aug. 20 at 9 p.m. The Bassberry Jam, Lefty’s Live Music, $10 Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. Futurebirds with Halfloves, Wooly’s, Des Moines, $15 Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. The Aristocrats, xBk Live, $28 Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Matt Nathanson, Hoyt Sherman Place, $35-55 Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. Animal Collective with Tomato Flower, Wooly’s, $30
DES MOINES Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Boz Scaggs, Hoyt Sherman Place, $45-95 Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Happy Together Tour, Hoyt Sherman Place, $49.50-95 Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26 and 27. Justin Roberts and Inez Barlatier, Various Venues, Ankeny and Des Moines, Free Sunday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Alpha Wolf w/ Rehtek, xBk, $18 Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. Southall Band, Wooly’s, $18 Saturday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. Stateparks, Atlas Support Group, Freeman Band, Dolliver, Gas Lamp, $10 Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. Tantric & Smile Empty Soul, Lefty’s Live Music, $20 Saturday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The Music of Whitney Houston, Water Works Park, Des
FOOT & ANKLE
Moines, Free Sunday, Sept. 4 Norwalk Music Fest, Norwalk City Park, Norwalk, Free Sunday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. Tapestry, xBk Live, $10-15 Sunday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Des Moines Symphony: Hooray for Hollywood, Water Works Park, Free Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. Haley Heynderickx w/LePonds, xBk Live, $16-21 Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Bernadette Pe-
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SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT: (515) 282-3668
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ters & Des Moines Symphony, Des Moines Civic Center, $40.00 - $165.00
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EDITORS’ PICKS: August 2022
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Des Moines Storytellers Project, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., $12
Get ready for some Bad Advice! The latest installment of the Des Moines Storytellers Project promises tales of “accepting, ignoring, or just plain regretting another person’s help.” The series, curated by reporters from the Des Moines Register, encourages the community to understand that everyone has a story worth telling. More than 150 storytellers have taken the stage with this program since its inception in 2016. Standard admission tickets are $12; the $28 VIP tickets come with a drink, a treat and premium seating. The 2022 season will continue Oct. 25 with Obsessions (“Our unabashed passions, from relationships to hobbies—and everything in between”) and wrap up Dec. 13 with Generosity (“The kindness I didn’t see coming”). Theatrical Thrills Through Aug. 7 My Fair Lady, Des
Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. No
Moines Civic Center, Des Moines,
Shame Theater, Teehee’s Comedy
$40-174
Club, Free
Friday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. Kristin
Friday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Marc
Lytie: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s
Moen, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des
Comedy Club, Des Moines, $15-20
Moines, $39.50-59.50
Saturday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. Being
Friday, Aug. 19 at 9:30 p.m. Who
Iowan with Donald Gee, Teehee’s
Wants to Be a Millennial? Teehee’s
Comedy Club, $15-20
Comedy Club, $10-55
Friday-Sunday, Aug. 5-7 Noah
Opens Tuesday, Aug. 23 To Kill
Sonie Magic, Various Locations,
a Mockingbird, Des Moines Civic
Des Moines Metro, Free
Center, $40-175
Friday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. Chicago
Opens Friday, Sept. 2 The Sweet
Comedy Showcase, Teehee’s Com-
Delilah Swim Club, Tallgrass The-
edy Club, $15-20
atre Company, West Des Moines, $33-35
36 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
Akwi Nji, via Hoyt Sherman
EDITORS’ PICKS: August 2022
DES MOINES
iLUV Slamfest, Temple Theater, Des Moines, Saturday, Aug. 6 at 6 p.m., Free
via Say
Join Say: Poetry in welcoming some of the best youth poets from across the state for the annual slam from iLuv: Iowa Leaders Uplifting Voices. The threeday community building festival culminates in a Saturday night slam featuring Say: Poetry, IC Speaks, Waterloo Writing Project and more. Admission is free but donations are warmly welcomed. Literary Luxuries Friday, Aug. 5 at 5 p.m. Sip & Shop First
Monday, Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Panel
Thursday, Sept. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Meet The Au-
Friday, Storyhouse Bookpub, Des Moines,
Discussion: The Land Beneath Us, Artisan
thor: Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez, Beaverdale
Free
Gallery 218, West Des Moines, Free
Books, Free
Sunday, Aug. 7 at 2:30 p.m. Meet The
Tuesday, Aug. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Poetry
Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the
Author: Mary Gordon & Candace Camling,
Workshop with Kelsey Bigelow, Forest
Author: Eric Saylor, Beaverdale Books, Free
Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Free
Avenue Library, Des Moines, Free
Saturday, Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. Local Author
Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. Karin
Fair, Beaverdale Books, Free
Slaughter, Central Library, Des Moines,
FIND MORE EVENTS
Free Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Meet The Author: Angela Tedesco, Beaverdale
Thursday, Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Meet The
Books, Free
Author: Dennis Maulsby, Beaverdale Books, Free
Saturday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. Bookstore Romance Day, Beaverdale Books, Free
Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Meet The Author: Kay Fenton Smith & Carol McGarvey, Beaverdale Books, Free
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 37
EDITORS’ PICKS: August 2022
AROUND THE CRANDIC
Dana Kunze’s Watershow Productions, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, Friday-Sunday, Aug. 26-28, Free
Nate Jimerson
One weekend, eight performances, 50 golden years! Hancher kicks off its 50th anniversary season with high dive hijinks to astound and delight. Dana Kunze’s Watershow Productions will present shows at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26 and at 2, 3, and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28. The event is a holdover from the COVID-quashed 2020 festival The Big Splash, as is brasshouse trio Too Many Zoos, performing Friday on the Hadley Stage. They open up a fantastic season steeped in nostalgia and titled, appropriately, “We All Rise.” The Dana Kunze’s Watershow performances are all free to the public. Eastward, ho! Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 9
Friday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Amos
Saturday, Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. Bour-
Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 4 p.m.
and 10 at 7:30 p.m. Ani DiFranco
Lee, Englert Theatre, Iowa City,
bon & Blues Festival, McGrath Am-
Taste of Iowa City, Iowa City
with the Righteous Babes, Codfish
$49-89
phitheatre, Cedar Rapids, $35-40
Downtown District, Free
Saturday, Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. The
Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 22 and
Friday-Sunday, Aug. 26-28.
Big Dream, Big Grove Brewery,
23 at 6 p.m. Cheap Copies! DIY
Stanley Museum of Art Opening
Iowa City, $50
Publishing with Mimeo, Hecto and
Celebration, Iowa City, Free
Hollow Barnstormers, Maquoketa, $45-50 Saturday, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. Kick-
Ditto, PS1 Close House, Iowa City,
It: Buy, Sell & Trade Expo, Xtream Arena, Coralville, $15
Saturday, Aug. 20 at 1 p.m. Drink
$15-100
Saturday, Aug. 27 at 12 p.m.
Local Festival, Benz Beverage
Latino Fest, Ped Mall, Iowa City,
Depot, Cedar Rapids, $30-35
Free
38 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
EDITORS’ PICKS: August 2022
AMES
The Goldfinch Room: Joshua Vorvick & Kellie Lin, Stephens Auditorium, Ames, Tuesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m., Courtesy of the Goldfinch Room
$15-40
For two years, the Iowa Songwriters Showcases held by the Goldfinch Room series shifted outdoors or in the main auditorium, to allow for pandemic precautions. This year, they’ve returned to the cozy Celebrity Café space where they first formed, recreating the intimate experience they started out with: only around 80 people enjoying amazing acoustics and top-notch talent. This installment features Oregon-raised Iowan Joshua Vorvick and Minnesota’s Kellie Lin. Explore Ames!
Fridays, Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26 and
Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Author
Friday, Aug. 26 at 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.
Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. Tiny Deck Con-
Event: Teresa Wilhelm Waldof,
Ames History Museum Benefit
Jazz Night w/the Collective Indif-
certs, Wheatsfield Cooperative,
Ames Public Library, Free
Dinner, Prairie Moon Winery and
ference, Alluvial Brewing Compa-
Vineyards, Ames, $65
ny, Ames, Free
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Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. Commu-
in the Trees, Iowa Arboretum &
Ames Public Library, $20
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Friday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. Books, Ames, Free Alleygrass, Alluvial Brewing Company, Ames, Free
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 39
DEAR KIKI
LittleVillageMag.com/DearKiki
D
ear Kiki, I have a really good friend who has been trying for over a year to get pregnant and is really frustrated that it’s taking so long. She confides in me and I offer what emotional support I can without proffering unsolicited advice, and I’m glad she trusts me. She’s sick of people giving her advice and is kind of losing hope. Problem is, I just found out that I’m pregnant after trying for only a month.
you to have your child, and if she eventually has one as well, you’ll learn the wisdom of the axiom that “it takes a village”—having just one person to rely on, no matter how wonderful they are, will likely be insufficient, and it will serve you both well to have broadened your base of support. Remember, Embarazada, that you can’t control your friend’s feelings. This is frankly a damned good lesson for you to be learning as you prepare to be a first-time parent. You will hurt her feelings, just as you will find that things outside your control STEEL YOURSELF. IT’S NOT FUN, cause your child to be unfathomably upset. Steel yourself. It’s not fun, but BUT IT’S NECESSARY. ALL YOU it’s necessary. All you can do is monCAN DO IS MONITOR YOUR itor your intentions and be there when INTENTIONS AND BE THERE WHEN they’re ready to turn to you. It sucks to hear, but she likely will THEY’RE READY TO TURN TO YOU. feel bitterness, jealousy and resentment. That’s her burden to bear, and the worst thing you can do is make her feel worse about it by centering your feelings on the matter. Sometimes, life just gets I was assuming it would take longer and was in the way. It’s not a matter of “fault” on the part surprised it happened “first try,” as it were. I’m of either of you, but it’s real and better faced than really nervous to tell her because I don’t want avoided. Just be honest with her, Embarazada. her to feel any bitterness, jealousy or resentment Honesty and patience are what will salvage this about it. I don’t want this to affect our friendfriendship, not caution and attempts at perfecship. Since I’m still early on, I haven’t told anytion. And remember too, pragmatically, that the one except for my boyfriend and a couple really further along you get in your pregnancy, the more old friends from school. But when the time comes your emotions will be heightened—so don’t wait for me to break the news, I’m really afraid of intoo long to tell her. Do it soon, take it seriously advertently hurting her feelings. How should I and don’t make her reactions about you. Let her handle this? experience the full range of her feelings about —Embarazada this. Attempting to manage her emotions is in the same category as giving her advice: to be avoidear Embarazada, ed. xoxo, Kiki While it’s valuable and kind that you’re concerned about your friend’s feelings, you may have stumbled upon a no-win scenario here. It seems highly unlikely that, given the circumstances, you’ll remain her confidant once she knows you’re expecting: Not because of anything you’ve done, but simply because watching your belly grow may be too triggering for her. She can’t be expected to feign excitement through her sadness any more than you should be expected to dampen your excitement. That doesn’t mean you should give up on this relationship. On the contrary, perhaps you can Submit questions anonymously prime some mutual acquaintances to step into the at littlevillagemag.com/dearkiki gap that you will be leaving. You seem to have a or non-anonymously to distinct ability to understand her need for support dearkiki@littlevillagemag.com. without advice, and if you can help someone else Questions may be edited for clarity and truly come to that understanding as well, they length, and may appear either in print or might be able to take your place, so to speak. online at littlevillagemag.com. Because, Embarazada, when the time comes for
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KIKI WANTS QUESTIONS!
AST R O LO GY
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): It’s always advisable for you Leos to carry on a close personal relationship with mirrors. I’m speaking both literally and metaphorically. For the sake of your mental health, you need to be knowledgeable about your image and monitor its ever-shifting nuances. And according to my analysis of the astrological omens, you are now authorized to deepen your intimate connection with mirrors. I believe you will thrive by undertaking an intense phase of introspective explorations and creative self-inquiry. Please keep it all tender and kind, though. You’re not allowed to bad-mouth yourself. Put a special emphasis on identifying aspects of your beauty that have been obscured or neglected. By the way, Leo, I also recommend you seek compassionate feedback from people you trust. Now is an excellent time to get reflections about your quest to become an even more amazing human. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): At your best, you are a flexible purist, an adaptable stickler for detail and a disciplined yet supple thinker. Maybe more than any other sign of the zodiac, you can be focused and resilient, intense and agile, attentive and graceful. And all of us non-Virgos will greatly appreciate it if you provide these talents in abundance during the coming weeks. We need you to be our humble, understated leader. Please be a role model who demonstrates the finely crafted, well-balanced approach to being healthy.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In my Astrological Book of Life, your life purposes as a Libra may include the following: 1. to be beautiful in the smartest ways you can imagine and smart in the most beautiful ways you can imagine; 2. to always see at least two sides of the story and preferably more; 3. to serve as an intermediary between disparate elements; 4. to lubricate and facilitate conversations between people who might not otherwise understand each other; 5. to find common ground between apparent contradictions; 6. to weave confusing paradoxes into invigorating amalgamations; 7. to never give up on finding the most elegant way to understand a problem. PS: In the coming weeks, I hope you will make extra efforts to call on the capacities I just named. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author Clive James loved the Latin term gazofilacium, meaning “treasure chamber.” He said that the related Italian word, gazofilacio, referred to the stash of beloved poems that he memorized and kept in a special place in his mind. In accordance with astrological omens, Scorpio, now would be an excellent time to begin creating your own personal gazofilacium: a storehouse of wonderful images and thoughts and memories that will serve as a beacon of joy and vitality for the rest of your long life. Here’s your homework: Identify 10 items you will store in your gazofilacium. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Tips to get the most out of the next three weeks: 1. Keep your interesting options open. Let your mediocre options shrivel and expire. 2. Have no regrets and make no apologies about doing what you love. 3. Keep in mind that every action you perform reverberates far beyond your immediate sphere. 4. Give your fears ridiculous names like “Gaffe” and “Wheezy” and “Lumpy.” 5. Be honest to the point of frankness but not to the point of rudeness. 6. Don’t just run. Gallop. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn poet Richard Hugo wrote, “It doesn’t bother me that the word ‘stone’ appears more than 30 times in my third book, or that ‘wind’ and ‘gray’ appear over and over in my poems to the disdain of some reviewers.” Hugo celebrated his obsessions. He treated them as riches because focusing on them enabled him to identify his deepest feelings and discover who he really was. In accordance with astrological omens, I recommend a similar
By Rob Brezsny
approach to you in the coming weeks. Cultivate and honor and love the specific fascinations at the core of your destiny. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Author Violet Trefusis (1894– 1972) and author Vita Sackville-West (1892–1962) loved each other. In one letter, Violet told Vita, “I want you hungrily, frenziedly, passionately. I am starving for you. Not only the physical you, but your fellowship, your sympathy, the innumerable points of view we share. I can’t exist without you; you are my affinity.” In the coming weeks, dear Aquarius, I invite you to use florid language like that in addressing your beloved allies. I also invite you to request such messages. According to my reading of the planetary omens, you are due for eruptions of articulate passion. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’d like to honor and pay homage to a past disappointment that helped transform you into a beautiful soul. I know it didn’t feel good for you when it happened, but it has generated results that have blessed you and the people whose lives you’ve touched. Would you consider performing a ritual of gratitude for all it taught you? Now is an excellent time to express your appreciation because doing so will lead to even further redemption. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Fiction-writer John Banville tells us, “There are moments when the past has a force so strong it seems one might be annihilated by it.” I suspect that’s sometimes true for many of us. But it won’t apply to you Aries anytime soon. In fact, just the opposite situation will be in effect during the coming months: You will have more power to render the past irrelevant than maybe you’ve ever had. You will wield an almost indomitable capacity to launch new trends without having to answer to history. Take full advantage, please! TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Researchers have proved that lullabies enhance the health of premature babies being cared for in hospitals. The soft, emotionally rich songs also promote the well-being of the babies’ families. I bring this to your attention because I believe you should call on lullaby therapy yourself in the coming weeks. Listening to and singing those tunes will soothe and heal your inner child. And that, in my astrological opinion, is one of your top needs right now. For extra boosts, read fairy tales, eat food with your hands, make mud pies and play on swings, seesaws and merry-go-rounds. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Dancer and singer-songwriter FKA Twigs has taken dance lessons since she was a child. In 2017, she added a new form of physical training, the Chinese martial art of wushu. Doing so made her realize a key truth about herself: She loves to learn and practice new skills. Of all life’s activities, they give her the most pleasure and activate her most vibrant energy. She feels at home in the world when she does them. I suspect you may have similar inclinations in the coming months. Your appetite for mastering new skills will be at an all-time high. You will find it natural and even exhilarating to undertake disciplined practice. Gathering knowledge will be even more exciting than it usually is. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author Laurie Sheck writes, “So much of life is invisible, inscrutable: layers of thoughts, feelings and outward events entwined with secrecies, ambiguities, ambivalences, obscurities, darknesses.” While that’s an experience we all have, especially you Cancerians, it will be far less pressing for you in the coming weeks. I foresee you embarking on a phase when clarity will be the rule, not the exception. Hidden parts of the world will reveal themselves to you. The mood will be brighter and lighter than usual. The chronic fuzziness of life will give way to a delightful acuity. I suspect you will see things that you have never or rarely seen. LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 41
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LO C A L A L B U M S
CHAIRCRUSHER Distelfink TRIPLICATERECORDS.BANDCAMP. COM/ALBUM/DISTELFINK
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owa City’s very own Chaircrusher (aka Kent Williams, a regular LV contributor) is back. By Chaircrusher’s frantic standards—four albums in 2021, three each in 2020 and 2019—2022 has constituted a hibernation of sorts; an Eastern Gray Squirrel tucked away inside a tree hollow with nothing but an analog synthesizer for company. Yet, like all sleepy mammals, Williams finally rose, treating us to a typically glitchy single, Chini Ya Mawe, in June, followed by this full-length project in July. Distelfink, a slithering slice of ambient-electronica, reminds us that if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares straight back at you. Soft, seductive, yet ultimately unsettling, the ribbon of chimes infecting “Palisades” is what I hear in my head whenever a cryptocurrency hawker begins explaining to me how their stablecoin is the future of decentralized exchange. “It’s pegged to what? Uh-huh. Accessible across more blockchains in the future too? Great, great. I’ll get back to you when I next feel like setting my savings on fire.” Likewise, the menace of “Fomite” is unmistakable, filling me with the same sense of dread I experience when creeping around a dark cave in Pokémon Ruby. A oneway ticket to Mount Doom, it’s an album high. Writers of American Horror Stories, take note. By contrast, the kickdrum-driven thunder of “Adventitious” (a confident nod to Chaircrusher’s techno
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influences) and the shimmering melodies of “Tangram” demonstrate it’s still possible to harbor hope while living through 2022’s smoldering hellscape—even if those dreams are reduced to dusty debris by fossil fuel barons. Indeed, much like vital climate legislation, “Tangram” eventually withers away; only hi-hats are left to keep brooding synths company, as a song that started so optimistically ends on a depressing note of realism. “Distlefink,” the album’s namesake, hardly raises the mood. A sonic ghost ship, it glides through the ether; the perfect soundtrack to a Safdie brothers film. “Eliane”’s dissected whispers drift, chatter and evaporate, underpinned by a twinkling array of interchanging vibrations. Always just out of reach, the snatches of vocals feel like faint memories from a previous life, a Philip K. Dick novel unravelling page by page into my ears. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? I’m not sure. But they definitely listen to Chaircrusher. Eventually the scattered voices give way for “Checksum,” the album’s 22 minute closer. Step inside, where ambivalent chaos reigns supreme. Is that a sword being smelt-
JARRET PURDY & DAN PADLEY Ecotones JARRETTPURDYMUSIC.BANDCAMP. COM
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hen Dan Padley played at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago, I was impressed (as always) by the liquid elegance of his playing on the jazz standard “All the things you are.” I’m sure there was effort expended, but he played effortlessly, pulling different sounds from his guitar not with pedals or electronic tricks, but with just the touch of his fingers. Ecotones, released in January, combines Padley’s casual virtuosity with the keyboard and synthesizer of Jarrett Purdy. Ecotones takes its cues stylistically from the ambient music pioneered by Brian Eno and others. But songs like “Snowfall” cleave to more conventional IF YOUR IDEA OF JAZZ IS jazz songMIDDLE AGED GUYS NODDING writing SAGELY TO THE PIANO PLAYER’S and performance. TRICKY ELEVENTH CHORDS, If your THIS IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. idea of jazz is middle aged guys ed? A 56k modem shuffling towards nodding sagely to the piano playan internet connection? Details like er’s tricky eleventh chords, this is that matter little once the fuzziness something different. “Snowfall” is takes over. Imagine walking around a delicate, sophisticated composithe Johnson County Fair after a tion that invites everyone in. It has tab of acid and you get the picture. some of the satisfying, approachStay away from me, prizewinning able sonorities of folk harmonies sheep! How many minutes left? with some tonal changes that surFour. I can hold on. Think about prise the ear without being jarring. anything except the void. Anything. “Petrichor” is just as warm but Just not: the void. contains more electronic sounds, —Glenn Houlihan centered on an atonality combined
with a shuffling, stuttery noise. It’s as experimental as the noisy experimentation of Fennesz, but like “Snowfall” and other tracks, there’s something familiar and harmonically satisfying for the listener to latch onto. (It’s also all too brief. On first listen, I thought it was a one-minute vignette; its 3:09 seems fleeting.) The liner notes say that the music is inspired by “the nature of Iowa,” but there’s nothing as on the nose as the sounds of cicadas or the wind. These echo the natural world, but are made by Padley and Purdy’s fingers. They’re both players of assured technical skill, but there are no feats of instrumental skill for their own sake. They use those thousands of hours of practice so they don’t have to think about playing; they’re listening and reacting in real time to each other, in service of the mood they want to create. The rubato arpeggiation of “Cloud” seems to capture the movement and stillness of clouds in the sky, the show that’s always playing in Iowa if you just look up. Since these are jazz guys, the song has surprising, deceptive cadences piled on top of each other, like a nimbus cloud climbing into the atmosphere. What makes this album special is how much the more conventional tracks like this fit so well with the more electronic, ambient pieces. They use different sonic palettes to express the same ideas differently. It’s fitting this was recorded at Flat Black Studio, in the middle of farmland, surrounded by trees. Inspiration is all around there, literally. It’s easy to imagine Padley and Purdy taking a break outside from a session, and the sound of the wind in the trees sounds so perfectly in sync with what they’re trying to play that they have to laugh. The warm, welcoming sound of Ecotones invokes the natural world not by literal imitation, but in the way nature supports and sustains us. —Kent Williams
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 43
Community
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>> Cont. from pg. 21 limestone is fashioned into imitations of Corinthian columns. Carved into the faux-columns are the signs of the zodiac. Above the door is a depiction of the winged sun disk of ancient Egypt, complete with attendant cobras. Speaking at the observatory’s dedication, Morehouse explained the reason for the mashup of antiquities: “Thus in review before our minds passes the ancient Chaldean, Persian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations, each of which contributed its part to the science to which this building is dedicated.” The art continues inside. Through the entranceway is the observatory’s rotunda, where the floor features a mosaic of the solar system. Eight planets are shown orbiting the sun. There are only eight, because Pluto wasn’t discovered until 1930. The mosaic was never updated, which turned out to be a good choice after the International Astronomical Union downgraded Pluto to dwarf-planet status in 2006. Herb Schwartz, the longtime lecturer at the observatory, has determined the mosaic depicts the position of the planets on Oct. 1, 1921. Schwartz is a witty speaker who makes complicated subjects easy to understand. His style has attracted fans to the observatory’s free public lectures, presented on Friday nights during the spring, summer and fall. There were 150 old, mismatched, wooden chairs set up in the observatory’s lecture hall for the final presentation of the 2022 summer season on July 22. Before Schwartz started his talk about meteors, every seat was filled and people were standing in the back of the room. The crowd was enthusiastic, but such enthusiasm hasn’t prevented the observatory from decades of problems. After Morehouse’s death in 1941, the prominence astronomy once enjoyed at Drake faded. Enrollment in classes declined, and so did the university’s financial support for the observatory.
The city’s, too. In the 1970s, Des Moines Parks and Rec said budget cuts prevented it from holding up the city’s side of the gentlemen’s agreement involving upkeep of the building’s exterior. By then the observatory had begun to weather badly, and had been repeatedly vandalized. As the years went on the condition of the building declined, the Des Moines Register said some locals began to consider it “a dilapidated, old tomb.” Tombs, of course, attract ghost stories, as do buildings containing unexpected human remains. On the wall next to the guestbook in the observatory’s rotunda is a plaque marking the final resting place for ashes of Daniel Morehouse and his wife Myrtle. It seems to be common consensus that if the observatory is haunted, it’s Daniel and Myrtle doing the haunting. Fortunately, reports of ghostly Morehouse activities sound more like pranks than movie-style poltergeisting. Students have reported occurrences such as lights flickering on and off, locks on doors behaving oddly and sudden cold spots that have no apparent cause. Even Herb Schwartz has had a couple of spooky experiences. One night when Schwartz was alone in the observatory, a door burst open and a gust of air rushed in. He called out to see if anyone had opened the door, but there was no reply. Another time, Schwartz had just locked up to leave and drove down the road to lock the gate, only to see one of the lights from a machine he’d just turned off blinking in the distance. Community support over the decades has kept the observatory from being a mere ghostly relic. In the 1970s, when the city and the university were neglecting the upkeep of the building, supporters raised money to cover the cost of badly needed repairs. It happened again in the ’90s: Concerned community members pushed the city to repair the observatory, and the campaign
gained support from local businesses. A major renovation of the observatory was launched at the end of that decade. At the same time, Drake was actively considering ending all its support for the observatory. But pushback from the Waveland Park Neighborhood Association and others—and eventually pressure from Drake alumni—made the university renew its commitment. In 2001, the renovations were finished and the future of the observatory appeared secure. But the passage of another two decades has taken its toll on the century-old structure. Schwartz and others have learned to work around the building liabilities. Attendees of the Friday lecture series used to be invited out onto the observation deck to stargaze through telescopes after the lecture was finished. But since the deck is no longer safe, the telescopes are now placed on the observatory’s lawn. Schwartz estimates supporters would need to raise nearly $2 million, with the city providing matching funds, to fully rehabilitate the facility. Speaking after his meteor lecture, his last presentation before retiring, Schwartz was concerned about the observatory’s future. “It’s amazing—nearly every lecture I do there’s always people who come in saying ‘Oh, I never knew this was here,’” Schwartz said. “I worry, now that I’m stepping aside, that [the lecture series] won’t continue on.” For now, the Drake Municipal Observatory remains what it’s been for more than a hundred years: an anomaly on a sightly knoll. Elaine Irvine has orbited all around Iowa — originally a Cedar Rapidian, she is now a University of Iowa grad, who has landed in Des Moines. Elaine is an avid reader, painter and journaler when she isn’t watching blissfully awful movies and TV shows.
Little Village is hiring for an Advertising Sales Consultant in Central Iowa • Full-time • $35,000-$50,000 a year We are looking for an Advertising Sales Consultant to determine prospective clients and expand ad sales locally on our Des Moines team!
Contact lv@littlevillagemag.com 44 August 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5
LO C A L B O O KS
BELINDA HUIJUAN TANG A Map for the Missing PENGUIN PRESS
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fter the dedications page of her debut novel, University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Belinda Huijuan Tang quotes Homer’s The Odyssey, a fitting harbinger for the journey she will take us on. Although A Map for the Missing (Penguin Press) is not the lighthearted summer read you might be looking for right now, it’s one you’re gonna want to read regardless. A Map for the Missing is a heartbreaking tale that follows Tang Yitian as he searches for his missing father, whom he hasn’t spoken to in many years. When Yitian returns to China to help his mother with the search, he also revisits a past he’s left behind. Jumping through decades, A Map for the Missing dives into the lives of different characters with ease, laying out an engaging portrait of post-Cultural Revolution China through the eyes of those who lived it. We can trick ourselves into believing that this story is solely about Yitian, a young boy who risks everything to take the gaokao (the National College Entry Exam in mainland China) and grows up to be a professor at an American college. It may actually be about Hanwen, a “sent-down youth” (a term for city kids who were sent to work rural farms) who, despite her drive and intelligence, consistently finds herself playing out the wishes of others, whether it be her husband, her mother or her government. In fact, maybe this story is just about choice.
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Throughout the book, we follow characters who are pigeon-holed due to their class, gender, age and heritage. And while the book mainly takes place in 20th-century China, it rings a dismal bell reminding of a harsh reality in the minds of modern American readers: Sometimes people cannot choose. So it’s up to them to either make the most of the lot they’re given or to disrupt the system to get what they want. Both have consequences that can last a lifetime. A Map for the Missing does not shy away from difficult topics, important for the subject matter at hand. But Tang somehow finds a way to make even the most heartbreaking parts of this novel beautiful. With her elegant yet simple prose, Tang’s writing is the epitome of bittersweetness. And it results in one of the most poignant endings I’ve ever read, putting a well-fitting cap on a beautifully crafted novel.
A MAP FOR THE MISSING DOES NOT SHY AWAY FROM DIFFICULT TOPICS, IMPORTANT FOR THE SUBJECT MATTER AT HAND. BUT TANG SOMEHOW FINDS A WAY TO MAKE EVEN THE MOST HEARTBREAKING PARTS OF THIS NOVEL BEAUTIFUL. I’ve said it before of authors whose debut novels I’ve reviewed, and I’d be remiss not to mention it again: Tang has struck gold with this one. A Map for the Missing is a thoughtful exploration of culture, identity, time and family. And I will be anxiously awaiting the next novel she decides to grace us with. A Map for the Missing is out on Aug. 9, 2022 via Penguin Press. —Lily DeTaeye
L.A. FELLEMAN The Length of a Clenched Fist FINISHING LINE PRESS
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ritten as a calendar documenting March through October, a single narrator moves through life in lockdown in L.A. Felleman’s The Length of a Clenched Fist (Finishing Line Press). If I hadn’t lived through 2020 I might not understand references like “While Italians Sing Arias From Balconies” (the first poem’s title) or “the square / Marked out in masking tape / Before the checkout lane” (from the poem “Mismanaged”). But, as with most people who are able to read, I was there. Three years into a pandemic, the virus was starting to lose its edge—but some of those memories Felleman documents bring it back, biting and painful. The epigraph alone is a jarring way to start a poetry collection: “Anyone who has shaved off or cut his beard will be imprisoned until the beard has grown to the length of a clenched fist” (The Bookseller of Kabul, a nonfiction book by Åsne Seierstad). It was unclear to me until well after finishing the book why this quote was used. But in the hangover that followed the book I remember those who protested lockdown in desperation for haircuts. I also thought it a sin to cut hair. Firmly grounded in 2020, we go from early lockdown to endless routine to dates in the park, but we never resume any semblance of normal. Felleman does not refer to a “new normal”; she never assigns judgment onto others without her
narrator accepting judgment first. This is a volume about survival. It is a time capsule of that which we want to forget. While the collection documents the domestic intricacies of life in quarantine, the poems have a universal quality that can apply to other times in life when we are isolated or meditative. We have all been ill, felt lonely and experienced an upheaval of routine. This meditative voice is characteristic of Felleman’s work, and I think I would recognize it anywhere after reading this volume. The poem that most exemplifies this voice, “How It Ends,” has Felleman distorting format while telling a single death narrative through four perspectives: “In the Cecile B. DeMille version”; “In the Broadway musical adaptation version”; “In the Disney version”; and “In this the Hospice version.” Here, we see one event reflected through different lenses. It is straightforward. It is inward-searching. It confronts our deepest pandemic fears and holds a mirror to each possibility. There is a lot of sadness in this collection—Felleman discusses painful moments in vignettes, gives them shine and leaves them in their place—but it is not a sad book. Not sanitized, but sometimes dispassionate, the poems are documentarian before they are emotional. Felleman is taking photographs and putting them on display. The reader’s response is their own. There is craft and exactness in many of these poems, the subtlety of a wallflower. Felleman writes like she’s been studying poetry, putting together the pieces of a puzzle to create the image she’s held in her mind and in this collection it provokes an uncanny sense of being witnessed. This is my own memory on display for me. “Let it be known that, while I have prayed over this attitude / The requested upgrade / Has yet to materialize.” —Sarah Elgatian
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM5 August 2022 45
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ACROSS 1. Point out on the battlefield? 8. Sort who never leaves the house 13. Carbon-12, e.g. 14. Laced Renaissance Fair garment 15. Hyperpartisan 16. Grieves 17. “¿Cómo lo ___?” (“How do you know?”) 18. Venmo payment technology: Abbr.
54
45
52 57
35
41
49
51 56
34
38
39
46
9
14
15
25
The American Values Club Crossword is edited by Ben Tausig.
20. grimacing emoji 21. Elizabethan “before” 22. Terms understood by everyone 25. Pokes (out) 27. Round place? 28. “___ Bones” (James Weldon Johnson spiritual) 29. Women’s soccer team that’s won more than half of all NCAA championships in their sport 30. Surveilled, as a joint
60
32. Feeling expressed on LiveJournal, stereotypically 36. “I just can’t wrap my head around what you’re saying ...” 39. City where Malcolm X was born 40. Because 41. Brian who said of NFTs, “How sweet—now artists can become little capitalist assholes as well” 42. Org. that merged with the CIO in 1955
44. No-___ (mission-abort calls) 45. Sounds from a stickin-the-mud 46. Unequal playing field 50. Contains 51. Publishing VIPs 52. Morning anchor Hoda 53. Swing clarinetist Shaw 56. Cooked with dry heat 59. Agony 61. Title character of an animated show that
teaches kids the names of celestial objects 62. Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs 63. Words on an empty bathroom stall 64. Delivery quality for comic Tig Notaro
LittleVillageMag.com 34. Like a fleet on the ocean floor 35. General ___ cauliflower (vegan air fryer option during the Taiping Rebellion) 37. “___ she blows!” 38. Undergrad deg. for a coder, maybe 43. Compare 45. Plaid pattern 46. Enrico of nuclear physics 47. Embellish 48. Sculptor Noguchi who also designed the first electronic baby monitor 49. The ___ of Small Things (Arundhati Roy novel) 50. Like decisions you might regret 54. Mother goddess of ancient Egypt 55. Slowly widening features in the classic “dramatic lemur” meme 57. Giant letters spelled out in rocks on a beach 58. ___ beans (cat paw features) 60. Piece in a magnetic train playset
DOWN 1. Black, green and blue trio on the curb, perhaps 2. Way out there on the ocean 3. “Yup!” 4. Bears’ kin? 5. Like Skaoi, the goddess of skiing 6. Superfund manager, for short 7. The Oscars and the Super Bowl, for two 8. Munching syllable 9. Devoted effort? 10. Worker a coal lobbyist claims to represent 11. Played someone 12. They might be standing 14. Located 16. Inc. relative, in Britain 19. Advance notice? 23. Sew-in, e.g. 24. Prefix used for anything and everything 25. Martial art featured in Sanshiro JULY ANSWERS I R S Y E L L OW BOP Sugata N A H A L I A S E S A NO 26. One for Augustus A N I S I M I L A C S E W BOA I S A DOR A S T E 27. Says ewe! I N T E R R A D A R N T S B COME S F I R S T 30. Waste, metaDOU B L E S T OP RO T I phorically S EGU E S T O P E E A P T O V E R S E A S 31. Instruction on an S H E A T E A S E R V I C E envelope containing S I X T H S E N S E E CON E L A T E K N E E S prints M L S A T S T A K E B T U 33. Becomes B I B T H E I D E A U Z I L E B S AGE H E N R E N suitable for bread E SQ WO R D L E N EG crumbs
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