Episodes 100
Avg. Duration 47m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.6 (101)
Since Jan 2026
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Daily
Format
Episodic
Consistency
55%
Hosting
www.iowapublicradio.org

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About This Podcast

Talk of Iowa is a place for Iowans to connect to our shared culture and what it means to live in Iowa. Host Charity Nebbe brings a mix of regular guests and a range of experts to discuss the arts, history, literature and everything else happening in Iowa. Every day brings something new — even if it's in a recurring segment like Talk of Iowa Book Club or comes from a familiar voice on Horticulture Day.

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Recent Episodes

Jean Lloyd-Jones defied women's norms, devoting her life to public service

Jun 12, 2026 48m

Jean Lloyd-Jones served in both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate, starting in 1979. Now, at age 96, she has published a memoir called 'A Women's Place: My Life as a Public Servant.' On this…

Dream City offers a community of care for youth and families

Jun 11, 2026 47m

Frederick Newell came to Iowa City 20 years ago as a college freshman and single father, who recognized a need for support for young parents and underrepresented Iowans. As social worker, in 2012…

'Founding Mothers' remembers the women who built and bettered our nation

Jun 10, 2026 55m

Behind every great man in a powdered wig is a remarkable woman. As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re reading about some of the women who helped shape our…

Clematis plants are in full bloom

Jun 06, 2026 47m

Clematis plants make a beautiful addition to any yard. Iowa State Horticulturists Cindy Haynes and Aaron Steil share tips for growing and caring for your clematis.

Iowa City suspense authors bring their unique backgrounds to their writing

Jun 05, 2026 47m

Best-selling author Tim Johnston was a master of the thriller. He passed away in May. To mark his passing, we’re revisiting a conversation from 2025 with Johnston and author Anna Bruno. We talk about…

Drive-in theaters offer families a way to roll back in time

Jun 04, 2026 48m

At its peak in the late 1950s, there were over 4,000 drive-in movie theaters in the U.S., with nearly 70 in Iowa. Today, there are four drive-in theaters operating in the state. On this episode, we…

Des Moines gallery owner believes art is for everyone

Jun 03, 2026 48m

Liz Ledgett, Des Moines gallery owner and author of 'Art is for Everyone,' shares how to curate an art collection on a budget. Then, we hear from Chris Nelson, the founder of Nelson Media Company,…

Love them or hate them, e-bike popularity is growing

Jun 02, 2026 47m

E-bikes have made cycling more accessible and expanded the ability to replace car trips with a bike ride. However, electric motors have complicated bike trails and have people worried about safety.…

How are new plant varieties tried and tested?

May 30, 2026 47m

When you flip through the pages of your favorite garden catalog, your eye might be caught by any number of new varieties of your favorite plants. All of the new plants at your garden center or in…

Add these books to your summer reading list

May 29, 2026 48m

Looking for a deep dive into current affairs, a captivating memoir or an opportunity to get lost in a novel? We’ve got you covered. Booksellers Jan Weismiller, Tim Budd and Linzi Murray share the…

Some of this summer's best books for young readers

May 28, 2026 48m

Summer is here and it’s a great time to share a book with a child or find some books that will light up the imaginations of the kids you love. Host Charity Nebbe is joined by expert readers to talk…

The Quire of Eastern Iowa celebrates a civil rights icon you may have never heard of

May 27, 2026 48m

Author Paige Lewis discusses their debut novel, 'Canon.' With echoes of the Odyssey and other historic epics, the novel's heroes go on is full of quests, battles — and a trip to the mall. Then, the…

Trash is treasure for this Danish artist and his new Iowa trolls

May 26, 2026 48m

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has built giant troll sculptures all over the world. He makes them entirely out of reclaimed materials and hides them in natural spaces. Iowa is now home to four trolls, as…

Iowa's state tree is in trouble

May 23, 2026 47m

The oak is the state tree of Iowa and an important part of native Iowa ecosystems, but Iowa’s oak woodlands are disappearing at an alarming rate. On this Horticulture Day, Charity Nebbe talks with…

Chef Sean Sherman connects with Indigenous traditions through food

May 22, 2026 48m

There are many Indigenous people in this country working on food sovereignty. The best known member of this movement is Chef Sean Sherman, founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef, which specializes in…

Nonprofit maps the next route for this historic road stop site

May 21, 2026 48m

The Lincoln and Jefferson highways were two of the nation's earliest transcontinental roads. These two highways intersected in Colo, Iowa, where a farmer named Charlie Reed had the idea to sell gas…

Young, educated adults leave Iowa at a higher rate than most of the U.S.

May 20, 2026 47m

In 2008, 47% of Iowa’s college students planned to stay in the state after graduation. That dropped to 41% in 2024. That’s a big concern in a state where many businesses are already seeing a worker…

Discovering radical self-worth in a year of celibacy

May 19, 2026 48m

For her entire adulthood, Melissa Febos went from one relationship to another, shaping her life around each new partner’s needs and desires. At the age of 35, she decided she needed a break. Host…

What you need to know about fire blight

May 16, 2026 47m

Fire blight can spread fast through orchards and backyard fruit trees, leaving growers scrambling to protect their crops. On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with Iowa State University…

'Kin' follows two motherless girls in the Jim Crow South

May 15, 2026 48m

Iowa alum and author Tayari Jones set out to write a very different story for her much-anticipated novel 'Kin' following the widely acclaimed 'An American Marriage.' She joins the show to shares how…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Talk of Iowa have?

Talk of Iowa has published 100 episodes since January 2026, covering topics in Arts, Education.

Is Talk of Iowa still active?

Talk of Iowa is currently highly active with new episodes daily. Average episode length is 47m.

How do I contact Talk of Iowa for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Talk of Iowa, including email and social media links.

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