“Is this heaven?” You probably remember the now famous “Field of Dreams” query, where a man who is experiencing some sort of an afterlife emerges from the Kevin-Costner character’s corn rows onto a baseball field. This man gets to suit up and play the sport he loves, which is something he likely never thought he’d [...]
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Iowa is a political hotbed during most presidential election cycles with its first-in-the-nation status of the Iowa Caucuses. Because of that — and the fact that it is a General Election year — there’s bound to be workplace discussions about candidates, issues or politics, in general. Public and private employers have different legal requirements under [...]
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It pays to be a scofflaw. The proposed consent decree between the federal government and Dico — a decree in which the City of Des Moines would end up owning those 43 acres of polluted wasteland at the corner of MLK Parkway and 16th Street — is a great deal for Dico. It’s a lousy [...]
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One of the last questions I asked President Barack Obama during an interview in his second term was this: Would he consider locating his presidential library and museum in Iowa? It’s not a silly or throwaway question, and the president answered it with great seriousness, because it is in our state, within our early-nominating vetting, [...]
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Charlie Kaufman is undeniably one of the greatest writers of his generation. “Being John Malkovich” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” are some of his most notable works, but it’s “Synecdoche, New York” that’s considered by many as one of the best films of the respective decade. However, if you’ve heard of these you’ll [...]
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A friend of mine, who teaches law in France every summer, says the success of Subway in that country baffles her. She asked her French friends “Why?” They told her they loved “the American concept of personal choice.” Subway invented an assembly line system in which the diner makes all the choices about ingredients. That [...]
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The tree rests comfortably on the roof. Nonchalantly, really. Not a care in the world. Might as well be in a pushed-back recliner with feet up. Perhaps a cigar would be in order. Or at least one of those new cocktails that are so popular at the local bars. It would seem only right that [...]
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When last we left this fluid situation, the central Iowa theater scene reflected the national and international trends and responses in their art. Each company, with its own unique circumstances, was in seclusion to determine what could be done and when. From Des Moines Performing Arts, a dynamic performing arts force that attracts patrons from [...]
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I love radio. Faithful readers may recall my column earlier this year on the history of Ron Sorensen and KFMG. This month I’m opening the history book of Iowa broadcasting on another familiar voice for many of you — Dic Youngs, “The Ole’ Youngster.” His era was before my time in the Des Moines area, [...]
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Ray is a playful and seemingly happy puppy with a tail that wags when he is pet. His cold, wet nose sniffs at your ankles. He’ll wrestle with chew toys clutched in his mouth. However, his toys don’t squeak, and he doesn’t play fetch. He can’t, because he’s both deaf and blind. His owner, Julie [...]
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There is a significant disconnect right now at the University of Northern Iowa. We think of colleges and universities as places where people come together to learn, to discuss and deliberate ideas, and to strengthen their thinking skills. But that has not occurred this month at Iowa’s third-largest university. The UNI student government refused last [...]
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Diane Bacon keeps a box of Band-Aids at the ready. The skilled stained-glass artisan has had her hands bloodied more times than she can count while pursuing her passion. “Hundreds,” she estimates. “At least.” Once upon a time, Bacon was a small child who would sit in church and marvel at the beauty of the [...]
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The art world lags behind the sports world in reopening — except in the public schools of Des Moines where they are recalcitrant to offer activities to the students. So, with no new exhibitions, gallery openings, live concerts, live drama nor opera, nonprofit institutions are going virtual, or remote. The Des Moines Community Playhouse did [...]
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Sara Jo Boesen conserves old paintings. Sara Jo Boesen liked to paint, yet she didn’t really want to be an artist. She loved the art and history aspect, as both her parents were auctioneers. When she attended art school at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she explored art careers, including meeting with the [...]
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It’s March 16, 2020. The governor of Iowa just shut down bars to slow the spread of COVID-19. Local musicians who perform at dozens of venues each week are suddenly out of work. They practice, they strum instruments, and they sing, but when will they perform again for a live audience? What do they do [...]
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Steven Vail is an international art dealer whose Steven Vail Fine Arts gallery is in Des Moines. I asked him to lunch, and he chose Lucca, Steve Logsdon’s mostly Italian café in East Village. On our visit, the carryout business was considerably more active than the indoor dining. Over a lunch menu of salads, sandwiches [...]
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For more than 25 years, Jimmy’s American Café served the West Des Moines neighborhood as a lively nightspot with cool drinks and innovative bar food. Since Jimmy’s shuttered nearly a decade ago, a handful of bars, eateries and even an Equardorian dance club tried their offerings without much success. Until now. Gilroy’s Kitchen + Pub [...]
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