Cityview | Central Iowa's Independent Weekly

Debut album is dream come true for busy mother-musician

Jet set jazz pianist covers the continents creatively
Local jazz presenter Abe Goldstien has been looking for the right pianist to play the grand Steinway at The Caspe Terrace in Waukee where he occasionally hosts free-form jazz concerts. Little did he know that his search would end in Tel Aviv, Israel.

On Monday, Sept. 14, Israeli-born pianist Anat Fort will make her Iowa debut when her trio, including bassist Gary Wang and drummer Roland Schneider, takes the stage in Waukee.. Read More>>

On the town

Cityview brings you updated nightlife images, trivia and bar specials from the metro area's hottest spots. See More>>

Iowa State (1-1) vs. Kent State (1-1)

Iowa State’s road contest against the Kent State Golden Flashes this week is ripe with opportunity. First and foremost, it’s a golden shot at a win. The ‘Clones won a hard-fought game against Kent State last year and are confident they can do it again in ‘09. But it’s also a golden shot at extending a 17-game road losing skid, the longest in the nation. Pitiful? Yes. Reason to abandon ship? Hardly. Game Day saw some positives come from the ‘Clones loss to rival Iowa last Saturday, 35-3.

Heirloom Diners

Our recent annual reviews of fast food in Des Moines inspired a number of readers to respond. Most comments can be summed up as, “Why do you bother with these evil hawkers of corporate greed?” Others offered more constructive suggestions by touting independently owned places that show that “fast and inexpensive dining need not be soulless.” Thanks to those readers, we discovered or rediscovered three places that are anything but soulless. Read More>>”

Fall book review

Much of what people read today comes by way of gizmos and gadgets, but we at Cityview remind you that picking up a novel is great entertainment. In fact, reading a book can open an imagination of endless possibilities, and that’s why we are pleased to publish our third annual Fall Books Guide.

Inside, you will find nonfiction, fiction, novelty, children’s and travel reviews written by local authors that deserve to catch your eye. Many of these books won’t land on the list of the New York Times Best Sellers, but that doesn’t mean they are not worthy of recommendation. Read More>>

Borlaug, Branstad, Brooks and a junior senator

Skinny joins the world in mourning the death of the great Norman Borlaug, the gentle and lovely Iowan who saved millions of lives through his Green Revolution. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize but was humble in all things save one — he remained convinced that had he not had to quit the University of Minnesota baseball team because practice time conflicted with a scheduled lab he would have gone on to become the second baseman for the Chicago Cubs. He remained positive of that for more than 70 years. A friend worked out a deal for Borlaug to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game in July, but the great scientist fell ill and couldn’t make it. Borlaug went on from the university to change the world; it’s unlikely he would have changed the Cubs.— Read More>>