Kembrew McLeod’s Prairie Pop column has covered the culture of flyover country since 2001
When I wrote about Awful Purdies’ 20th anniversary for last month’s column, Kate Rowe joked that the band was her longest-running relationship. “It’s actually been part of my entire adult life,” she said. “I was one year out of college when I joined this band.” Rowe’s quip struck a chord because…
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Letters to the Editor
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Letter to the editor: Congress should oppose the integration of U.S. and Israeli defense
By Ed Flaherty, Iowa City The U.S. Congress is preparing to give Israel unprecedented privileges via the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Section 219 of the draft NDAA directs…
Letter to the editor: Where were the candidates at Iowa City Pride?
By Kate Carroll de Gutes and Laura Julier, Iowa City We’re writing to express our disappointment and, frankly, outrage that Christina Bohannan, Josh Turek, and Rob Sand failed to show…
Letter to the editor: Local voices matter in the conversation over nuclear power
By Paul Deaton, Solon On June 18, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported the Iowa nuclear task force wrapped up its work, saying, “Task force members reiterated the importance of community…
Letter to the editor: WRAC, an important resource on the UI campus, is being restructured. We’ve seen this playbook before.
By Nicole Yeager, Iowa City We’ve seen this before. Fast yet slow, the dismantling of the Women’s, Resource, and Action Center (WRAC) appears imminent. In 2024, staff at the Rape,…
Local Album Reviews
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Album Review: Matt Terronez — ‘Tell Me A Story’
Matt Terronez wants to tell you a story — one of true love, heartbreak and conflicted feelings. It plays out across the 10 tracks, or perhaps chapters, of his debut…
Album Review: Teller Bank$ — ‘Hate Island’
Hate Island by Teller Bank$ It’s often said that art should disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. Des Moines rapper Teller Bank$’ latest album does just that. Hate Island…
Album Review: Younger — ‘Y3K’
Y3K by Younger Amid the magic of Day Party, the latest evolution of Iowa City’s Mission Creek Festival held April 25, Iowa City rock band Younger debuted much of their…
Album Review: Mark Haugen — ‘Maybe Next Year’
Maybe Next Year by Mark Haugen “There are anchors and balloons, tell me which one are you?” This was the first lyric to spring from Mark Haugen’s latest album cycle.…
Book Reviews
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Book Review: ‘Cave Mountain: A Disappearance and a Reckoning in the Ozarks’ by Benjamin Hale
I thought I knew what I was getting into when I picked up Benjamin Hale’s Cave Mountain: A Disappearance and a Reckoning in the Ozarks (HarperCollins Publishers). It is billed as…
Fully Booked at ICPL: Stories to celebrate Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride began as a single day of celebration when the Americans with Disabilities Act became law on July 26, 1990. In 2015, July officially became Disability Pride Month on…
Book Review: ‘You Were Never Lost: Poems from the Tallgrass Prairie’ by Suzanna de Baca
Suzanna de Baca instills a subliminal radiance within her debut poetry collection, You Were Never Lost: Poems from the Tallgrass Prairie. Its contents reflect her accumulated experiences from an artist…
Book Review: ‘Fidelity’ by Susan Glaspell
Earlier this spring, Belt Publishing — an imprint that focuses on books about Rust Belt cities — put Susan Glaspell’s 1915 novel Fidelity back into print with a new introduction…
Food & Drink
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With Merle Hay’s food court set for closure, the owner of Vietnam Cafe is fighting for a life beyond the mall
For over 15 years, Brenda Tran’s cafe has served Vietnamese and Chinese staples to the Merle Hay patron. But as developers plan to close the food court, Tran now awaits…
Review: Bar Martinez boasts thoughtful cocktails, an intimate space and a bathroom fit for the pope
I’m in a bathroom in Highland Park at 11 p.m. on a Friday night. The walls are painted deep red, and the room is lit almost exclusively by prayer candles.…
Iowa is home to a colorful variety of THC beverage and candy brands. They could all disappear come November.
Last year, after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Congress finally passed a stopgap funding bill — and ignited a ticking timebomb for the billion-dollar THC beverage industry. A…
Czech Village’s new, women-owned bookstores bring two different vibes to the neighborhood
Most Iowans are lucky to have a single bookstore in their neighborhood. As of December, Cedar Rapids’ Czech Village has two. Sisters Books and Nooks debuted in September, founded by…
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Dear Kiki
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Submit Your Question
Submit your question to Kiki, LV’s sex advice columnist. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online.
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