There are 2.2 billion Christians in the world, and there's a whole lot of diversity under the umbrella of that religion. Pastor Lillian Daniel, who lives in Dubuque and is senior pastor at First Congregational Church, is frustrated by the stereotypes that have developed about Christians and other people who attend church. "When you're an open minded and tolerant person, your worst fear is that you'll come off as intolerant," she says. "I find myself cringing when other members of the Christian

With the holiday season just around the corner, many living rooms will soon be filled with towering Christmas trees and holiday plants like poinsettias. Many Iowans have questions about how to care for these plants, and DNR District Forester Mark Vitosh has advice for those who would like to keep their trees properly hydrated indoors. "Get it in water right away, even if you're not going to put it up," Vitosh says. "What I always tell people is if you put it up Sunday afternoon, before you go to

The medical and mental health communities are doing their best to learn about and treat post traumatic stress disorder more effectively. Historically, the term "shell shocked" immediately comes to mind, and a new play by Combined Efforts Theatre in Iowa City raises some questions about the kinds of trauma that soldiers who fought in World War I experienced when the term was first introduced. Janet Schlapkohl is the founder of Combined Efforts Theatre and she is the writer and director of the

Artist Rose Frantzen grew up in Maquoketa and started painting portraits when she was in high school. Since then, she’s gained national and international acclaim for her oil paintings. She lives and works with her husband, Chuck Morris, an acclaimed artist of his own right. Iowa seems like an unlikely destination for two very successful artists who met in New York City’s Central Park, but Rose Frantzen and Chuck Morris have made Maquoketa their home, their workplace, and an artistic destination.

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been dubbed #GivingTuesday, and in light of that fairly recent development, many end-of-year fundraising campaigns are getting a boost. This hour on Talk of Iowa , we hear from a few community foundations in Iowa about the work they are doing. "Community foundations serve a specific geographic area. In the state of Iowa, we have at least one, and sometimes more than one in each of our ninety-nine counties," explains Kari McCann Boutell, who is president of the

Around the holidays, there are a lot of organizations hosting food drives, collecting canned and non-perishable foods to send to food banks and pantries across the state. That's a worthy effort, and those donations are appreciated by food banks. But food banks want people to also consider that they have more purchasing power for a dollar than you do. During this segment of Talk of Iowa , host Charity Nebbe talks with Michelle Book, who is CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa. Book says her organization

For many, listening to StoryCorps on Friday mornings has become routine—a few minutes to listen, learn, reflect, and often shed a few tears. When StoryCorps debuted in 2003, it sounded unlike anything else on public radio. They were stories not driven by news or cultural events, and they were stories that didn’t feature news-makers. These were stories of normal people sharing their memories. We quickly learned that those normal people were extraordinary, and that we all have stories to share. In

Earlier this month, six Iowa veterans told their stories at a live event in Iowa City. The event was "Roll Call: Veterans Share Their True Stories" presented by Iowa Watch and hosted by Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe. It took place on November 9th at Old Brick in Iowa City. In the link above, hear these veterans' stories: Joe Gasperetti - He's a Vietnam veteran who served with the 4th Infantry Division from 1966–67. Back in 2011 he appeared on stage for six performances in a play, Telling: Iowa

If you're looking to update your reading list or need gift suggestions for friends & family, this annual holiday book show has got you covered. On this edition of Talk of Iowa , host Charity Nebbe talks with Jan Weismiller and Tim Budd of Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City and Hunter Gillum of Beaverdale Books in Des Moines. They share their top picks for fiction and non-fiction books released this year. TIM BUDD’S BEST OF FICTION: Artemis by Andy Weir Weir is the author of The Martian . His

We go through life surrounded by other people, but for many people, the isolation of the modern world takes a serious toll on health and happiness. During this hour of Talk of Iowa , host Charity Nebbe talks with Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about what he sees as an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S. "If you're not lonely, and you're listening to this radio segment, there are people around you who are," he says. "When I was traveling around as surgeon general, I found that people felt