Little Village Issue 348 — January 2026

ISSUE 348 January 2026

A L W A Y S

F R E E

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH

WYNTON MARSALIS DUKE IN AFRICA

Thursday, January 29 / 7:30 p.m. Wynton Marsalis and his eminent ensemble return with an inspired Ellington program. $

10 STUDENT & YOUTH TICKETS

AN EVENING WITH

JASON ISBELL

and the 400 UNIT Wednesday, March 4 7:30 p.m. One of our most movingly powerful storytellers returns to Hancher to share his truths.

 HANCHER.UIOWA.EDU

the

JOFFREY BALLET

AMERICAN ICONS Saturday, March 7 7:30 p.m.

Witness the daring and enduring spirit that defines The Joffrey’s maverick legacy. $

10 STUDENT & YOUTH TICKETS

JOSHUA BELL AND THE ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS Wednesday, March 11 7:30 p.m.

Experience the beauty brought forth by some of the finest musicians to be found anywhere. $

10 STUDENT & YOUTH TICKETS

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Young in advance at (319) 467-4849 or at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu.

LittleVillageMag.com/Support INDEPENDENT IOWA NEWS, ARTS & CULTURE Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

8 Top Stories of 2025 12 Ad Index 14 Interactions 24 Loop the Loop 26 Comics: Predictions 34 Candidate Guide 40 Short story 42 A-List: Eastern Iowa 46 A-List: Events 59 Dear Kiki 61 Astrology 63 Album Reviews 65 Book Reviews 67 Crossword

POWERED BY

CAFE DEL SOL

26

This is Fine.

With humor, anger and

34

42

LV News Director Paul

Ain’t no rule says a traffic

Who’s Who

Coop-er

hope, local comic artists

Brennan’s no-nonsense guide

cone can’t star in a play about

reflect on the year ahead.

to 50 Iowa candidates.

a conscientious objector.

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Meet this month’s contributors!

EDITORIAL

LITTLE VILLAGE

Publisher

CREATIVE SERVICES

Jordan Sellergren

Website design, E-commerce,

Adam Angstead is the creator of

Kris Doll is an artist,

jordan@littlevillagemag.com

Publication design

Wrist-Band! The Ultimate Hero!!!,

seamstress, musician and

creative@littlevillagemag.com

available only at Daydreams

soon-to-be cosmetologist

Comics in Iowa City.

from Iowa City. Follow her on

Editor-in-Chief Emma McClatchey

Digital Director

emma@littlevillagemag.com

Drew Bulman

Amy P. lives in Des Moines and is

drewb@littlevillagemag.com

always working on something.

Instagram, @kitschkris.

Arts Editor

Lauren Haldeman is a graphic novelist and poet. She has

Chuy Renteria

SALES & ADMINISTRATION

Ben Skeers is a cartoonist,

received an Iowa Arts Fellowship,

chuy@littlevillagemag.com

Jordan Sellergren

writer and social worker living

a Sustainable Arts Foundation

jordan@littlevillagemag.com

in West Des Moines.

Award and fellowships from

Paul Brennan

Account Manager

Broc Nelson is a lifelong music fan,

paul@littlevillagemag.com

Jason Burkhardt

improviser, Quad Citizen and enthusiast

Matt Griffin is a Chicago-area

jason@littlevillagemag.com

of all things creative, tasty and weird.

comics creator. See more at on

Kellan Doolittle

Advertising

Dave Dugan helps organize the Iowa

kellan@littlevillagemag.com

ads@littlevillagemag.com

City Expo for Comics & Real Eclectic

Piper Bly is a professional

Alternative Media (I.C.E. C.R.E.A.M.)

cartoonist and graphic journalist.

News Director

the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Graphic Designer

his Instagram, @pup_jump.

Calendar/Event Listings

CIRCULATION

Grace Merritt

Distribution Manager

Dianne Alita Rosales Siasoco is

calendar@littlevillagemag.com

Joseph Servey

a writer serving up crunchy snacks

Ramona Muse Lambert makes

joseph@littlevillagemag.com

and fresh stories in mom jeans and

art and music. Sometimes she’s

blue-light blockers. diasiawriter.com.

in charge of dinner, too. Buy her

Corrections editor@littlevillagemag.com

You can find her at piperbly.com.

Distribution

art at ramonamuselambert.com.

Oliver Booth, Heber

Eli Ehlinger is an Iowa artist

January Contributors

Martinez, Joe Olson, Joseph

trying to keep his sanity.

Adam Angstead, Amy P., Ben

Servey, Matt Benson

Skeers, Broc Nelson, Dave

distro@littlevillagemag.com

Dugan, Dianne Alita Rosales

Rv. Xen has been doodling comics about queer cosplay romance and

Elisabeth Oster is a freelance writer

anthropomorphized food for over

and designer, and collector of dad rock.

twenty years, sometimes in Iowa

Siasoco, Eli Ehlinger, Elisabeth

OFFICES

Oster, Jackson Palmer, Jared

Little Village HQ,

Jackson Palmer is a comic

Jewell, Jessie Kraemer, Kara

LV Creative Services

artist living in Iowa City and

Sam Locke Ward is a cartoonist

Taghon, Kassie Morlan, Kevin

623 S Dubuque St

working at Daydreams Comics.

and musician from Iowa City. He self

Richard Schafer, Kris Doll, Lauren

Iowa City, IA 52240

Haldeman, Matt Griffin, Piper

319-855-1474

Bly, Ramona Muse Lambert,

City and sometimes elsewhere.

publishes the comic zines Voyage

Jared Jewell is a cartoonist,

Into Misery and ‘93 Grind Out.

musician, and lo-fi beats polemicist.

Rob Brezsny, Rv. Xen, Sam

SOCIAL MEDIA

Locke Ward, Samuel Benson,

Facebook @LittleVillageMag

Jessie Kraemer is a writer and

Sarah Elgatian, Sara Williams,

Instagram @LittleVillageMag

artist living in Iowa City. Follow

Scott Stouffer, Tom Tomorrow

Bluesky @littlevillage.bsky.social

her on Instagram, @jkraem.

Samuel Benson is a cartoonist living and working in Iowa City.

Sarah Elgatian is a writer, activist and educator living in Iowa. She likes

Kara Taghon is an activist, poet and

dark coffee, bright colors and long

Issue 348

jack of all trades. She is the owner

sentences. She dislikes meanness.

January 2026

of The Atlas Collective, an indie bookstore and coffee bar in Moline, IL.

Cover illustrations by Sara Williams & Kellan Doolittle Little Village enters its 25th

Sara Williams is a multidisciplinary artist who was raised in

Kassie Morlan is a long time

Bondurant, Iowa. She currently

artist, who’s short in stature

resides near Amana.

and loves chocolates.

Scott Stouffer, political cartoonist,

year in print with an all-AIgenerated issue! Just kidding;

Kevin Richard Schafer is a

watercolor artist, retired architect,

we would NEVER. Enjoy a flurry

graduate of the University of Iowa

is a graduate of Iowa State College.

of homespun cartoons, 2026

Studio Arts Photography program

He lives in Des Moines where he is

candidate profiles, a short story

and has lived to tell the tale.

constantly creating new cartoons.

contest winner and more.

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 7

LittleVillageMag.com

Top Stories of 2025 Catch up on some of Little Village’s most-viewed headlines from the last year, and get the print edition delivered to your mailbox every month: littlevillagemag.com/subscribe. Articles by Paul Brennan.

University of Iowa sends email to grad students saying it will ‘no longer guarantee financial support’ for them Published March 14

Iowa loses $11 million as Trump administration cuts funding for schools and food banks to buy from local farmers Published March 11

As Trump holds a military parade on Saturday, Iowans in more than 30 cities will rally for No Kings Day Published June 10

Poll: Kim Reynolds remains America’s most unpopular governor Published July 17

GreenState Credit Union forecloses on The Chauncey and other Moen properties in downtown Iowa City Published April 18

ICE violently seizes an immigrant worker at Bread Garden Market in Iowa City Published Sept. 25

Until we see you again in print next month, subscribe to LV newsletters to stay up to date: LittleVillageMag.com/newsletters 8 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 9

LittleVillageMag.com

Arts Review 2025 Catch up on some of Little Village’s most-viewed arts stories from the last year, and get A-List events delivered to your inbox every Thursday: littlevillagemag.com/newsletters.

Review: Mission Creek 2025 kicks off with the glorious Kim Gordon, Rachel Kushner and LA LOM By Kent Williams, Apr. 4

Review: ‘Art is survival’ for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated craftsmen behind this PS1 exhibition By Andrea Truitt, Feb. 13

Review: Riverside serves ‘Romeo & Juliet’ straight up for their 40th Free Summer Shakespeare show By Emma McClatchey, June 28

‘The Hinterland vibes are back’: Iowa’s biggest music fest returned with a vengeance for 10th year By Brian Morelli, Aug. 7

Review: Upcycled and refreshingly unironic, Sadya’s ‘Warning Signs’ fashion show at 237 Collective was an orange and earth-toned treat By Malcolm MacDougall, Apr. 11

Review: Lost Woods Music Festival reached new heights in 2025, offering the ultimate escape in a Cedar Falls forest By Glenn Houlihan, Oct. 14

Subscribe to LV newsletters to get A-List events in your inbox every Thursday: LittleVIllageMag.com/newsletters 10 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

performing with

presents

JOHANN STRAUSS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2 PM Pre-show Curtain Talk by Anna Barker

AT THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS Performed in English with English Supertitles

Tickets at www.cropera.org, 319-366-8203, or scan the code

THANK YOU TO THIS ISSUE’S ADVERTISING PARTNERS This issue of Little Village is supported by: Adamantine Spine Moving (25)

— Get Fresh

— George’s

Phoebe Martin, Realtor (9)

AllSpice (22)

— The Wedge Pizzeria

— Nothside Family Dental

Polk County Conservation (56)

Casegroup Realty (60)

— Pullman Bar & Diner

— Willow & Stock

Prairie Lights Bookstore

Cedar Rapids Opera (11)

— Revival

— Dodge St. Tire

Coralville Public Library (66)

Dr. Yoga Momma (60)

— Artifacts

Public Space One (62)

Critical Hit Games (64)

Emma Goldman Clinic (52)

Iowa City Public Library

RSFIC (62)

Cultivate Local Foods (55)

Field to Family (50)

Daydreams Comics (72)

FilmScene (62)

Des Moines Art Center (18)

Goodfellow Printing, Inc. (66)

Public Health (57)

Des Moines Highland Park/

Hancher Auditorium (2-3, 70-71)

Iowa Public Radio (61)

Shakespeare’s Pub & Grill (66)

Oak Park co-op (66)

Heartland Yoga (66)

KCCK Jazz 88.3 (22)

Source Bookstore (60)

­­— Des Moines Mercantile

Hermetic Electric (24)

Kim Schillig, Realtor (16)

Tapestry Bodywork (55)

— The Slow Down

Honeybee Hair Parlor and

Larkspur Mental Health (55)

The Atlas Collective (24)

Maharishi School (66)

The Club Car (50)

Hot Spot Tattoo (64)

Martin Construction (64)

The Daisy (50)

ISO Pay Pig (51)

McCue & Asssociates LLC (21)

The Dandy Lion (60)

Iowa City Downtown co-op (20)

Iowa Children’s Museum (14)

Mohair Pear (16)

The Englert Theatre (47)

— Release Body Modification

Iowa City Communications (24)

Musician’s Pro Shop (60)

The Skelm Chronicles (54)

— Mailboxes of Iowa City

Iowa City Human Rights (22)

New Pioneer Food Co-op (6)

Theatre Cedar Rapids (51)

— The Green House

Iowa City Mutual Aid (59)

Next Page Books (50)

Think Iowa City (4)

— Yotopia

Iowa City Northside co-op (58)

Nodo (12)

Tim Conroy, Iowa City Realtor (60)

— Record Collector

— Pagliai’s Pizza

Old Capitol Screenprinters (56)

Valley Junction (52)

— Iowa City Funtional Nutrition

— John’s Grocery

Orchestra Iowa (13)

Wig & Pen (12)

— Beadology

— R.S.V.P.

Performing Arts at Iowa (47)

xBk (48)

Des Moines Metro Opera (13) Diversions Tabletop Game Lounge (51)

Hive Collective (59)

Friends Foundation (55) Iowa Department of

& Cafe (21)

Raccoon Motel (50) Revival (14) Riverside Theatre (48)

Candles & Classics I HEART THE 80s

THE MUSIC OF THE 1780’s, 1880’s, 1980’s

February 11, 2026 Hy-Vee Center, Centennial Park, North Liberty

February 12, 2026 Opus Concert Café, Cedar Rapids

LittleVillageMag.com

Interactions LV encourages readers to submit letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com. Please include your name, city of residence and any relevant job titles or affiliations. Letters may be edited for accuracy and style. To be considered for print publication, letters should be under 500 words. Preference is given to letters that have not been published elsewhere. Why do we live in a ‘shithole’? A new docuseries on Iowa’s 50-year decline seeks answers (Dec. 3) 2026 is an election year. Voters have an obligation to choose lawmakers who will uphold Constitutional law to ensure that no presidential administration commits ethical, moral, or legal violations. —Linda S. I moved here with my family in 1979. The decline has been spectacular. Iowa is now Mississippi with snow. —John F.M. Greed!! That’s why Iowas water is polluted!! Protest, stomp your feet, write letters!! Noisemakers will be the ones who stop these wealthy chemical companies!! This disgust me that greed over quality of life is why our waterways were sacrificed!! Blue no matter who and hold them

PLAY!

IMAGINE. CREATE. DISCOVER. EXPLORE.

Stay warm, stay active, and stay curious! Discover memberships, parties, and winter-ready programs for every family at theicm.org

319.625.6255 | theicm.org Located in Coral Ridge Mall

accountable to fight for clean water!! This is not the Iowa I was born to!! —Kim P. Iowa’s decline is political. Went from a state known to be Midwest nice and 50-50 as far as a place a good candidate on either side could convince with a good argument ... into what it is now -- a racist, horrid, angry, victimmentality losers sh-thole thats followed Trump into the sewer. —Dee R. Iowa’s decline: farm crisis, trickle down under Reagan, subsequent highly successful union busting, no child left behind, conservative social panic over marriage equality in the state, racist reactionary response to the Obama presidency, rejection of our immigrant neighbors, the embrace of vaccine and covid conspiracy theorism in

HAVE AN OPINION?

F U T I L E W R A T H

S A M LO C K E WA R D

Better write about it! Send letters to: Editor@LittleVillageMag.com 2020, the full embrace of Trumpism with no regard to any thought about what good governance actually means for a society. It’s bleak. —Dallas T. [North Carolina] used to raise the most pigs. Then, Branstad allowed factory farms and it’s been downhill since. Iowa had the cleanest water. The rest is history. —Ma P. Where do people think their food comes from? Milk, cheese, ice-cream, beef, pork, poultry, soybeans, corn, corn oil...etc. are all being contaminated with carcinogens from Iowa. The rise in cancer here is the canary in the coal mine. —Timothy V. New president of the Iowa Board of Regents opposes ‘woke left stuff,’ ‘the homosexual agenda’ and Maya Angelou in schools (Dec. 4) And people are wondering why there’s a brain drain in the state. Just listen

P U B L I C N U I S A N C E

SARA WILLIAMS

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 15

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READER POLL Can you tolerate an email subject line with emojis? Yes

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MOHAIR PEAR unique gifts * blind boxes body jewelry * body piercing Modern apparel * Accessories handmade * vintage/retro

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Missing Missed Connections? Submit! Submissions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear in print or online. Think you’re the subject of one? Reach out: littlevillagemag.com/missed-connections

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AC C O L A D E S

IOWA ARTISTS 2026: HENRY PAYER

Aagakinąk Haciwi: We Live Opposite Each Other

OPENING CELEBRATION FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2026 | 5 – 7 PM ON VIEW JANUARY 17 – JUNE 17, 2026 Ho-Chunk artist Henry Payer considers history and identity through his signature mixed-media collages that combine imagery drawn from historical archives and personal experience. His work links past and present, exploring the intersection of Native traditions and Western popular culture. Henry Payer (Ho-Chunk, born 1986). The Wandering Winnebago No. 5 (2025). Postcard, paper, cardstock, food wrapper, stamp, wrapping paper, fabric, book cover, paper bag, envelope, ration stamp, oil pastel, pencil, Prismacolor pencil, charcoal, and acrylic on ledger paper Courtesy of the artist.

FREE ADMISSION | DESMOINESARTCENTER.ORG

Public Space One announced the 2025-26 grantees of its Big Field Fund, supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Ten eastern Iowa artists and/or collectives will receive a total of $60,000 to support new and ongoing art workshops, touring installations, films, cultural festivals, history projects, performances and other work highlighting African American, Latin American, Indigenous, LGBTQ, disabled and neurodivergent identities. Recipients of research and development grants are: Jason J. Snell, documenting eastern Iowa’s rave culture; filmmaking trio Erin Turvey, Haleigh Stefan and Morgan Olsen of the Begin Collective; Nat Holm, who hosts all-ages zine workshops; and artists eli rodriguez fielder and e clayton scofield, examining “Ecologies of the Unwanted.” Project grantees include Sarah Ndgire, Miriam Alarcón Avila, twins riel and Bianca Sturchio of the Begin Collective, Carlos Maldonado, Satomi Kawai and Akwi Nji. Ahead of Christmas, ChildServe’s Inpatient Complex Medical Care Program received a $100,000 donation from Chris Bridges, better known as Ludacris. The rapper said his career has afforded him “the privilege to support children’s hospitals and organizations in communities all over the world … that have an extremely meaningful impact, such as ChildServe. ChildServe meets all the buckets when I’m choosing a non-profit partner, and I appreciate the good work that you’re doing to put Iowa on the map.” The organization has clinics in Johnston, Ames, Des Moines, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, providing pediatric care and behavioral services for children and teens with complex medical needs.

I N T E R AC T I O N S

MOMBOY

LAUREN HALDEMAN

to the people we put in charge of things. Educated young people are moving to states where they want to raise families, that’s not Iowa. —Bill G. What an absolute embarrassment for the University of Iowa. —Geoffrey Whacko wokeness? Is there anything more whacko than the hypocrisy of these “Christians?” —Charity N. Ah yes, thus continuing the grand tradition of filling a leadership role with a person you literally would not hire at your local Any Other Job because actually he’s just kind of a dick. —Siobhán G. Shouldn’t these appointments know things about higher education? —Cathy H. I’m so embarrassed to be from Iowa. We used to be one of the top states for education and had some of the best universities inland from the coasts. My family history is there for generations and after fighting to make it better I just couldn’t anymore, so I uprooted everything and left. Such a stark difference between that and living in Minnesota now. —Aury I have many questions. I have yet to hear from a Republican what the “homosexual agenda” is. Is it like a check list? Can anyone amend the list Do gay people get together to update it? —Robert G. I wish this were from the Onion … but alas … here we are in 1895. —G.M. Carlson Iowa has wrecked their entire education system. They used to consistently be in the top 10 for K-12 and now are in

the bottom 25. Now they are set to decimate their incredible universities. —Debbie O. The goal is to get more students in private religious schools. —Cathy H. Old people can’t do everything in Iowa and rich Chicago suburban kids won’t keep Iowa’s economy going. Watch our population decline because our education has also been a puppet for mega-corps. —Eric C.

Dear Kiki... I’m with a sweet guy but our libidos don’t match. What do I do?! Read the answer on Pg. 59

Woke means awakened to the needs of others. To be well-informed, thoughtful, compassionate, humble and kind. Eager to make the world a better place for all people. —Bleecker Woke is a bunch of stupid nonsense that was placed on us so that we wouldn’t pay attention to the Occupy Wall Street march. Started lionizing mental illness instead of paying attention to class warfare. All this woke bullshit isn’t

Submit. You’ll love it. Totally anonymous sex, love and relationship advice.

littlevillagemag.com/dearkiki LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 19

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PERSONALS

I N T E R AC T I O N S important. It’s a diversion. —Tommy B. Dang, maybe if you’re the guy saying that LGBT rights are ‘lionizing mental illness’ and acting like that’s an important issue, you’re the one distracting from class warfare. —Dylan R. Somebody, throw up on him. I’m too far away. —Stacy W. Iowa said, “We can beat Oklahoma at this, 51st here we come!” —Max I. Looks like he is made of sour cream and Ritz crackers. —Gwen M. I think he is also against lollipops, all colors of the rainbow...kites and saying words that rhyme. And I mean...rightfully so! —Charlie M. So someone who sought to ban books is now at the top of the pile. Iowa’s higher Ed status just collapsed. No sane students will want to come here. —Monique K. Robert Cramer has been a sneak and a

disgrace ever since he tried to worm his way onto the Johnston school board. He has failed upward, and now is dragging the entire state down. God save us from all holy hypocrites like him. —Jon G. That giant sucking sound is thousands of alumni redirecting their dollars away from what used to be their alma mater. —Michael D. Everyday your ‘conservative values’ are front and center and shoved in our faces by this president, congress, governor, state legislature, and now BOR. Stop using my tax dollars to propagandize your religion and indoctrinate our young Iowans. —Craig A. I will bet that “woke left stuff” means an attack on the arts and culture. —Gordon W.M. OK. Make it an even playing field then. He may discover that people like inclusive philosophies, those that recognize difference and personal freedom, not the American conservative philosophy, which intentionally excludes many people and

Ear hair coifed. Whiskers akimbo. Coat calicoed. And only a few teeth missing. This enchanting 7-year-old cat was born ready for the spotlight, but for whatever reason, she’s currently the Iowa City Animal Center’s longest-term resident. Swift may be a queen bee (and would do best as a solo cat), but she’s also plenty playful and goofy. And she’s got a blank space, baby! If you’re ready to write your name, pay her a visit and become an instant Swiftie. icanimalcenter.org.

I N T E R AC T I O N S emphasizes conformity and uniformity. Let us see who wins that battle. —Scott A. I love how being LGBT+ is ‘chosen behaviors’ but forcing your religious beliefs on all of us is fair and equal and encouraged. —Lindsey E. We need to stop the governor from appointing big donors to the Board of Regents as a pay to play effort. Let’s have the regents be elected so qualified people with knowledge of higher education can serve, not bigoted millionaires. —Jane S.Z.

Please join us for a special 25th Anniversary event:

Little Village’s Comic Artist Panel Saturday, Jan. 24 from 12–1 p.m. at Merge, Iowa City This event is free and open to the public.

Hancher announces a new multivenue spring music fest in Iowa City, Stop/Time Festival (Dec. 4) Wow! So exciting! Thank you so much, Andre and Aaron, for your efforts in making this happen. What a gift! —Matt C. Tortoise?!!! Oh heck yeah! I’ll drive from Omaha just for them! —Jason E.D. Really excited to see the info come out about this new festival! Can’t wait to see Willian Tyler, Pieta Brown and more! —Katie R.

Sam Locke Ward Futile Wrath

Lauren Haldeman Momboy

Sara Williams Public Nuisance

Tom Tomorrow This Modern World

Ramona Muse Lambert True Love

Moderated by Kembrew McLeod

LV at 25: How did Little Village get its name? (Dec. 5) All of these people in the first edition are people I love and whom I’ve known basically my whole life—including my mom! Love this! —Wonderland Iowa City Great cover for a great undertaking. We’re all real happy and glad Little Village is still around. (And grateful to Sonny Boy Williamson, too.) —Chris O.

R.S.V.P. appreciated, but not required!

Factory farms in Iowa generate 110 billion pounds of manure per year. No one tracks where it’s going. (Dec. 5)

Follow the QR code and let us know you’re coming. Please note: event details might change. For updates, please sign up for our

If you are a small operation in Iowa you don’t have to account for how much pig shit you have. So farmers put each confinement in a family member’s name to bypass regulations. Farmers are killing us and our government doesn’t care and in Iowa farmers are gods. —Rhonda W. Someone is putting a LOT of faith and trust in the Iowa DNR. The same DNR that is understaffed and underfunded and has been for years. The same DNR that the

newsletters: littlevillagemag.com/newsletters

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY:

University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art

University of Iowa‘s Communication Studies and School of Journalism

LO O P T H E LO O P

MARTIN LUTHER VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP KING JR. DRIVE

DAY JANUARY 19, 2026 JANUARY

Mercer Park Aquatic Center and Scanlon Gym 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Slitherlink puzzles were created in 1989 in Japan by Nikoli Puzzles, the same company that popularized Sudoku. A slitherlink puzzle is done by forming one single loop that connects the dots on a grid, with no branches or intersecting lines. The numbers indicate how many lines surround a space.

T I P S : • Use pencil and chunk out sections. • Eliminate impossible routes. • A number in the corner is valuable information. • Look for techniques and patterns that could transfer from one puzzle to the next and have fun!

I N T E R AC T I O N S

PROGRAM EVENTS Volunteer sign-up with local nonprofits Speeches and presentations Food Activities Diaper Drive- Donate now until 1/19/26 at Robert A. Lee Rec Center and Mercer Park Aquatic Center

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

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director is an appointee of Reynolds. Not once, but twice. The same DNR that some time ago, a past president of the Iowa Pork Producers (and was also President of NPPA) told me that “once the bottom of the pit is covered, it’s never seen again; it could develop a crack and no one would know.” He also said that the DNR didn’t have enough people to inspect lagoons. He also said that “if the mmp looks good on paper, they pass.” The manure management plans were on paper at the time, now they’re electronic. —Kathy C. I think CAFOs should be required to implement at least primary and secondary sewage treatment. A 10,000 head cattle CAFO produces the same amount of waste as 100,000 people. How many towns that size can just spread their raw sewage around the neighborhood? —Pol M. This is why we have E. coli in our lakes. —Steven G. Iowa is the largest nitrate pollutant contributor to the Gulf of Mexico and its ever enlarging Dead Zone. —Michael D. It’s so disgusting but nothing will change as long as people have an insatiable desire to eat an insane amount of meat and big ag wants to grab up huge profits. —Sandy R. When you vote against water protections, you poison yourself. This is the most important issue for Iowa’s future. It cannot be a partisan discussion. —Joe P.

EXAMPLE

EASY

MEDIUM

HARD

I N T E R AC T I O N S This Iowan is the voice of competitive marble racing (Dec. 5) My housemate just freaked out— loves these videos. —SarahAnn My husband and I loveeeee watching Jelle’s marble league, this is a big deal to us. —Tenea

Tracy Barkalow watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a kid and decided he wanted to grow up to be just like Mr. Potter. He’s a shitty landlord and it’s no surprise to me at all that he’s trying to actively

circumvent city ordinances. —Steven G. Say no to Barkalow. —Troy T. Used to be open until 2am back in my day. Midnight is lame let young people have fun. … it’s a college town lmao. As Scott Galloway said young people need to get out and socialize more. —Stewart G. Iowa Democrats want early nominating spot back in 2028, survey shows (Dec. 9)

KRIS DOLL

THE JOHNSONS

ELI EHLINGER

SHARP POINTS

Letter to the editor: Downtown Iowa City’s 500-foot rule for bars matters (Dec. 9)

I have to say, if I had to pick something to protest in this day and age, it wouldn’t be standing outside of an IC bar at midnight (or any other time of day) telling people to go home—even if Karen does have a point. —Jim P.

26 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

A M Y P.

N AT U R E I S H E A L I N G ?

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 27

I N T E R AC T I O N S What was the average age of those surveyed? Do these people remember how awful the pandering and glad handing was for an entire year before the caucus? Good riddance. —Phil K. No, goddammit. Dumbass caucuses need to die. Primaries in the middle of the damn calendar so that we’re as irrelevant

‘The American people must have more than a choice between evils’: Iowan Henry A. Wallace, FDR’s vice president, was an ag innovator and fierce antifascist (Dec. 15)

The Pride of Orient, Iowa. —Sooz B. American Dreamer, by John C. Culver and John Hyde, is a great biography of Wallace. An Iowa politician to be proud of. —Susan F. Hold on a sec, brb, gonna try something real quick [invents time machine, travels to 1944 before the Democratic National

M AT T G R I F F I N

SCOTT STOUFFER

SCOTTYTOONS

S TAT I S T I C A L LY P R E C I S E

to the national results as we deserve to be & so *maybe* the IDP remembers why it’s supposed to exist. —Sooz B.

28 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

R V. X E N

GLAM BANG POW!

SARA WILLIAMS

PUBLIC NUISANCE

JARED JEWELL

S A M LO C K E WA R D

SCUM

O N E R A I N Y D AY I N M A R C H

30 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

I N T E R AC T I O N S Convention, poisons FDR, Henry Wallace becomes president] —Ian C.

Mariannette Miller-Meeks is no longer claiming to be a resident of the district she represents in Congress (Dec. 17)

She is the poster-child for unaccountability and unrepentant lying. —Jon W.G. It’s easier to vote against your constituents best interests when you’re not neighbors with them —Chaim J.

BEN SKEERS

BLACK PUDDING

“An American fascist, Wallace wrote in 1944, is a man ‘whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions

or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends.’” Describes that awful orange person perfectly. —Carol A.W.

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 31

KASSIE MORLAN

32 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

KNEAD IT

P I P E R B LY

THROUGH THE WINDOW

SAMUEL BENSON

CYCLES

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A Candid Guide to the Candidates Governor

Zach Lahn (R) ZACHLAHN.COM

Lahn co-founded a tech company with his wife. They also co-founded a private school in Kansas backed by Koch family money. Lahn used to be Montana state director for Koch’s Americans for Prosperity. His campaign site sells red “Iowa First” hats and claims Lahn won’t be beholden to anyone because, “I’m

Iowa loves incumbents, but they’re in short supply this election cycle as both parties scramble for higher office in D.C. and Des Moines.

Eddie Andrews (R)

my own biggest donor.” Lahn has been

EDDIE4IOWA.COM

endorsed by MAHA Action, a pro-RFK Jr.

The three-term Iowa

PAC. His family farm is near Belle Plaine.

BY PAUL BRENNAN

the Des Moines area

Brad Sherman (R)

says his campaign will

SHERMANFORIOWA.COM

T

he 2026 election will be unlike any in decades. In addition to an open seat for governor and an open seat for U.S. Senate—a combination that hasn’t happened since 1968—there are also open seats in two of Iowa’s four congressional districts and no incumbent running for State Auditor. In a state that reelects incumbents as the rate Iowa does—Chuck Grassley has been in the Senate for 45 years, Terry Branstad was the longest serving governor in U.S. history (ditto for Michael Fitzgerald as state treasurer and Tom Miller as state attorney general)—this verges on anarchy. This is notably the first election for state and national offices since 1998 in which J. Ann Selzer won’t be conducting the Iowa Poll. Selzer was extremely reliable, until she suddenly wasn’t, and there’s no obvious replacement for her as the go-to pollster. What follows is a quick guide to 2026 candidates for state and federal office. If some of the entries seem a little dismissive, that’s because some are. It would insult the reader’s intelligence if I pretended either of the septuagenarians running for Senate, neither of whom has won an election since Jimmy Carter was president, stand a serious chance of winning the Democratic nomination. Likewise, it’s pointless to pretend Ashley Hinson won’t be the Republican nominee for Senate and Rob Sand the Democratic nominee for governor. Where it seems useful, I’ve included the fundraising totals for federal candidates from the FEC’s third quarter (Q3) for campaign finance reporting, a period covering July 1 to Sept. 30. Federal law requires candidates to file campaign finance reports if they raise or spend more than $5,000 during a reporting period. Q3 was the only reporting period in 2025 when all the candidates here were active. There’s more to winning elections than money, but fundraising often reflects the strength of a campaign. As this issue goes to print in December, there are no equivalent reports available for state-level candidates.

House member from

be about sharing his “vision for Iowa,” which

Pastor of the Solid

so far seems like pretty much doing what

Rock Christian Church

Reynolds has been doing. If Andrews wins

in Coralville and

the primary, he would be the Republicans’

co-founder of two

first Black candidate for statewide office.

“crisis pregnancy centers,” Sherman

Randy Feenstra (R)

spent one term

FEENSTRAFORGOVERNOR.COM

The tepid frontrunner.

County. Sherman is focused on suppressing

He’s got millions in

reproductive choice, but he always finds time

the bank, thanks

to also belligerently oppose LGBTQ rights.

to three terms in Congress representing the 4th District and all the time spent sucking up money as the presumptive Republican frontrunner during the monthslong “exploratory” phase of his campaign. Despite full coffers and experience running for office, Feenstra’s campaign launch in October was oddly lackluster, and his campaign has remained lackluster. So far, the core of Feenstra’s strategy seems to be ignoring the other Republicans in the race, and skipping candidate forums. It might work. He probably has the best chance of getting Trump’s endorsement, although a MAGA group has an online petition begging Trump not to do it. Left: Paul Dahl Campaign video still Center: Julie Staunch Campaign photo Right: Rob Sand speaks at a town hall on

 denotes an incumbent 34 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

in the Iowa House representing Iowa

Sept. 4, 2025. M.T. Bostic / Little Village

LittleVillageMag.com Adam Steen (R) ADAMSTEEN.COM

Appointed director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS) in 2021 by Gov. Reynolds, Steen resigned in August to run for governor. His legacy at DAS is two high-profile lawsuits. The first is over his refusal to let the Satanic Temple of Iowa hold a holiday event at the Capitol; the second seeks to reverse his order to close the state historical archives in Iowa City.

Rob Sand (D) ROBSAND.COM

The inevitable nominee, and the strongest candidate Democrats will have nominated since they used to win gubernatorial elections during the Branstad-less interregnum of 1998-2010.

Julie Stauch (D) JULIESTAUCHFORALLIOWANS.COM

In a different year, Stauch might be a serious contender for the nomination. Not this year.

Paul Dahl (D) Never a serious contender. A perennial candidate, who, based on previous

It’s a party in here! Get your

businheess

performance, probably won’t qualify for the primary ballot.

Attorney General  Brenna Bird (R) BIRDFORIOWA.COM

When not defending book bans or antiLGBTQ laws, Bird spends a lot of time supporting Trumpian lawsuits and threatening non-Iowa companies with policies she disapproves of, like filling prescriptions for mifepristone or having DEI initiatives. Polling shows Bird is unpopular, so expect a lot of out-of-state money to be spent on her behalf.

Nathan Willems (D) NATEWILLEMS.COM

So far, Willems’ greatest strength is he’s not Bird. A September poll showed him leading the AG, even though most people don’t know who he is. He’s an attorney from Mount Vernon who served two terms in the Iowa House. Cont. on pg. 36

to t party.

✓ Realtors ✓ Bars ✓ Restaurants rmers Markets ✓ Radio Stations ✓ Fa ✓ Theaters ✓ Florists ✓ Festivals ok stores ✓ Record Stores ✓ Bo ies ✓ Museums ✓ Game Stores ✓ Librar ops ✓ Boutiques ✓ Music Venues ✓ Bike Sh s ✓ Contractors... ✓ Hair Salons ✓ Doctor

are you!?! We’re all here. Where

n. the lafgeumag Join .com ds@littlevil

Contact a

2 0 2 6 C A N D I D AT E G U I D E

Secretary of State

horse boarding stable. Her campaign

Joshua Smith (R)

slogan? “Make Auditing Great Again!”

Ran for Libertarian

 Paul Pate (R)

Party presidential

PATEFORIOWA.COM

There is no Democratic candidate so

nomination in 2024.

Like all Republican

far. Please see the previous statement

Lost. Registered

secretaries of state,

about the Iowa Democratic Party.

as a Republican

Pate has to pretend Trump’s claims about voter fraud are serious,

Secretary of Agriculture

in 2025. Will lose, assuming he’s even still running; his campaign site no longer exists.

while also claiming there’s no problem in his state. The lack of any real problem in

 Mike Naig (R)

Iowa hasn’t stopped Pate from making it

MIKENAIG.COM

Bob Krause (D)

harder to vote in the name of “integrity.”

If the Iowa Farm

frequently runs for

Bureau ever pulled a

office, but the last

Ryan Peterman (D)

Dr. Frankenstein, Mike

time he was elected

PETERMANFORIOWA.COM

Naig is the creature

to anything was in the

A Navy vet who moved

it would create. By

1970s. That description

back to the Quad

all accounts Naig is quite personable, so you

will not change after this

Cities last year to be

might want to have a beer with him, but as

year’s election.

close to family (he

long as Naig is Ag Sec, you’ll never be able to

grew up in Bettendorf, now lives in Davenport),

drink water straight from the Raccoon River.

Peterman believes he can do a better job than

Richard Sherzan (D), like Krause, was elected to the Iowa House in the 1970s. Like

Pate to make voting both easier and secure.

Chris Jones (D) is

He probably can, but is unlikely to win.

considering a run, but

Senate in Arizona),

says he won’t decide

but has never won

until January. An

a primary. As with

expert on water quality

Krause, there will be

 Roby Smith (R)

and fierce critic of Big

no need to update that

ROBYSMITH.COM

Ag who doesn’t mince

description this year.

State Treasurer

Krause, he’s run for office since (twice for U.S.

Running for his second

words, Jones is the kind of candidate Iowa

Neither candidate

term. If he wins this

needs, but also the kind of candidate that would

appears to have a

make both Democrats and Republicans nervous.

campaign site.

year, Smith just needs to get reelected nine more times to equal the record of Democrat Michael Fitzgerald, who he beat in 2022.

U.S. Senate

If the Iowa Democratic Party was

Jim Carlin (R)

a fully functioning political party,

CARLINFORUSSENATE.COM

there would already be Democratic

Remember him?

Nathan Sage (D)

candidate. But it’s not, so there isn’t.

The hardcore

SAGEFORSENATE.COM

Aside from progressive values, what the other three Democrats have in common are

Iowa Auditor of State Chris Cournoyer (R)

compelling life stories.

Trumper crushed by Chuck Grassley in the

Sage grew up in western Iowa in a family

2024 Republican primary? No worries if

that struggled to make ends meet. He

you don’t. You can watch Ashley Hinson

served in both the Marine Corps and the

do the same thing in this year’s primary.

Army. Sage eventually became director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce,

COURNOYERFORIOWA.COM

She was a state

Ashley Hinson (R)

senator until Gov.

ASHLEYHINSON.COM

Reynolds appointed

If Fox News was

Josh Turek (D)

her lieutenant

a person, it would

TUREK4IOWA.COM

governor in December

look and sound a lot

Born with spina bifida resulting from his

like Ashley Hinson.

father’s exposure to Agent Orange during

2024, after Adam Gregg resigned to spend

helping small, local businesses.

more time with his family and the Iowa Bankers

Floating on an ocean of cash from her time

the Vietnam War, Turek underwent the

Association’s money. Cournoyer has Reynolds’

in the House, plenty more money will flow in

first of many surgeries on the day he

endorsement, for whatever that’s worth.

this year as Republicans fight to hold onto

was born. He went on to become a gold-

Joni “we all are going to die” Ernst’s seat. Two

medal-winning Paralympian in wheelchair

Abigail Maas (R)

days after Trump endorsed Hinson for Senate

basketball, and has spent much of his life

MAASFORIOWA.COM

in September, she declared Trump is “going to

trying to help others, especially people

A member of the

go down as the best president in our history.”

who use wheelchairs, overcome their

Iowa County Board

Hinson said that on Fox News, of course.

challenges. His first run for the Iowa House

of Supervisors, Maas

Hinson raised $1.7 million in Q3, and combined

was in 2022, and he won his Council Bluffs

owns a flooring

with the millions she already raised, Hinson

district by a small margin. Turek was

company and a

ended the quarter with $4,053,481 in the bank.

reelected in 2024 with a larger margin.

36 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

LittleVillageMag.com Christina Bohannan (D) Left: Nathan Sage

BOHANNANFORCONGRESS.COM

speaks to Little Village

At this point, Bohannan is pretty much the

after a campaign event

incumbent Democratic nominee in the 1st

on May 19, 2025.

District. She ran

Nicole Yeager / Little Village

against Miller-Meeks

Center: Josh Turek

in 2022 and 2024,

Campaign photo

and lost both times.

Right: Zach Wahls

Of course, every Iowa

Campaign photo

Democrat running for Congress lost in 2022 and 2024. Campaign

Sid Peterson / Little Village

donors don’t seem discouraged by the losses— Bohannan raised $1,059,732 in Q3.

Travis Terrell (D) TERRELLFORCONGRESS.COM

A first-time candidate who understands he has little chance of raising much money or winning endorsements, Terrell launched his campaign in April using the money he’d been saving for a vacation. The Ottumwa native said he wanted to make sure someone was standing up for the progressive

Zach Wahls (D)

values he prizes. He won’t win,

ZACHWAHLS.COM

Wahls first made national news as a 19-year-

she first won her seat in 2020. But after

but he knows that.

old in 2011 for a speech in front of the Iowa

district lines were redrawn following the

Terrell raised $12,990

House Judiciary Committee in opposition

2020 census, the home she has shared

between April and the

to a constitutional amendment that would

with her husband for two decades ended

end of September.

have banned same-sex marriage in Iowa.

up in IA-03. Instead of running against

The following year, My Two Moms: Lessons

the Democratic incumbent in that district,

Taylor Wettach (D)

of Love, Strength, and What Makes a Family,

Miller-Meeks said she’d move into her old/

TAYLORWETTACHFORCONGRESS.COM

an autobiographical book he co-wrote with

newly redrawn district. She didn’t. She did

A Muscatine boy made good, Wettach was

Bruce Littlefield, was published. Also in 2012,

rent an apartment in Davenport for a while,

an attorney at a major law firm, Simpson

Wahls, an Eagle Scout, launched Scouts for

and listed that as her official residence for

Thacher & Bartlett,

Equality to push the Boy Scouts of America

voting purposes, but gave up that pretense

until that firm decided

to drop anti-LGBTQ policies, and he spoke

last year and is once again registered to

to try to placate

at the Democratic National Convention. Six

vote at her home in IA-03. That means

Trump last year by

years later, he ran for the open Iowa Senate

unless she rents another apartment in IA-

agreeing to perform

seat in the district that includes Coralville

01, Miller-Meeks can vote for Zach Nunn

$125 million in pro

and won. He was reelected in 2022.

in November but not for herself. Whether

bono legal work for

that matters to other voters remains

the president. Wettach quit, moved back

Sage is a first-time candidate. Wahls is

to be seen. Wherever she lives, the IA-

to Muscatine and in July launched his run

experienced, but has never run outside

01 incumbent raised $806,731 in Q3.

in IA-01. He raised $429,099 in Q3.

of Democrat-friendly Johnson County.

IA-02

Turek is one of only two Democrats from

David Pautsch (R)

western Iowa currently in the Iowa House.

DAVIDPAUTSCH.COM

In Q3, Sage raised $410,501, Wahls raised

The founder of Quad

Shannon Lundgren (R)

$646,658 and Turek raised $1,008,592.

Cities Prayer Breakfast,

SHANNONFORIOWA.COM

Pautsch ran against

Lundgren is in her fifth term in the Iowa House.

IA-01

Miller-Meeks in the 2024 primary and

Charlie McClintock (R)

 Mariannette

lost. Despite his loud devotion to Donald

MCCLINTOCKFORCONGRESS.COM

Miller-Meeks (R)

Trump, Pautsch didn’t get an endorsement

McClintock is in his second term

DRMILLERMEEKS.COM

last time, and this time Trump has endorsed

in the Iowa Senate. Before that, he

Miller-Meeks lived

Miller-Meeks (for the first time ever). Pautsch

spent a year in the Iowa House.

in the district she

does, however, have the endorsement of

was running in when

the My Pillow Guy. He raised $7,895 in Q3.

Cont. on pg. 38 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 37

2 0 2 6 C A N D I D AT E G U I D E

The two have much in common. Neither has

Lindsay James (D)

Clint Twedt-Ball (D)

an “issues” section on their campaign site,

LINDSAYFORIOWA.COM

CLINTFORIOWA.COM

but both use their sites to boast about being

One of two ordained

The other ordained

an early Trump endorser in 2015. Lundgren:

ministers running

minister in the IA-02

“I proudly supported Donald J. Trump back

in IA-02, James, a

Democratic primary,

in August of 2015, and I’ve stood with him

Presbyterian pastor

every day since.” McClintock: “As one of

and chaplain, currently

Twedt-Ball, a former Methodist pastor, co-founded the nonprofit

Iowa’s first endorsers of President Trump and

bears all the marks of a frontrunner. She’s

Matthew 25 in Cedar Rapids in 2006. He’s a

supporters for his reelection campaign…”

in her fourth term representing Dubuque in

first-time candidate, but his experience with

the Iowa House, which shows she can run a

Matthew 25—which began by rehabbing houses

Joe Mitchell (R)

successful campaign. James has endorsements

for people in need, then started Iowa’s first

JOEMITCHELL.COM

from prominent Iowa Democrats and from

urban farm, followed by a farmers market,

Mitchell, however, has the best claim to being

an important national fundraising group

a pay-what-you-will cafe and a grocery

the Trumpiest candidate. Mitchell was first

(Emily’s List), as well as from a celebrity with

store in an area without one—shows he’s

elected to the Iowa House in 2018, when he

local connections (Kate Mulgrew, a Dubuque

an effective leader who can do a lot with

was 21. He served two terms before losing a

native, who was the first woman to play the

a little. Twedt-Ball raised $218,815 in Q3.

Republican primary. In 2020, he co-founded

lead character in a Star Trek TV series). James

Run Gen Z to get young Trump supporters to

raised $293,649 in six weeks during Q3.

Dave Bushaw (I)

enter politics. Mitchell held a couple of low-

DAVEBUSHAW.COM

level jobs in the first Trump administration.

Guy Morgan (D)

The only independent

He’s been endorsed by Turning Point USA.

VOTEFORYOURGUY.COM

candidate ever

Morgan manages a

elected to Congress

Lundgren announced she was running one

hotel in Boone, which

from Iowa is Albert

week before the end of the Q3 reporting

is not in the district.

period and did not file a campaign finance

He does not live in the

who won in the state’s longgone 8th District

report. McClintock launched his campaign

district. He will not

in 1886. He was defeated in the next election,

26 days before the end of Q3 and raised

win in the district.

but given how much effort Democrats and

$14,307. Mitchell announced four days after McClintock and raised $407,555.

Kathy Dolter (D)

Republicans will put into winning IA-02 this

Don Primus (D)

year, Anderson is in no danger of having to

Primus is the former

share his historical distinction with Bushaw.

manager of Pine Lake

DOLTERFORCONGRESS.ORG

Raney Anderson,

State Park. He doesn’t

IA-03

The former dean of

have a campaign site

nursing at Kirkwood

or a campaign staff, or

 Zach Nunn (R)

and a former Army

any chance of winning.

ZACHNUNN.COM

nurse (she retired as

When Gov. Reynolds

a lieutenant colonel),

announced in April

Dolter lists repealing

she wasn’t seeking

the One Big Beautiful

another term, it was widely expected Nunn

Bill Act as a

would run for governor. But after “prayerful

top priority on her campaign site.

consideration” and pressure from President

The first-time candidate raised

Trump, Nunn is running for a third term

$39,109 in Q3.

in the 3rd. He’s started moderating some of his MAGA positions, perhaps feeling

Left: Charlie

pressure as the election approaches. But

McClintock

so far it seems no amount of pressure can

Campaign photo

persuade Nunn to hold town halls with his

Center: Shannon

constituents. Nunn raised $524,657 in Q3.

Lundgren Official portrait

Xavier Carrigan (D)

Right: Joe

XCARRIGAN.COM

Mitchell

Carrigan moved

Campaign photo

to Iowa in 2023 from his home state of Ohio, where he ran unsuccessfully in a 2020 Democratic congressional primary. He says he doesn’t want to “build a political

38

LittleVillageMag.com

career,” which is probably for the best. He

In her first campaign

social media app Parler. Rhodes reported

didn’t file a campaign finance report in Q3.

for the Iowa House

raising $183,205 in Q3, but $100,000 of that

in 2018, Konfrst ran

was a loan he provided to his campaign.

against an incumbent Republican and lost.

Christian Schlaefer (R)

Two years later, the

SCHLAEFERFORIOWA.COM

incumbent moved

A farmer and software consultant, Schlaefer

out of the district

is a loyal Trumper

and Konfrst won the open seat. She’s been

who believes it’s time

reelected twice. Konfrst raised $175,556 in Q3.

to think about how

IA-04

to move Trumpism forward without Trump being in office. It’s

Chris McGowan (R)

unlikely Trump shares

MCGOWANFORIOWA.COM

that belief. Schlaefer

In June, after it was clear Randy

didn’t file a campaign

Feenstra would run for governor

finance report for Q3.

instead of reelection,

Matt Windschitl (R)

McGowan was

MATTWINDSCHITL.COM

the first Republican

Windschitl has been in the Iowa House since

to enter the

2007, and served as Majority Leader from 2020

race in the 4th.

until July, when he stepped down to launch

He’s worked as

his run for Congress.

a political consultant for Republicans

Windschitl’s signature

for decades, but this is his first run

accomplishment in the

for office. McGowan is president of

legislature has been

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and

to invalidate almost all

currently serves as chair of the Iowa

regulations on firearms

Sarah Trone Garriot. Campaign photo

Chamber Alliance. He raised $372,285 in Q3.

Sarah Trone Garriott (D)

Ryan Rhodes (R)

pass new ones. He

SARAHFORIOWA.COM

RHODESFORIOWA.COM

raised $67,425 in Q3.

If any of the Democrats make Nunn nervous,

If western Iowans want

it’s probably state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott.

a candidate with an

The last time western Iowa sent a Democrat

She has a record of besting tough Republican

impressive culture-war

to the U.S. House of Representatives was in

opponents. In her first run for Iowa Senate

resume, Rhodes may

1982, when Tom Harkin was reelected in the

in 2020, she beat the Republican mayor of

be their man. He was

5th District. That district no longer exists,

Clive for an open seat that had been held

the leader of the Iowa Tea Party, worked on

and the chance of a Democrat winning the

by a Republican. Redistricting moved Trone

Ben Carson’s 2016 presidential campaign and

4th this year is equally nonexistent. It’s one

Garriott into a district with Senate President

is co-owner and former CEO of the rightwing

of the most solidly Republican districts in the

in Iowa and make it almost impossible to

Jake Chapman, an 18-year incumbent, and

country. Still, as Ryan Melton proved when

she beat him. Republicans won’t even be

he ran in the 4th in 2002 and 2024—with no

able to accuse her of being a “godless

help from the IDP or the national party—it’s

liberal,” because she’s a Lutheran

important to have a candidate in the race to

minister. She raised $437,684 in Q3.

raise issues and inspire others to run. This year, there are three Democrats running in the 4th:

Jennifer Konfrst (D) JENNIFERKONFRST.COM

Dave Dawson (D)

The Windsor Height

DAVEDAWSONFORIOWA.COM

representative has been one of the most prominent

Stephanie Steiner (D)

Democrats in the Iowa

VOTESTEPHANIESTEINERFORIOWADISTRICT4.ORG

Legislature in recent years, and was House

Ashley WolfTornabane (D)

Minority Leader

WOLFTORNABANEFORIOWA.COM

until she stepped down in May to

Left: Ashley WolfTornabane. Campaign photo

launch her run

Center: Dave Dawson. Campaign photo

for Congress.

Right: Stephanie Steiner. Campaign photo LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM /LV348 January 2026 39

Short Story Contest Winner

Awe Stuck BY DIANNE ALITA ROSALES SIASOCO

January 2026 – Des Moines

August 2015

ome women had an orgasm when they saw one for the first time. Ever since I learned that, I’ve had to tamp down my already-heightened expectations while making our plans. Things like that just don’t happen to me, nope, not anymore. I keep pushing the trip forward anyway: book a hotel, map it out, and get excited—but not too excited. As usual, Rafael researches the details. “Do you think it’s a good idea? The news says the traffic is going to be bumper to bumper.” With that, a vision of our toddler, Fiona, screaming while Miss Rachel plays on repeat in a traffic jam, kills my orgasm dreams. “Why do you always have to find all the problems?” He rubs his forehead. “We can still go…” I know he’s right, but these days I fight for fun on principle. After they go to bed, I cancel everything and immediately do an online search for the “next total solar eclipse.” It’s Jan. 26, 2027, this time next year. I click on the map and zoom in on the zone of totality—the part of the Earth where the moon will block the sun. Minutes of darkness incite behaviors and experiences in the natural world, which usually occur at night. I gasp. Smack dab in the middle of the highlighted zone is the city where we fell in love and did our fair share of wild things in the night. I run to Fifi’s bedroom where he fell asleep with her. At the foot of the bed, I whisper, “Honey, I need to show you something.” Nothing. He’s open-mouthed snoring. I go back to my laptop and shut it. Best not to fantasize about our past and future lives.

To wait for the next eclipse, delaying satisfaction, is so not me. Single and childless, I spontaneously bought a one-way ticket to Spain after graduating with my teaching degree. I thought I was hot shit with my high ponytail and a new credit card when I showed up at the MadridBarajas airport, not knowing where I was going to stay on the first night. I hopped on a train to Madrid, and some teenage boys whispered, “china” and “guapa,” to each other. They weren’t brave enough to hit on a grown-ass woman yet, but leered enough to get under my skin. Rolling my eyes, I sat a couple of rows behind them and looked across the aisle to where another “chino” was peering at me. Oh, what now? In perfect deadpan, he asked “Are you china or japonesa?” He couldn’t sustain it, and I saw a little smirk post-delivery. “Ha!” I replied. “Why do they know only two types of Asians? It’s the same in every non-Asian country.” “Must be the Hollywood movies, all blondies and boobies, Karate Kid and Jackie Chan.” He chuckled. I liked him. “Yeah, not their fault. It’s all they’re fed, but I wish they knew something about Filipinos. The Spanish were all up in our business for 300 years.” “Preach! I’m Filipino too—actually, half. My mum is Irish. Where you headed?” “I don’t know yet.” I pointed to my guidebook. “You should come to this rad hostel where I’m meeting my compadres.” Damn, that was quick—the gumption of a confident man. My left leg started to bounce. I didn’t want to hang with English speakers. I came here to live my best foreign life, but this would make it easier tonight. I glimpsed the outline of a long dimple in his right cheek. He was holding the book As the Bell Tolls on top of his Scottish hiking kilt. I hope he’s not a douchebag. He interrupted my not-so-hidden once-over. “Hey, player. Do you need to see my ID? I’m legit.” He pulled it out of his book. “I go by Rafa.” Playing along, I looked at him and then back down at the ID: Rafael Villanueva, 5’11”, black hair, blue eyes, California. “I’m Josie. I’ll think about it.” He looked pleased and placed it back in his book. He would be just fine whether I came or not—this American conquistador. I pretend-read my guidebook, even though I knew for damn sure that I’d be following him that night. It was the first time that I had traveled alone.

S

40 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

At the hostel, he spoke fluent Spanish with the staff. Around Rafa, I learned that blue eyes and command of a language held great powers. I moved closer to him, so they’d know we came together.  The outdoor kitchen and patio could’ve been the setting of any rom-com: warm red walls, candle-lit lamps, magenta bougainvillea vines. I would’ve looked out of place if not for my sister’s unsolicited pre-departure luggage check, taking everything practical out and trying to throw in tighter and trendier outfits. I allowed this shoulder-less top, which at least had some character and breathing room. Rafa had changed, too. The kilt was gone, replaced with linen pants and a black T-shirt revealing a mandarin-sized disco ball tattoo on the back of his forearm. He looked at ease, weaving in and out of conversations and making dinner with his friends, who were not American but Mexican and Irish. When I was in his orbit, he’d hover noticeably close with his hand-rolled joint, submerging me in his haze of smoke and attention. “Ever tried hashish and tobacco?” “No, but I’d like to.” I needed an extra something to calm my nerves, so I put down my lit cigarette and took a long drag of his. Within minutes, we were high together, cry-laughing, and calling each other chino. I was toast. No chance against him. The rest of the night, I watched him in slow motion, licking the edge of rolling papers as he made his next cigarette. He smelled like lavender and vanilla. What man smells like this? He eyeballed me back. “Want to take a walk, guapa? We sauntered away from the party, passed my room, and into his. Once the door was shut, we lunged at each other. Sex on a bunk bed seemed inevitable, our clothes coming off with emergency-level urgency, but I pushed him away at the last possible moment. With concerned eyebrows, he begged, “What’d I do?” The drugs must’ve been wearing off because I confessed, “I’m not ready.” His body stayed put, but he pulled my face in. He smashed my nose with his and whispered into my mouth, “I’ll wait for you.”

LittleVillageMag.com That’s really all it took. I knew what kind of man he was. The suspense of one night lying next to him was enough. When we woke up the next day, I let him have all of me.

I don’t tell Rafa about the letter because he doesn’t need the stress. He hates my ex, the closeted serial cheater. I need to keep him calm so he’ll ask for vacation time off work. I’d do anything to get to the eclipse at this point.

 November 2026 By the end of the month, we were a unit. We scored English teaching jobs and rented a room in an apartment owned by two Spanish brothers, Carlos and Alejandro, in the Malasaña neighborhood. You’d think that sharing space with a couple of dudes would kill our romance, but it just made our urges to be together that much stronger. Our favorite spot was the American café next door, which had a booth in the back where we’d feel each other up whenever the server left the room. We were in our 20s, but everything we did had a touch of juvenile delinquency. Without a car, I used to ride on his bike rack to the center of town with my feet dangling off the sides. In Retiro Park, we’d sing Smashing Pumpkins songs at the top of our lungs with Carlos on guitar while drinking Mahou beer from plastic cups. On another date, he dared me to run through a line of sprinklers without getting wet and videotaped me dodging the alternating sprays of water. Back in the day, fun was the biggest turn-on. October 2026 – Des Moines

We still haven’t bought flights, and I’m drowning in grading and Thanksgiving preparations. I’ll fucking lose it if my sister asks me what I’m bringing again. She gets ultra-competitive during the holidays. Tonight, Owen planned a Friendsgiving at our local pub, which will give me the chance to tell him to back off to his face. Rafa’s staying home with Fifi, still ignorant of Owen’s visit. No need for a bar fight again. On my way out, Rafa holds up my jacket so I can put my arms in. He does this for me, our daughter, our moms. The slight gesture reminds me he’s still in there, my gentle, quirky boyfriend. Our daily lives entomb us, but we’re here, breathing under the weight of parenthood and too much work. The disappointment of adulthood seeps up into my eyelids. “Can we have an adventure soon, chino? It doesn’t have to be Madrid. Just anywhere with you.” My voice cracks. He scans my face, reading wrinkled lines. “I’ll buy the flights tonight.” I pull him in and press my nose to his. “I’ll wait for you.”

Jan. 26, 2027 I sit holding Fifi in my lap. I came all this way to be in awe of this head of hair that I see every day. We made it with our cells, yet they keep growing of their own volition. Part me, part him, mostly thousands of ancestors who came before us. The sky darkens. People start cheering, hollering, smiling, and crying. Spanish birds are squawking. They’re coming down to roost from the sky, tricked into night. Fifi and I are like them. It’s time to settle in. Rafa grabs my hand. And, just like that, total alignment happens. The sun and moon click into place, and the sun’s crown is glowing at the edges. Stillness begets wonder. Then it goes. The sky lightens, and birds start singing. It’s a new day. Read the three finalists’ stories at dmpl.org/dmpllittle-village-shortstory-contest

Every time Rafa asks me if something is a “good idea,” I want to punch a hole in the wall. What happened to the guy who used to draw tattoos of his favorite foods on my chest so that he could pretend to eat them off my body? It was a hamburger in the valley of my cleavage one day and French fries the next. His good ideas now only concern wills and mortgages. Listening to him, I crave a stiff drink, but I gave that up years ago. Nowhere to go, nothing to drink, and no man to seduce. I don’t mind getting older physically, but losing my youthfulness is an unexpected surrender.  When the letter comes in the mail, ‌it looks like a Halloween card. The envelope is black with a full moon and sun on the back. Huh. I open it and see his unmistakable handwriting, the largest words being “I,” “me,” and his signature at the bottom. “Jojo, I still love you. I’m sorry that I hurt you. Will you meet me under the shadow of the moon? I’ll be home for Thanksgiving and hope to see you there. Yours, Owen” Shit. Why is he messing with my life again? My reply: “Owen, thanks for your apology. You hurt me, but I’ve moved on. Maybe I’ll see you at home. Best, Josie.” I don’t owe him anything.

Illustrations by Kellan Doolittle / Little Village LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 41

A-List: Eastern Iowa

Found Objects The playful puppetry of this one-Iowan show belies the disturbing true story it’s based on. BY KEVIN RICHARD SCHAFER

Rip Russel with his cast members. Mary Swander, courtesy of the artist

I

owa City playwright Mary Swander’s most recent play began with a chance find at a local store. “Years ago, I took a walk down the road one day from my place, an old Amish one-room schoolhouse, to the country store,” Swander recounts on her Substack. “There, they have a rack of literature … My eyes fell on a little pamphlet, mimeographed and stapled together. Inside, the pages were an oral history of an Amish conscientious objector in WWII.” “I stood before the rack and read the whole story. Wow, this man was drafted into the Army, granted C.O. status, put on a train with some fellow peace church resisters, then sent to Colorado as a smoke jumper, a firefighter in the West. The train got to Colorado, all right, but it came to an abrupt halt. The men were marched off at bayonet point and locked into an old chicken coop. There they remained for the rest of the war.” Inspired, Swander wrote Coop. The new play, produced by Swander Woman Productions, was staged this fall in Iowa City and Kalona, as well as the Irish cities of Letterfrack, Clifden, Tully and Cross. More Iowa performances are scheduled in the new year, including shows in West Liberty and Coralville in January. Swander is a nonfiction writer and the former Iowa Poet Laureate. Her poetry collection Driving the Body Back garnered praise from both the New York Times and L.A. Times. She’s received numerous awards, including from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Whiting Foundation and the New York Foundation for the Arts, and was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. There was no doubt that Swander could do justice to the story of Jake, the 21-year-old Amish conscientious objector, but there was a logistical issue. The only male actor from her company available was University of Iowa Theatre graduate Rip Russell, and he’s 60 years old. Swander confided to her friend Monica Leo that the play wasn’t going to work. “It’ll work,” Leo told her, “if the Amish C.O. is a puppet.” Swander liked the idea, but Leo was the puppeteer, not her. “‘I’m not crafty like you,’ I protested. ‘I can’t make puppets.’” Leo assured Swander she didn’t have to. “There’s object theatre.” According to the World Encyclopedia of Puppet Arts, “any object can become a puppet”—“a trip to the second hand store or a quick tour around one’s home can become the basis for a performance.” “In object theatre, the untransformed ‘thing’ is explored, either in itself (to find its inherent movement/physical properties) or to use as a character/ symbol in a story.” Mary Swander speaks to the audience before a performance of Coop. Kevin Richard Schafer / Little Village

42 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

LittleVillageMag.com

Rip Russel performs Coop at his home in Iowa City. Kevin Richard Schafer / Little Village

Rather than attempt to make characters out of felt and glue, Swander went object hunting. The main character, Jake, is played by a traffic cone. Other characters are portrayed by balloons and daggers and dusting tools. As the only human actor in the Coop cast, Russell’s extensive theatrical experience (including productions with Riverside Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, City Circle and Iowa City Community Theatre) serves him well here. He acts silently as the Hand of God, manipulating the various props, imbuing each

object-character with personality and nuance, in concert with a prerecorded soundtrack of narration by Russell, mixed with scene-setting sound effects. The play begins with the sound of Hitler’s voice segueing into the Amish praise song “Das Loblied.” Russell enters the scene as a janitor mocking Hitler using a small broom as a mustache. The actor drops the broom and begins dressing the traffic cones, and in doing so introduces us to Jake, our protagonist. We hear a news announcement regarding the 1940 Draft Act.

Jake confides, “The government is drafting me. If I go to war, my own Amish people will shun me. If I don’t go to war, my English neighbors will do even worse things to me.” “Gott ist Die Liebe (God Loves Me Dearly)” plays on the soundtrack. Jake, being the thoughtful patriot that he is, goes to the draft board to register as a conscientious objector. He is under the impression that he will be trained as a “smoke jumper” to fight fires in Colorado. Instead of smoke jumping, of course, he is forcibly interred in a literal chicken coop (with all its inherent symbolism) along with eight other C.O.s for the duration of the conflict. The narrative jumps between Jake’s personal recollections and the story of his Mennonite uncle Fred’s time as a C.O. during the first World War. Fred’s treatment parallels Jake’s situation, but was arguably worse. Fred’s hair and beard were forcibly cut. He was waterboarded. He was put in a cold dungeon. Two fellow C.O.s came down with pneumonia. One died. Then there were more deaths. Fred spent the rest of his interment stacking bodies. Poignantly, a fair amount of Swander’s script comes from letters Jake “prays” home to his mother, having no mail privileges in the coop. These letters serve to recount the abuse Jake suffers as well as framing his Uncle Fred’s story. The script often reads, unsurprisingly enough, like open form poetry, with its rhythms, specific line repetitions and its imagery. Take this line from Jake: “This is the battleground here, inside my head, inside this chicken coop. My guards are waiting for me to put on the uniform and be free. Free. What is freedom? The military says it’s fighting for freedom. For whom? Certainly not for a lowly Amish C.O. stuck here with a bunch of chickens.” Coop brings to light these sad, obscured atrocities with a fascinating combination of the absurd, the surreal and the tragic, with brief moments of grace thrown in for good measure. The canny choice of using object theatre to tell the story of an objector, and having that objector double as the dispassionate Hand of God moving the objects to their objective fate over their objections, is a subtle but effective one.

Upcoming performances of Coop Free and open to the public Thursday, Jan. 22, Owl Glass Puppetry Center, West Liberty Saturday, Jan 24, New Song Episcopal Church, Coralville Sunday, Feb 22, Dewitt Sunday, March 22, Prairiewoods, Cedar Rapids Tuesday, April 21, Muscatine Community College Saturday, April 25, Fairfield Rip Russel performs Coop at Mullarkey’s bar in Cliffland, Ireland. Janis Russell, courtesy of the artist LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 43

LOCAL NEWS. ♥︎ LOCAL AND SOPHISTICATED, A GOOD MIX ♥︎ I’VE WRITTEN FOR IT: I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WRITE FOR IT. MATT WAS A STUDENT OF MINE. TO ME IT’S INTEGRAL TO WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MY TOWN. PLUS, I ORGANISE MY LIFE USING THE CALENDAR. ♥︎ GOOD, RELIABLE SOURCE OF LOCAL NEWS ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS AND INFORMATION. ♥︎ GOOD JOURNALISM AND NOTICE OF AREA EVENTS ♥︎ I LOVE THAT IT SUPPORTS ALL HUMANS ♥︎ THE ONLY CONSISTENT SNAPSHOT OF THE AREA ARTS SCENE. ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS IS IMPORTANT ♥︎ YOU ARE OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, AND YOU DO IT WELL. ♥︎ LOVE SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT/ COMMUNITY/POLITICAL NEWS. OFFERS A FRESH LENS ON INFORMATION. ♥︎ LOVE SUPPORTING LOCAL JOURNALISM AND THE COMMUNITY IT BUILDS ♥︎ LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT AND FREE ♥︎ ITS A GREAT INSIGHT INTO LOCAL HAPPENINGS. ♥︎ IT’S THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THE ARTS, THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEIR NEIGHBORS. ♥︎ ALL THE OTHER LOCAL ALT WEEKLIES STOPPED WRITING ORIGINAL ARTICLES ♥︎ ALL NEWS IS LOCAL, AND LV IS THE MOST HONEST LOCAL SOURCE I’VE GOT. ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS, IDEAS, EVENTS, POLITICS ♥︎ IT COVERS NEWS STORIES AND EVENTS THAT ARE NOT ACCIDENTS, MURDERS AND OTHER VARIOUS UNHAPPY EVENTS. ♥︎ GOOD COVERAGE OF LOCAL AND STATE POLITICS. THE QUALITY OF THE WRITING IS VERY GOOD. LOVE THE COMICS! ♥︎ RELIABLE AND WILL PRODUCE SOURCE FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION, LOCAL ENVIRONMENT. GOING LOCAL EVENTS ARE HAPPENING, LOCAL ISSUES. ♥︎ THE THING THAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT LV IS THAT I GRAB A COPY WHEN WE GO DOWNTOWN, AND THEN CAN READ IT -OFF AND ON - FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I’M NOT AS INTERESTED IN CEDAR RAPIDS THAN I AM IN IOWA CITY, BUT THAT’S OKAY. SOMEDAY I MAY NEED TO DRIVE UP THERE AND I WILL KNOW WHERE TO EAT. ♥︎ IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SOURCES OF LOCAL CULTURE ♥︎ IT’S OUR ONLY LOCAL NEWS SOURCE ♥︎ LV IS A CONSISTENTLY RELIABLE SOURCE OF JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY AND SPEAKS TRUTH TO POWER AT A TIME WHEN DOING SO IS PERHAPS MORE NECESSARY AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN. LOVE THIS FOR IOWANS! ♥︎ COVERS NEWS AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS THAT MATTER TO ME. ♥︎ I LIKE LOCAL CONTACTS ♥︎ TOO OFTEN MEDIA FOCUSES ON JUST NEWS AND JUST THINGS THAT HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY. THERE IS TIME FOR CELEBRATION, FOR SHARING, FOR RECORDING THE ART, LIFE, AND HISTORY THAT IS BEING MADE IN OUR STATE. ♥︎ FREEDOM OF PRESS ♥︎ FREE (THOUGH I SUBSCRIBE), GOOD WRITING (ARTS STUFF COULD BE BETTER), LOCAL NEWS ♥︎ LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL ♥︎

YOU COVER TOPICS THAT INTEREST ME IN GREATER DEPTH AND/OR FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAN OTHER SOURCES. ♥︎ IT PROVIDES LOCAL NEW, AND INFORMATION AND HAS OTHER ENTERTAINING SECTIONS ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS FOR HE WIN! ♥︎ IT IS A GREAT WAY TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ALL THE CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR AREA! I LOVE IT! ♥︎ INDEPENDENT, LOCAL NEWS IS INVALUABLE ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS IS GREAT & KNOWING WHAT’S GOING ON/KEEPING UP WITH SUPPORTING THE ARTS AND THE CITY OF LITERATURE. ♥︎ GREAT CULTURAL INFO ♥︎ YOU COVER LOCAL POLITICS IN AN HONEST AND ACCESSIBLE WAY, ARTS AND MUSIC COVERAGE, EVENTS CALENDAR ♥︎ SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES, CREATIVES, AND EVENTS ♥︎ CAN’T REALLY REPLACE IT WITH AI, OFC, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT STANDS FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT - THE IDEA THAT REGARDLESS OF THE PROFITABILITY OR PRACTICALITY OF BEING ALWAYS FREE AND IN PRINT, IT’S THE PRINCIPLE THAT STANDS REGARDLESS. ♥︎ UPDATE ON LOCAL EVENTS ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS AND ARTS, CONNECTION TO LOCAL EVENTS AND BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY. ♥︎ SO GOOD TO LIVE IN A PLACE WITH A SUCH A GOOD LOCAL INDEPENDENT MONTHLY ♥︎ IVE READ LV SINCE I WENT TO COLLEGE IN THE LATE 90’S. IT FEELS LIKE HOME AND HELPS ME STAY CONNECTED TO MY COMMUNITY ♥︎ ITS WONDERFUL TO HAVE A LOCAL NEWS SOURCE THAT CARES ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM POLITICS TO CULTURE. YOU CAN ADD MORE FOCUS ON OUR PARKS/ ENVIRONMENT AND C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T OPPORTUNITIES. ♥︎ LIBERAL, FREE PRESS, VIEWPOINTS ARE NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER ♥︎ NON-TRADITIONAL ♥︎ I LIKE AN ALTERNATIVE TO “CORPORATE NEWS”. I ENJOY SUPPORTING MY LOCAL COMMUNITY ♥︎ I GET THE LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON ARTS AND MUSIC. ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS ♥︎ HONEST JOURNALISM ♥︎ IT IS INTERESTING ARTICLES AND EVENTS CALENDAR ♥︎ GREAT COVERAGE OF LOCAL AND STATE NEWS. BETTER THAN THE PC OR HAZETTE. CONGRATULATIONS! ♥︎ I LIKE THE LOCAL ASPECT AND IT’S INTENTIONALITY AROUND ISSUES THAT CLEARLY IMPACT US HERE AT “HOME”, ALSO GREAT PLACE TO FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ♥︎ A UNIQUE NEWS/EVENTS RESOURCE ♥︎ LOCAL AND INDEPENDENT ♥︎ I LIKE READING THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR ARTICLES SO I CAN RAISE MY BLOOD PRESSURE. ♥︎ LOCAL PEOPLE COVERING LOCAL EVENTS. ♥︎ IT’S THE BEST SOURCE FOR KNOWING WHAT IS HAPPENING ON A LOCAL LEVEL - AND WE NEED TO ACT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS HAPPENING LOCALLY TO GET TO A BETTER PLACE NATIONALLY. ♥︎ AMPLIFYING VOICES THAT ARE OTHERWISE OVERLOOKED ♥︎ IT’S A LOCALLY-OWNED NEWS

Local, sophisticated, trustworthy and smart. And always, endlessly in need of cash.

Little Village is headquartered in Iowa City and covers and distributes throughout Eastern and Central Iowa.

ENTITY, AND THERE ARE SO MANY FEWER OF THOSE IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY. ♥︎ THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT CULTURAL HAPPENINGS IN THE IOWA CITY AREA. IT’S AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE FOR KNOWING WHAT’S GOING ON IN MY CITY. PLUS THE NEWS COVERAGE, ALTHOUGH LIMITED, IS TOP NOTCH! ♥︎ LOCAL MEDIA KEEPS COMMUNITIES GROUNDED AND CONNECTED. ♥︎ IT IS A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY RESOURCE! ♥︎ LOCAL INFORMATION ♥︎ IT’S NEWS AND STORIES I TRUST ♥︎ I TRUST THE JOURNALISM, AND AM HORRIFIED DAILY OF LIES AND OTHER FALSEHOIDS FED TO ALL OF US GENERATED IN THIS RECENT HISTORY OF OUR CULTURE. ♥︎ LOCAL COVERINGS IN THE COMMUNITY AND I WANT TO SUPPORT THAT ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS ♥︎ LOCAL! ♥︎ IT’S MOSTLY ABOUT COMMUNITY CONNECTION. LITTLE VILLAGE FILLS A LOT OF GAPS IN IOWA CITY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DECLINE OF LOCAL NEWS MEDIA. ♥︎ LOCAL NEWS, COMMENTARY, AND EVENTS ARE WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE IOWA CITY AREA. IT’S EDGY AND SMART, WHICH CAN BE HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS. ♥︎ LOCAL MEDIA MATTERS. ♥︎ LOCAL, PROGRESSIVE OUTREACH. ♥︎ GOOD UP TO DATE LISTING ON COMMUNITY EVENTS ♥︎ INFORMATIVE, FUN TO READ. LOVE THE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ♥︎ LOCAL! INDEPENDENT! ♥︎ I GET MORE DETAILS ABOUT STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS ♥︎ GREAT STORIES AND NOTIFICATIONS OF EVENTS ♥︎ LV DOES MORE THAN REPUBLISH IOWA CITY GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASES. IT IS A PLATFORM FOR THE OTHERWISE UNHEARD VOICES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDES MORE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF ISSUES THAN ANY OTHER LOCAL SOURCE. ♥︎ IT’S STILL INFORMATIVE FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE ♥︎ I AM A BIG ADVOCATE OF LOCAL & COMMUNITY LEVEL ACTION / INVOLVEMENT! ♥︎ I FIND IT DIFFERENT. ♥︎ REAL NEWS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ♥︎ HAS INFORMATION NOT GENERALLY FOUND OR READILY ACCESSED BY OUTER MEDIA IN THE AREA. ♥︎ CONNECTS ME TO THE COMMUNITY ♥︎ KEEPS ME UP TO DATE ON LOCAL EVENTS, ARTISTS AS WELL AS POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN IOWA ♥︎ LOCAL ♥︎ LOCAL INFO AND OPINION ♥︎ BECAUSE YOU PROVIDE DECENT COVERAGE OF THE STATEHOUSE. ♥︎ LOCAL, UNAFRAID, TRUTHFUL TRUSTWORTHY ♥︎ IT’S INDEPENDENT, PUBLISHES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FROM ME EVEN THOUGH I NO LONGER LIVE IN IOWA CITY BUT AM STILL HEAVILY INVOLVED, AND IT HAS A UNIQUE, LOCAL LENS ♥︎ COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, SUPPORT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, ARTISTS, AND ORGANIZATIONS ♥︎ INDIE, LOCAL, PROGRESSIVE VALUES, CONNECTION TO WHAT’S HAPPENING, SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS, FUN TO

THUMB THROUGH, ARTS RELATED EVENTS ♥︎ PUBLICLY PRODUCED, PUBLICLY SUPPORTED MEDIA IS VITAL IN THE PEOPLE’S FIGHT AGAINST MISINFORMATION AND FASCISM. ♥︎ THEATER DATES, BOOK REVIEWS, ART, FOOD ♥︎ GOOD WRITING. APPRECIATE THE LIBERAL POV. ♥︎ INDIE JOURNALISM IS WHERE COMMUNITY THRIVES ♥︎ LOCAL CONNECTIONS ♥︎ I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT PROVIDES ME WITH EVERYTHING LOCAL HAPPENING WITHIN THE MONTH! IT HELPS ME PLAN OUT IF I HAVE THE TIME TO GO OR NOT. I’VE ALSO GOTTEN REALLY GOOD FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS FROM IT WHICH I’M APPRECIATIVE OF. ♥︎ THE EVENTS CALENDAR ♥︎ I USED TO LIVE IN IOWA DURING COVID. WHEN I LEFT POST COVID, I REALIZED HOW MUCH I MISSED OUT ON. I HAVE A RENEWED CHANCE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING IOWA HAS TO OFFER. I LOVE READING LITTLE VILLAGE AND READING ABOUT DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES, OPINIONS, AND NEWS ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON HERE!! IT’S NOT JUST POLITICAL BUT GETTING TO READ ABOUT THE ART SCENE IS REFRESHING AS WELL. THIS MAGAZINE IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE IT IS THE GATEWAY TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ME. I ALWAYS LOOK OUT FOR A NEW PRINT AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY MONTH. ♥︎ KEEPS ME CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY, BOTH IN THE SPIRIT OF HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING AND EVENTS THAT I ENJOY ATTENDING OR PARTICIPATING IN. ♥︎ BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN SUPPORTING LOCAL. ♥︎ HIGH QUALITY LOCAL NEWS ♥︎ PHYSICAL MEDIA IS SO IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S LOCAL MEDIA ♥︎ AS LOCAL NEWS COVERAGE GROWS MORE AND MORE RARE, YOUR COVERAGE REMAINS ONE OF THE ONLY TRULY LOCAL SOURCES ♥︎ FUN TO READ ♥︎ I LIVE OVER AN HOUR AWAY BUT LOVE IOWA CITY AND ITS VIBE. SO I LIKE TO READ ABOUT ALL THE GOINGS ON AND DECIDE WHERE TO SHOP, EAT, AND SEE PERFORMANCES! I ALSO APPRECIATE HAVING A LOCAL PUBLICATION THAT REFLECTS MY POLITICAL LEANINGS. IT’S IMPORTANT TO FEEL LIKE PART OF A LIKEMINDED COMMUNITY IN THESE TRYING TIMES! ♥︎ THE STORIES ARE FASCINATING AND DIFFERENT. THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME MORE ABOUT SHILO AND FOR HELPING ME LEARN ABOUT SMUTTY CORN. ♥︎ I TRUST THE PUBLISHER ♥︎ KEEPS ME IN TOUCH WITH CULTURAL EVENTS AND POLITICAL LIFE OF MY COMMUNITY ♥︎ INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM IS SO IMPORTANT ♥︎ ENJOY CHECKING OUT THINGS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA ♥︎ EVENTS CALENDAR AND LOCAL, INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM ♥︎ IT HELPS ME FEEL LIKE I’M PART OF A LARGER COMMUNITY. ♥︎ ACTUALLY READABLE. ORIGINAL ART.

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Responses from Little Village’s 2025 Reader Survey

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

A-LIST: January 2026

January A-LIST: FILM Sat, Jan. 24, 1 p.m.,

Community Collaborations: The Librarians, FilmScene Sun, Jan. 25, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks:

via Janus Films

Still from ONLYFANGS. via A & P Films

Season 2 – Episode 15 + 16, FilmScene

Mon, Jan. 26, 7 p.m., Out of the Archive: The Story of a Three Day Pass, FilmScene Wed, Jan. 28, 7 p.m., Twin

DES MOINES

Sun, Jan. 11, 4 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season

Peaks: Season 2 – Episode

Sat, Jan. 10, 12 p.m., I Puritani – Presented w/

2 – Episode 7 + 8, FilmScene

17 + 18, FilmScene

the Des Moines Metro Opera, Varsity Cinema Thu & Fri, Jan 29 & 30, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., Iron Lung, FilmScene

Sat, Jan. 24, 1 p.m., The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Presented w/ the Des

Mon, Feb. 2, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks:

Moines Metro Opera, Varsity Cinema

I OWA C I T Y Sun, Jan. 4, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season 2 – Episode 1 + 2, FilmScene Wed, Jan. 7, 10 p.m., Late Shift at the

Season 2 – Episode 19 + 20, FilmScene

via Apple TV

Opens Feb. 2, Iron Lung, Fleur Cinema

Tue, Jan. 13, 7 p.m., Come See Me

LOCAL & NOTABLE

in the Good Light, FilmScene Thu, Jan. 14, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season

Grindhouse: Onlyfangs, FilmScene

2 – Episode 9 + 10, FilmScene

Thu, Jan. 8, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season

Sat & Sun, Jan. 17 & 18, 11 a.m., The

2 – Episode 3 + 4, FilmScene

Picture Show: Surf’s Up, FilmScene

Little Village's monthly print calendar is a non-exhaustive, curated list of arts and cultural events across LV's reader areas. Want to see more? Browse listings online at littlevillagemag.com/calendar.

Sun, Jan. 18, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season 2 – Episode 11 + 12, FilmScene

via Julia Loktev

Mon, Jan. 19, 7 p.m., Reel Representation: A Place of Rage, FilmScene Wed & Fri, Jan. 21 & 23, 10 p.m., Late Shift at the Grindhouse: The Thing, FilmScene Sat & Sun, Jan. 10 & 11, My Undesirable Friends: Part I – Last

Thu, Jan. 22, 3:30 p.m., The Picture Show:

Air in Moscow, FilmScene

Surf’s Up, FilmScene

Sat, Jan. 10, 4 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season

Thu, Jan. 22, 7 p.m., Twin Peaks: Season 2 –

2 – Episode 5 + 6, FilmScene

Episode 13 + 14, FilmScene

46 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

Are you planning an event? Add it to our online calendar: littlevillagemag. com/calendar. (Please include: event image, event name, date, time, venue name and address, admission price or price range and a brief description. No all-caps, exclamation points or advertising verbiage, please.)

JANUARY 16 Chris Thile 18 Rebirth Brass Band 20 Hatis Noit intimate

Sponsored By: Discerning Eye

22 JOSEPH

with John-Robert

25 Big Head Todd and The Monsters 30 Vitamin String Quartet

FEBRUARY

5 Dan Padley intimate

A Tribute to Bill Frisell Sponsored By: Discerning Eye

6 Tom Arnold 7 The Cactus Blossoms at Wildwood with Angela Autumn

11 Matteo Mancuso 12 The Milk Carton Kids + Sierra Hull 13+14 Second City 14 Queer Coffee Social

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

MUSIC

D E S M O I N E S /A M E S Fri, Jan. 2, Beggars Bargain w/ Luke Fox, xBk Live Fri, Jan. 2, The Canary Collective Showcase, Wooly’s Fri, Jan. 2, Quin Trilk, Mia Prosperi, Kelsie James, xBk Annex Sat, Jan. 3, Doc Bullfrog w/ Dirty via The Des Moines Big Band

Blonde and Holding Hemlock, xBk Live Tue, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., In the Mood for Swing w/ the Des Moines Big Band, Noce Wed, Jan. 7, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ Anthony Orji & Co., Noce Thu, Jan. 8, 7 p.m., Boss Tenors ft. Simon Harding & Wayne Page, Noce Thu, Jan. 8, Raw Space, Heaven

Sat, Jan. 10, 9 p.m., Latin Night

Tue, Jan. 13, Rakuyo, Surfaced, Happy

w/ Son Peruchos, Noce

Thoughts, Do You Bleed?, xBk Live

Drugs, Knives, xBk Annex Sat, Jan. 10, Bootcamp,

Wed, Jan. 14, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House

Fri, Jan. 9, 9:30 p.m., After

Traffic Death, Skinned Alive,

w/ Hannah Goodwin & Co., Noce

Hours @ Noce, Noce

Wanderer, xBk Live Fri, Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m., Violets are

Fri, Jan. 9, Blake Jack + South 35 w/ The Boys, xBk Live

Tue, Jan. 13, 7 p.m., The Des Moines

Blue, Dirty Blonde, Locals

Big Band, In residence, Noce Fri, Jan. 16, 9:30 p.m., After Hours @ Noce, Noce Fri, Jan. 16, Mr. Rood & The Attitude w/ Surf Zombies and Joel Sires, xBk Live Sat, Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Aviana Gedler w/ her band, Noce Sat, Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Triple Elvis, Value of Human Life, Skillful Means, Locals Sat, Jan. 17, XOLEX w/ Sierra Griggs, xBk Live Sun, Jan. 18, Andy Juhl and the Bluestem Players w/ Radio Renegade and Allegra Hernandez, xBk Live Mon, Jan. 19, Mountain Grass Unit, xBk Live

via Blake Jack

Tue, Jan. 20, 7 p.m., The Des Moines Big Band, in residence, Noce Wed, Jan. 21, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ Levi Temple & co., Noce 48 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

A-LIST: January 2026

Thu, Jan. 22,, 7 p.m., The Art of the Trio w/ Mike Conrad, Noce Fri, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., Torch Songs: Lauren Vilmain w/ her jazz orchestra, Noce Fri, Jan. 23, Dead of Winter ft. Winterland and Stringfield, xBk Live Fri, Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m., Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Hoyt Sherman Place Fri, Jan. 23, 9:30 p.m., After Hours @ Noce, Noce

via Durcharme-Jones

Sat, Jan. 24, Vincent Mason, Cole Goodwin, Val Air Ballroom Sat, Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m., Dead7, Locals Sat, Jan. 24,, 7 p.m., The Paul Lichty Jazz Orchestra, Noce Sat, Jan. 24, Joe Stamm Band w/ Duke Oursler, xBk Live

Sun, Jan. 25, The Toasters w/ The Bishops

Album Release, xBk Live

and The Uncollectables, xBk Live Sat, Jan. 24, 9:30 p.m., After Hours @ Noce, Noce

Tue, Jan. 27, 7 p.m., The Des Moines Mon, Jan. 26, Durcharme-Jones

Big Band, in residence, Noce

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY

MEGAN GOGERTY JAN 22 - FEB 1

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 49

MUSIC

Wed, Jan. 28, 7 p.m., Jazz on the House w/ Scott Davids & co., Noce Thu, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., The Carousel w/ the Halloween Episode and Ry, xBk Live Thu, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., KC Percussionist John Kizilarmut & co., Noce Fri, Jan. 30, Winter Dance Party, Val Air Ballroom Fri, Jan. 30, 9:30 p.m., After Hours @ Noce, Noce Sat, Jan. 31, The Flyover Sessions: Songwriter Round ft. Heath Alan, Andy Fleming, Joel Sires and Dave Zollo, xBk Live

I OWA C I T Y Sat, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., Sam Ross Quartet, James Theater Fri, Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Shrine Burner w/ Aseethe, Acoustic Guillotine & Deivore, Gabe’s Fri, Jan. 9, 7 p.m., G Love & Special Sauce, Wildwood Sat, Jan. 10, 8 p.m., New Neighbors, Brave You, The Slow Retreat & Burn After Writing, Gabe’s Sat, Jan. 10, 7 p.m., Asking For A Friend, Wildwood Wed, Jan. 14, 7 p.m., Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, Wildwood Fri, Jan. 16, Chris Thile, The Englert Sun, Jan. 18, Rebirth Brass Band w/ the Dandelion Stompers, The Englert Tue, Jan. 20, Hatis Noit w/ Lex Leto, The Englert Thu, Jan. 22, JOSEPH w/ JohnRobert, The Englert Fri, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., The Whiskey Fund, Wildwood

OPEN 11-2AM DAILY

TRY OUR BREADED TENDERLOIN! SERVING FOOD UNTIL 1AM DAILY

Sat, Jan. 24, 6 p.m., Bloomer, Gabe’s Sat, Jan. 24, 7 p.m., For Those About to Yacht, Wildwood

A-LIST: January 2026 Sun, Jan. 25, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, The Englert Wed, Jan. 28, 7 p.m., Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, Wildwood Thu, Jan. 39, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis, Hancher Fri, Jan. 30, Vitamin String Quartet, The Englert

CEDAR RAPIDS Thu, Jan. 8, 6 & 8 p.m., Candles & Classics: Tango of a Showgirl, Opus Concert Cafe Fri, Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Miles Nielsen

via Cedar County Cobras

and the Rusted Hearts, CSPS

Fri, Jan. 16, 8 p.m., Cedar County Cobras, CSPS Sat, Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Cold Shock 2, CSPS Sat, Jan. 24, Birdchild, Ideal Theater Fri, Jan. 30, 8 p.m., Radoslav Lorkovic, CSPS Sat, Jan. 31, 6 p.m., My Bloody Valentine IV, CSPS

CEDAR FALLS/ WAT E R LO O Sat, Jan. 10, 5 p.m., Grand Re-opening of The Loft, The Loft, Waterloo

QUAD CITIES Fri, Jan. 2, 8 p.m., Big Head Mode Live Video Game Soundtracks, Common Chord Sat, Jan. 3, 8 p.m., Osis w/ The Tripp Bros, Common Chord Fri, Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Anthony Gomes, Common Chord

It’s game night!

room + private reservations! hundreds of games meetups and events every week friendly & casual vibes comfy chairs & big tables

Sat, Jan. 10, 7 p.m., Shrineburner w/ Aseethe & Nonnie Parry, Raccoon Motel Tue, Jan. 13, 6 p.m., Gasoline Lollipops, Raccoon Motel

Sean

diversionsic.com 119 2nd St, Coralville IA

Nolan

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

MUSIC

Fri, Jan. 16, 7 p.m., Stephen Holliger w/ Mute Duo + Brutal Shift, Rozz-Tox Fri, Jan. 23, 8 p.m., Halfwayhomeless, Common Chord Fri, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., XOLEX w/ Liv McNair, Raccoon Motel Fri, Jan. 23, 8 p.m., Amateur Selectors Series: Frequencies for Stray Cats w/ Ms. Cat, Rozz-Tox Sat, Jan. 24, 7 p.m., The Jack Wharff Band w/ Brendan Walter, Raccoon Motel Sun, Jan. 25, 5:30 p.m., Endswell w/ Footballhead, Garden Home, Yote & Blist Her, Raccoon Motel Fri, Jan 30, 7 p.m., Sounding Arrow & Gary Jules, Raccoon Motel Fri, Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m., Dan Hubbard Album Release w/ Mo&Co, Common Chord Sat, Jan. 31, 6 p.m., Firmly Grasped, Common Chord Sat, Jan. 31, 7 p.m., Sparkle Carcass w/ Brandon Good & Cough N Flop, Raccoon Motel Dubuque/Maquoketa Sat, Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m., Monarch Sessions

via Cedar County Cobras

– Katie Dahl, Maquoketa Brewing

Thu-Sat, Jan 15-17, 8 p.m., Dubuque Symphony Orchestra DSO Rocks!, Diamond Jo Casino Fri, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., Cedar County Cobras, Maquoketa Brewing Fri, Jan. 30, 7 p.m., Barefoot & Sunshine, Maquoketa Brewing Sat, Jan. 31, Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts, The Lift

A-LIST: January 2026

THEATER & PERFORMANCE D E S M O I N E S /A M E S Sun, Jan. 4, various times, Improv Comedy Workshops w/ Tim Overton, xBk Annex Thu, Jan. 8, 6 p.m., Capital City Pride Presents: Heather Matarazzo, Temple Theater Jan. 9-25, various times, Red Riding Hood, Des Moines Playhouse Jan. 13-18, various times, Six, via Des Moines Playhouse

Des Moines Civic Center Fri, Jan. 16, various times, Adventure Clubhouse: The Mitten, Des Moines Playhouse Sat, Jan. 24, Charlie Berens: The Lost and Found Tour, Des Moines Civic Center Fri, Jan. 30, 7 p.m., Rhythm & Pep

Jan. 22-Feb. 1, Fair State, written

Sun, Jan. 18, 2 p.m., Cedar Rapids

Presents: The Roaring Twenties

and performed by Megan

Opera Presents: Die Fledermaus,

- A Variety Show, xBk Live

Gogerty, Riverside Theatre

Paramount Theatre

Sat, Jan. 31, 11 a.m. & 3 p.m.,

CEDAR RAPIDS

Sun, Jan. 25, 7 p.m., Celtic Throne II

Dog Man: The Musical, Des

Sat, Jan. 10, 8 p.m., Tom

Psalter of Ireland, Paramount Theatre

Moines Civic Center

Garland, CSPS Hall

I OWA C I T Y

Fri, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m., Cedar

CEDAR FALLS/ WAT E R LO O

Fri-Sun, Jan. 23-25, various times,

Rapids Opera Presents Die

Fri-Sun, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, various times, The

Kinky Boots, Hancher Auditorium

Fledermaus, Paramount Theatre

Cottage, Cedar Falls Community Theatre

QUAD CITIES Opens Jan. 21, Lucky Stiff,

via Charlie Berens

Circa ’21, Rock Island

Want more events? Find them online! Visit littlevillagemag.com/calendar LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 53

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

LIT & COMMUNITY

A-LIST: January 2026

Sat, Jan. 3, 1 p.m., Flash Forward: A Studio Series for Writers, Porchlight Literary Arts Center

D E S M O I N E S /A M E S

Wed, Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author:

Tue, Jan. 6, 6:45 p.m., Meet the Author:

An Evening of Stories from Hayseed Press,

Sat, Jan. 10, 10:30 a.m., Poetry Exchange,

Neil Hamilton, Izaak Walton League

Iowa Weird Volume 1 & A Very Special

Porchlight Literary Arts Center

Hayseed Christmas, Beaverdale Books Sat, Jan. 10, 1 p.m., Queer Writers’ Check

Wed, Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Beronda L. Montgomery, Greater

Thu, Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author:

Des Moines Botanical Garden

M. Wayne Clark, Beaverdale Books

Thu, Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author:

I OWA CITY

Josiah Hesse, Beaverdale Books

In, Porchlight Literary Arts Center Mon, Jan. 19, 10:30 a.m., Write Now: Community Supported Writing Group, Porchlight Literary Arts Center

Sat, Jan. 10, 11 a.m., Second

Wed, Jan. 21, 7 p.m.,

Faulkner, Beaverdale Books

Saturday All

Josiah Hesse author

Ages Art: Life

reading, Prairie Lights

Mon, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author:

Drawing, PS1

Robert Stack, Beaverdale Books

Close House

via PS1

Fri, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m., Grant

Thu, Jan. 22, 7 p.m., Daniyal Mueenuddin reading, Prairie Lights Sun, Jan. 25, 3 p.m., Edward Gale Agran reading, Prairie Lights Sat, Jan. 31, 10 a.m., Stop-Motion Animation workshop, PS1 Close House

QUAD CITIES Fri, Jan. 16, 9 a.m., Ask Anything: Mental Health Resources w/ Bloom Therapy, The Atlas Collective, Moline

DUBUQUE Sun, Jan. 5, 2 p.m., Book signing w/ Edwin Ritts, via Beaverdale Books

River Lights Bookstore Tue, Jan. 21, 6 a.m., Early morning book release party: Onyx Storm, River Lights Bookstore

54 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

Find Little Village on

Bluesky

cial @littlevillage.bsky.so

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR

ART & EXHIBITION

D E S M O I N E S /A M E S Through Jan. 31, The Art of Dr. Seuss, Moberg Gallery Jan. 5-Feb. 12, Greater Des Moines Exhibited show, Polk County Heritage Gallery Opens Jan. 9, Jeff Fleming “The Milky Way,” Moberg Gallery Through Jan. 11, “Aliza Nisenbaum: Día de los Muertos” Exhibition Tour, Des Moines Art Center Opens Jan. 17, Iowa Artists 2026: Henry Payer “Aagakinąk Haciwi: We Live Opposite Each Other,” Des Moines Art Center Through Jan. 18, Manuel Álvarez Bravo “Collaborations” exhibition,

via Moberg Gallery

Des Moines Art Center

I OWA C I T Y Through Feb. 21, “Dead or Amazing” Ethan Edvenson and Charles Borowicz, PS1 Northside

56 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

A-LIST: January 2026

Jan. 17-24, The Boy with the Sun in His Eyes: a new musical by Steven Gross, PS1 Close House Thu, Jan. 29, 6 p.m., Grant Wood Fellows Artist Talks & Panel, Stanley Museum of Art

CEDAR RAPIDS

via Tara Moorman

Grant Wood, The Coil Welder, 1925, oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 29 ¾ inches, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, gift of the Cherry Burrell Charitable Foundation, 74.5.2.

Through Jan 18, “Men and Women at Work: Images of Labor from the Collection,” Cedar Rapids Museum of Art Through Jan., Tara Moorman Benson “The Exuberance of Flowers”

QUAD CITIES

exhibition, The Cherry Building

Through June 21, “A Surreal Lens: Photography From the Figge

Wed, Jan. 7, 12:15 p.m., Art Bites: Men and Women at Work w/ Sean,

Aliza Nisenbaum, Mantilla, 2025, oil on canvas, courtesy of the artist, Anton Kern Gallery, and Regen Projects, via the Des Moines Art Center

Collection,” Figge Art Museum

Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

DUBUQUE/ M AQ U O K E TA

Opens Jan. 17, “Art is the Word: Text in Art”

Through Jan 30, Skate Deck Art

exhibition, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Show Exhibit, Smokestack

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 57

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DEAR KIKI

D

LittleVillageMag.com/DearKiki

ear Kiki, I’m an older lady, 40s and have been with a guy (also 40s) for a while. I have always been very sexual, I wouldn’t say hypersexual, but ya know, I like it and prefer to have sex regularly. Anyway, here I am, in my prime with a sweet guy who is no longer in his prime. I’ve inquired with him about his attraction to me. Like, is it me? Response was no, he “thinks” he’s attracted to me and this has happened with others. I’ve told him there are options, that he could speak to his doctor about this “issue.” It was a good talk, he was amenable. That was months ago and no change. He has not acknowledged it since. Do I have to bring it up again? We’ve only had intercourse a handful of times. Please help! —Frisky and Unfulfilled

D < Donate to sustain our work

told that they’re broken, that they need a “fix” for their “issue.” He may be feeling hurt or hopeless. He’s a grown-ass man: He knows that there are options for increasing his libido, and he knows that if he doesn’t like the idea of doctors, there’s a whole wide internet ready to make suggestions. (He could even write to me!) Reminding him of these things directly will only make him feel less desirable himself. It’s interesting that you refer to him only as “a sweet guy.” Are you attracted to him? You are eager for sex, but are you eager for him specifically? Ultimately, F&U, your job

YOU ARE EAGER FOR SEX, BUT ARE YOU EAGER FOR HIM SPECIFICALLY? YOUR JOB IS TO GET A LOCK ON YOUR OWN NEEDS AND YOUR OWN DEALBREAKERS, AND INVITE HIM TO MEET YOU THERE.

ear Frisky and Unfulfilled, Not gonna lie, F&U: I bristled a bit reading your self-description at the beginning of your note! Older? In your 40s? I mean sure, older than some—but younger still than many active, vital, sexual women. And, as you aptly note just two sentences later, in your prime. So why a term that could easily read as pejorative? Let me make a guess (and I promise you, this comes isn’t to “fix” him. Your job is to get a lock on your from a place of deep empathy): own needs and your own dealbreakers, and invite Is it because as we age, even as our confidence in him to meet you there. ourselves grows overall, we still hold on to an intense Would you prefer a relationship with someone who desire to feel, well, desired? Perhaps even more so matches your sexual energy? Would you be happy in than in youth? A need to be needed, a craving to be an open relationship, where you can keep your sweet craved: It’s not enough to get laid, we want to be guy and get your sexual fulfillment elsewhere? Can inevitable. Inescapable. Necessary as breath. you stay in this relationship frustrated forever? That’s the tack your conversations should Take a long, hard look at your future and decide be taking, F&U. Is it possible, even where your boundaries lie, then communicate probable, that his age is affecting his them. His answers might not be libido? Sure, of course. But this isn’t what you hope, but you’ll be giving about him. This is about your needs, and the him a chance to have fact that you want him to be the one to fill agency and a voice in your needs. The old reliable “I” statement: the relationship and a “I need you to be more demonstrative in your way to be true to his desire, so that I can feel attractive and own wants and wanted.” Not what his shortcomings are, needs. That’s but how he can express his love for you the baseline of in ways that reach your heart. what you owe Is this about ego protection? A bit, to each other. perhaps. It’s true that no one likes to be Kellan Doolittle / Little Village ––xoxo, Kiki

KIKI WANTS QUESTIONS! Submit questions anonymously at littlevillagemag. com/dearkiki or non-anonymously to dearkiki@ littlevillagemag.com. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online at littlevillagemag.com.

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 59

IOWA CITY REALTOR M: 319-321-3679 E: TIM@TIMCONROY.COM BLANK & MCCUNE REAL ESTATE 506 E. COLLEGE ST. IOWA CITY, IA 52240 LICENSED TO SELL REAL ESTATE IN IOWA

AST R O LO GY

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Computer scientist Tim BernersLee invented the World Wide Web. He intentionally didn’t patent his creation, but gave it away freely. Universal access mattered more to him than personal profit. That single decision in 1991 was a profound gift to the world. Because he chose openness, billions benefited. In his generous spirit, dear Capricorn, let’s ask whether you’re keeping proprietary anything that would be better released into the commons. Are there ideas, knowledge, or resources you’re holding in reserve that could multiply through sharing? In 2026, I invite you to be like Berners-Lee: a magnanimous strategist who understands that some things gain value through distribution, not restriction. Your intelligence will almost certainly be worth more unleashed than protected. Your innovations will need the crowd to fulfill their purpose. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the myths of Mali’s Dogon people, Nommo is an amphibious, telepathic being who brought language, rhythm, and balance to Earth—and then departed. If things fall out of harmony, it’s believed, Nommo will return, speaking the lost syllables that realign the cosmos. You’re a bit like Nommo these days, Aquarius. Parts of your world may be in disarray, and your sacred task is to listen for the lost syllables. What’s missing in the dialogue? What notes aren’t being sung? If you seek gently and speak truly, restoration will follow. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The longest chess game theoretically possible is 5,949 moves, but most games end in under 40. Chess masters don’t win by seeing every possibility. Instead, they recognize patterns and anticipate which paths are worth exploring. Let’s apply this as a useful metaphor, Pisces. In 2016, it’s crucial that you don’t waste energy by considering improbable scenarios that will never materialize. You should be determined not to miss emerging themes because you’re too busy calculating unlikely variations. According to my prognosis, you don’t need to see further; you need to see more precisely and accurately. The chess master’s advantage isn’t exhaustive analysis; it’s knowing what to ignore. Ninety percent of your options don’t matter. Ten percent do. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Before major eruptions, volcanoes may emit harmonic tremors. Lasting for hours or days, they are signals that pressure is building. A similar phenomenon is simmering in your sphere, Aries. Be alert. What rhythmic clues are vibrating through your system? What pressure is mounting that could eventually erupt? I’m not saying you should interpret them with a worried mind. In fact, they are offering you valuable intelligence about what needs to be released. You can either ignore them and let the eruption surprise you, or you can pay attention and arrange for controlled venting. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your heartbeat isn’t regular like a metronome, but slightly irregular. The phenomenon is called heart rate variability and is a sign of health. A perfectly regular heartbeat is actually a warning sign. Your heart knows something your mind might not believe: Perfect consistency is pathological. Variation is vitality. The rhythm of life includes the beautiful irregularity of a system that’s alive enough to respond and adapt. Keep these truths uppermost in mind during 2026, Taurus. You will thrive on changeability and fluctuation. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Greenland shark waits for animals to fall asleep, then eats them while they’re unconscious. Since it’s too slow to chase anything, it has evolved a patient approach to hunting. It acts on the understanding that everything eventually lets its guard down. I suggest you cultivate similar patience in 2026, Gemini. There’s no need to rush toward what you want. Position yourself correctly and wait for moments of opportunity. You’re playing a long game. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Atmospheric rivers are massive moisture highways in the sky. Meteorologists have been

By Rob Brezsny

documenting newly identified patterns in how these marvels work. They’ve learned that tiny changes in ocean temperature can redirect thousands of miles of incoming rain. This will be an excellent metaphor for you in 2026, dear Cancerian. You’ll be in atmospheric-river mode. Small shifts in perspective and slight recalibrations of intention will send your momentum flowing in different and better directions. No drama required! Simple micro-adjustments will reroute larger currents. Attend devotedly and zestfully to the subtleties. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Certain fungi can break down pollutants like pesticides and plastics into less toxic substances. These mushrooms digest what’s considered indigestible, transforming poison into nutrients. I suspect you will have a metaphorically comparable capacity in 2026, dear Leo: a superpower that enables you to metabolize blight and taint. I predict you will exult as you eliminate stuff that’s useless and harmful. Please indulge your unusual talent to the max! VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The US Library of Congress adds 60,000 items to its collection every week but only catalogs a fraction of them immediately. So vast amounts of knowledge sit there, acquired but not yet processed, waiting for librarians to create the finding aids that make them accessible. You’re in a similar situation, Virgo. You’ve accumulated extraordinary amounts of information, experience, and skill. But how much of it is cataloged? How much is accessible when you need it? In the coming months, I hope you won’t acquire more. Instead, you will spend time with your archives and process what you’ve already gathered. What do you know that you’ve forgotten you know? What experiences hold wisdom you’ve never extracted? LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Vault doors often require two keys, turned simultaneously, to open. Why? Such a practice furthers risk reduction and fraud prevention. Let’s make this a potent metaphor for you in 2026, Libra. It will symbolize cooperation and balance as well as an enhancement of your security. The treasures you’ll be trying to access will require dual input. One key is yours: intellect, agility, charm, initiative. The second must come from a collaborator, mentor, friend, an unexpected stranger, or even a spirit guide. Just assume that the vault won’t open through brilliance alone. It will require synchronization. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In December 1968, US astronaut Bill Anders was orbiting the moon inside the Apollo 8 spacecraft. He snapped a photo that showed the Earth as a blue-and-white sphere rising over the gray lunar surface against the blackness of space. This iconic image helped fuel the environmental movement and transformed how humans understood their home. You’re at a comparable pivot, Scorpio. In 2026, you will see familiar situations from new angles, and this will reorganize your understanding about how life works. That’s a good thing! Be alert for watershed moments that bring revolutionary blessings. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is made of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed when ancient lava cooled and contracted. Legend says a giant built it as a bridge to Scotland. Both stories are true, one geologically and the other mythologically. Your life in the coming months will remind you that multiple explanations can coexist without canceling each other. The scientific story of lava cooling doesn’t make the giant story less meaningful. The giant story doesn’t make the geology less accurate. Conclusion: You don’t have to choose between competing narratives about your life as if only one can be true. What if both are? The practical explanation and mythic explanation describe the same phenomenon from different angles. You can be both the cooling lava and the giant building the bridge. LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 61

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ALBUM REVIEWS

KINJI Thunderhead KINJI.BANDCAMP.COM

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here’s a definitive moment when you realize a storm is coming. It follows a sudden shift in atmosphere; the wind conjures itself up, while the temperature bakes, before a sharp plummet into cold and jarring, quiet stillness. Perhaps in that anticipation, billowing clouds appear on the horizon, readying to break upon the earth. Those ominous clouds—the stuff of storybooks and bad omens—are called thunderheads. In the same way nature’s counterpart forewarns of dreariness and thunderous disruption, indie musician Kinji’s newest EP Thunderhead starts as the calm before the storm, only to break open, laid bare to the elements, oozing out luscious, melancholic aural landscapes. Something of a musical wunderkind, the six-track effort (the artist’s second of the year) is solely written, produced, performed and mixed by Cooper Kinjiro Sifert, stage name Kinji. Kinji may be relatively fresh to the scene, dropping out of the University of Northern Iowa two years ago to pursue music, but he seems to already be finding sonic synergy from impressive music peers. Grammy-nominated music producer and engineer Joey Messina-Doerning mastered the EP, putting Thunderhead alongside mk.gee’s debut album and Kate Bollinger tracks on MessinaDoerning’s resume. They feel perfectly in concert with each other in their vibey downtempo nostalgia.

KINJI SUCCEEDS IN GETTING THE LISTENER TO WAIT, WITH BAITED BREATH, FOR THE THUNDER TO STRIKE.

Submit albums for review: Little Village, 623 S Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 54420 Though fitting most neatly in the intimate bedroom-pop tradition of oneman bands, with its vocal doubling and drum loops, each track has an ethereal expansiveness due to its sheer depth of layered production. There’s a bit of Bon Iver’s pastoral imagery and spirited self-harmonized choruses, muddled with the atmospheric and lo-fi production stylings of ’90s DIY darlings like Broadcast and Yo La Tengo. The album is also evocative of the slowed-down psychedelic R&B musical hangouts of modern indieartists Hether and Brad Stank. Kinji nods to this aesthetic both sonically and visually, with an accompanying crafted world that deepens the ambience. Across social media, each song promotion features shaky-cam slices of open fields, cloudy skies and abandoned houses. Occasionally, the artist makes an appearance as a rugged time traveler, tied together by the imagery of a vintage wooden weather machine, perpetually stuck on the reading of “stormy” across time and space. Kinji’s preoccupation with time takes on a narrative journey across the tracklist. “windburn” yearns for the subject to stay in the narrator’s life to “waste some more time,” encased in a cacophony of sound collage and rousing piano melodies. When standout “silas” rolls around, there’s no longer a wish to waste time, but a panicked desperation to “gain time,” before the verse’s backing spacey-synth cascades into a glittering allegro finish. Closing track “romp” finds the listener wrapped in twilight, aghast at where all the time went. But there’s a sense of homecoming at the end of the day— after all, “darling, the food’s still hot.” As Thunderhead’s lyrics cope with the fickleness of time, the instrumental drives at a destination, with processional moments like the driving drumbeats of “metalmind” or the ticking clocks lurking in “pocketwatch.” Each track’s structure propels it forward, building up to a crescendo, breaking out into intricate minute-long instrumental interludes and patchworks of stitchedtogether sound as the sky breaks open. Kinji succeeds in getting the listener to wait, with baited breath, for the thunder to strike. —Elisabeth Oster

STRANGE NEWS Liar’s Curse STRANGENEWSBAND.BANDCAMP.COM

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t is reasonable in an increasingly unreasonable world to crave nostalgia. As AI and surveillance technologies continue to invade our lives and each day’s news cycle is more absurd than the last, sometimes you have to sit back and pretend it’s 1974, when tech billionaires were mere fantasy and people could afford homes. Those daydreams of faded blue jeans, ditch weed and muscle cars are only a listen away on Liar’s Curse, the latest EP from Morrison, Illinoisbased heavy rock group Strange News. This proto-metal quartet is still relatively new, with only a demo

narrates MK Ultra hallucinations amid scorching guitars and hand claps. Abrams takes the vocal lead on the titular “Liar’s Curse,” leading the band into a bouncier and groove-laden track that calls to mind the fantasy rock themes of ’70s English bands like Uriah Heep or Rainbow. “Death Rides The Winds Of September” tilts into a blues-rock inspired riff that would probably sound perfect out of a Pontiac GTO’s speakers. It is one of my favorite riffs of 2025, hooky and infectious. Strange News shows off some guitar heroics in this cut, delivering a dual-lead guitar solo that makes me long for Thin Lizzy. However, it is the more doomforward closing song, “Vinegar Hound,” that steals my heart, harkening back to early Black Sabbath with its slower pace and classic doom riffs. Those who worship the altar of Iommi will find a lot to love here, as the song weaves through multiple parts before a punchy verse kicks in with Thatcher and Abrams sharing lead vocals. The solos are gnarly without being showy, leaning into the slow, heavy psychedelia that gave way to heavy metal.

I DON’T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HEARD A DEBUT EP THAT SHOWS THIS MUCH PROMISE ... EACH TRACK IS A WORLD UNTO ITSELF, UNMISTAKABLY THE SAME BAND, BUT ALSO DISTINCT AND THRILLING. from 2024 preceding Liar’s Curse, but their combined experience makes them sound far more realized than you’d expect. For instance, guitarist/ vocalist Sara Adams, who also did the cover artwork for the album, was formerly a member of underground doom metal mainstays The Obsessed. Loren Thatcher (bass/vocals), Colin Wolf (guitars) and Justin Lange (drums) join, fully equipped with their own musical backgrounds to form a quartet worthy of labels like Riding Easy Records or Tee Pee. This is immediately apparent on “MK Baby,” which feels like a buried treasure in your dad’s old cassette collection. Led by Thatcher’s driving bass and Lemmy-indebted voice, he

I don’t remember the last time I heard a debut EP that shows this much promise. In fact, Strange News sounds fully realized out of the gate on Liar’s Curse. Though the project is just over 20 minutes, each track is a world unto itself, unmistakably the same band, but also distinct and thrilling. It brings welcome variety in late 2025, when so many bands are playing to algorithms and sounding dull and boring in the process. Thankfully, Strange News is out here keeping rock ‘n’ roll alive and kicking, even in tight, boot-cut denim. —Broc Nelson

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64 January 2026 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348

BOOK REVIEWS

Submit books for review: Little Village, 623 S Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 54420

SOME OF THESE PIECES TOOK ME BACK TO THE PEACE OF TREES, THE FEELING OF THE DAMP LOAM BENEATH AN OVERTURNED ROCK, THE PURPLE AND GOLDEN HUES OF SUNSET.

EDITED BY RANDY BROWN Midwest Futures: Poems & Micro-Stories From Tomorrow’s Heartland MIDDLE WEST PRESS

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idwest Futures is a short, albeit stout collection of poems, short essays and stories that encapsulate the Midwest across time and various corners of our region. The collection ranges from science fiction to fantasy, horror (specifically the “sporror” sub-genre— that is, spore horror) and much more. This collection ultimately left me with a profound desire to explore my own Midwest experience. What I found to be particularly exciting was the discussion and prompt guide at the end of the book, inviting the reader to continue reflecting on the path they found themselves on after completing the anthology. Summarizing and reviewing an anthology can be a daunting task, one I was nervous to endeavor upon when I picked up this title from my home stacks. Midwest Futures has been on my shortlist since I had the pleasure of meeting editor Randy Brown by chance in my shop on a toasty Wednesday. Getting the opportunity to ask Brown about his press, Middle West Press, and the driving force behind his wellrounded published works was a gift. Brown is warm, inviting and deeply passionate about giving so many incredible community voices a platform to share their writing. Brown and team have crafted a cohesive anthology that taps into a diverse set of voices, multilayered experiences and genre-bending whimsy.

I could not believe the range of ages and walks of life encapsulated in this collection. As a veteran, Brown provides a deeply needed platform for veterans to share and explore their journey via the written word. These voices are celebrated throughout this anthology, but also in several other Middle West publications. With the title Midwest Futures, I anticipated more sci-fi, but what I found was a reflection of our current times. A piece entitled “A.P. Biochem, Class of 2035” ended with a quote that lingers with me now: “Isn’t corporate biochemistry exciting? We remake the world in our best image or at least spread a bit more widely all our worst fever dreams.” There was a consistent theme of nature: smells, sounds and visuals that could have been plucked out of my own past. I grew up in the Chicagoland area, and was lucky enough to have a portion of the Cook County Forest Preserve as my backyard. Some of these pieces took me back to the peace of trees, the feeling of the damp loam beneath an overturned rock, the purple and golden hues of a sunset, as depicted on the cover of this anthology. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the closing remark in Brown’s singular piece in this anthology entitled “Splashdown”: “Only some of us may ‘boldly go’; others gladly, boldly stay.” The placement of this piece in the anthology feels intentional. I found myself moved by so many pieces in this collection, in so many different ways. My short stack of books got a little taller after adding some of Brown’s other published works to the pile. —Kara Taghon

EMILY WILSON Burnt Mountain UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESS

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he most prominent, consistent feature of these poems are the heady—even baroque, indulgent— descriptions of the natural world. (I wrote “descriptive” three separate times in my notes.) In “Heath Obscure” Wilson writes of “sumptuary / crumble underfoot” and “the meanly / spangled mollusk grays.” In another poem, “Attention,” Wilson describes “the

sections. Her vocabulary is so rich in biologic terms, I feel like I received an unexpected science lesson. Both sonic and memetic, these poems reach toward the experiential. The poem “Sampler” ends, “Milky pink with minute bristle-scutes the woodfern scrawls / And clashes—depths / Depths come compoundingly / Never end, do and / Where what heaven was was,” pushing the reader to slow down and follow Burnt Mountain’s trail. The third section of the book, which is under a single title, “Nine Block (Autumn),” fleshes out the volume with more intimate, evocative scenes from autumnal hikes. The speaker surrenders to this mountain and this moment. “Over the road it rigs our mind / into it, turning, touching / the rock points— / the mountain around us.” In the book’s finale, there is no question that Wilson has built this collection in reverence to both what is natural and what is verbal. I would not ordinarily have chosen this book for myself, and I’m glad that it found its way to me. Burnt Mountain exploded my expectations of nature poetry and reminded me how language can be harnessed to illustrate a journey.

BURNT MOUNTAIN EXPLODED MY EXPECTATIONS OF NATURE POETRY ... IN THESE POEMS, WILSON PRAYS AT THE ALTER OF THE FERN AND CARRIES US ALONG BEATEN AND OVERGROWN TRAILS. butte of a stripped / stump // flaring beaded palest / green dotted curled and // cracked.” The plants and rocks and soil envelope the reader; Burnt Mountain creates a cave into which the reader ventures. But what really makes this book stand out is that it transcends Romanticism and leans into the weirdness of nature. It uses language to illustrate, maybe even mimic, the patterns and mysteries of the woods. It asks the reader what language is, if not plant or animal. What does it mean to exist? As an additional complication to these questions, Wilson refuses to personify nature. While it encompasses us, it is not us. Wilson sent me to a dictionary a few times in each of Burnt Mountain’s three

In these poems, Wilson prays at the altar of the fern and carries us along beaten and overgrown trails. It is there, surrounded on all sides, where we are left to determine the nature of ourselves. —Sarah Elgatian

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EEEEyyyy ii WWlcccc Dr. Lulu Johnson:

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Community Reading of “I Have a Dream” Speech.

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56. “Give Me Just One Night (___ Noche)” (98 Degrees single) 57. Filler word when robbing ships 58. Icon who performed “If I Could Turn Back Time” in SNL50: The Homecoming Concert 59. Edit 60. Sired 62. “Hi,” in São Paulo 64. One might pull out to a bed 66. Paisley-printed kerchiefs

68. Spiked, as rideshare rates 71. Like cars with some miles on them 72. ___: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex (Mary Roach pop-sci book) 73. Disgruntled looks 74. Puts it all on red, maybe 75. Common connecting words 76. Town in Texas or Ukraine

LittleVillageMag.com 33. Pet rescue gp. 34. Make fragrant, in a way, as aromatics 37. Like 1000-day gouda 40. It might get totally smashed at a party 41. Russian henchman in Anora 42. Setting for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives 43. Areas partly covered by some high-rise jeans 44. Neutral, creamlike shade 48. WandaVision actor Dennings 49. To-do 50. Anxious state 51. Force of attraction? 52. Like Girl Scout patches 54. Not as much 55. Give an extended time-out 58. Containers for spirits 61. Throws in the mix 63. It might be worked or grabbed 65. Unencumbered 67. Haliburton group? 69. Settings dramatized by The Pitt and Chicago Med, for short 70. Org. advocating for a Green New Deal

DOWN 1. Regular doc, perhaps 2. Concert caveat: Abbr. 3. Grilled dish in an izakaya 4. Many Pablo Neruda poems 5. Woven hair strands 6. Put down roots 7. United Farm Workers co-founder Chavez 8. Goes (for) 9. Religious extremist 10. “___ So Bad” (Tom Petty track) 11. Small jazz combo 12. Delicacy containing sheep lung (except in the U.S., due to food regulations) December ANSWERS 13. Leave on S L C D A NG L E D T R Y read, say A A A A P P ROV E I OU M U S L M E R I C A N R OM 14. Puzzled (out) OR K I N L A N V A T 20. Foxiest, S E EM M I L L MAMB A A N T A C I D A L I E N in a way OS A K A R E S E T 24. Network ROCRCH I T E C T UR E for the 90 Day V AMOS O T E R I W I NC E AGA T E S Fiancé universe S NOO T E L MO A V OW 25. SS Minnow or CMA R A E S C E N E the Stugots, e.g. T ON J U S T S O U K N OW B AO A N EMON E TM I 27. Actor Laura of A TM R E D E Y E S S A N HBO’s Enlightened 29. River to the Beans are “spilled” in three theme Caspian Sea entries: LIMA in MUSLIM-AMERICAN, 32. “River child” of COCOA in ROCOCO ARCHITECTURE, Japanese folklore and SOY in JUST SO YOU KNOW.

HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O HIGHLAND PARK/OAK PARK HIGHLAND PARK/O

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Showroom & Studio Skinny's BBQ NEWTON Gezellig Brewing NORTH LIBERTY Bluebird Diner Copper Boar El Azul Java House Johncy's Liquor Store Laundromania Linder Tire North Liberty Auto North Liberty Library Premiere Automotive Smash Juice Bar Smokin Joe's Tobacco & Liquor Suga Peach Sugar Bottom Bikes University of Iowa Health Care Wig and Pen PELLA Butcher's Brewhuis & Deli Cellar Peanut Pub Main Street Markt Pella Books Pella Convention & Visitors Bureau Pella Public Library The Brew Coffee The Queue The Wijn House Windmill Cafe PERRY Casa de Oro Mexican Restaurant Perry Public Library PLEASANT HILL Breadeaux Pizza Copper Creek 9 Fiesta Mexican Restaurant Great Escape La Feria Mexican Pleasant Hill Diner Pleasant Hill Public Library The Hills Bar & Grill RIVERSIDE La Chiva Loka ROCK ISLAND (IL) Al's Burgers Arthur's Garden Delicatessen Aunt Bea's Cafe Awake Coffee Bent River Brewing Brandon's Pub Comiq Rack NEST Cafe Old Mexican Restaurant Peewee's QC Botanical Center QC Coffee Break & Pancake House Radicle Effect Brewery Ragged Records Rozz-Tox Skylark QC Soi 2 Thai Street Food Wake Brewing SLATER Slater Public Library Town & Country Markets SOLON Good Times Cafe Solon Public Library URBANDALE Bike World - Urbandale Campbell's Nutrition Friedrichs Coffee Hotel Renovo Living History Farms

(May - Oct) Palmer's Deli & Market ProteinHouse Revel Hotel by Hilton Rieman Music Ted's Coney Island West Twisted Bean Coffee Urbandale Public Library WASHINGTON Cafe Dodici Coffee Corner Frontier Family Restaurant Lewbowski's Rock n' Bowl Panda Palace Taste of China Washington Public Library WATERLOO Basal's Pizza Big Head Burger Hungry Charlie's Lunchbox Newton's Paradise Cafe Rodney's Kitchen SingleSpeed Brewing Co. Sub City Waterloo Bicycle Works Waterloo Center for the Arts Waterloo Community Playhouse Waterloo Public Lib. WAUKEE Central Standard Home Sweet Cone Kyle’s Bikes Palms Theatres Saints Pub + Patio WEST BRANCH 223 Vintage Herb & Lou’s Iowa Farm Fresh Meats Mainstreet Sweets The Black Rose The Downunder The Serving Cafe WEST DES MOINES Atomic Garage Banana Leaf BeerStyles/SALT Bike World Black Cat Ice Cream Budu/Bu Coffee Cats Early Bird Brunch Eggs & Jam Element West Hotel HiFi Brew Lounge Hilton Garden Inn Hurts Donuts Hyatt Place West Jay's CD & Hobby Kavanaugh Gallery La Barista Roslin's on Fifth Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel The Distillery at the Foundry The Hall at the Foundry The Rewind by Hilton Townplace Suites by Marriot Urban Cellar Val Air Ballroom Valley Junction Foundation Wellman's Pub West Des Moines Public Library Westown Tap

LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LV348 January 2026 69

April 3–4 Iowa City A FE ST IVA L O F D IS C O V ERY

Early Bird passes available now PASS PRICES WILL GO UP $15 ON FEBRUARY 12

PRESENTED BY HANCHER AUDITORIUM Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Young in advance at (319) 467-4849 or at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu.