Talk of Iowa

• What to do when your kids burst into flames

  In the novel Nothing to See Here, 28-year-old Lillian Breaker is unhappily drifting through life when an old school friend asks for a big favor. Suddenly she is the caretaker of 10-year-old twins — who sometimes burst into flames. Kevin Wilson’s novel is also about friendship, class, politics, parenting and family, both found and biological. On the Talk of Iowa book club, host Charity Nebbe talks about the work with author Wilson and expert readers, Lauren Haldeman, a poet and graphic novelist, and Karen Kedrowski, professor of political science at Iowa State University.

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• Tips for surviving family dynamics this holiday season

  Gathering with extended family can be wonderful, pleasant, awkward, difficult or even toxic. Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Family Communication, joins with advice about how to navigate the stress of hosting, be a gracious guest and bring new people into family traditions. But first, holiday gatherings can be a great opportunity to learn more about a family member on a deeper level. Von Diaz, senior producer at StoryCorps, shares tips for asking them questions.

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• Jane Lynch is bringing her Swingin' Little Christmas to Iowa

  Comedian Jane Lynch, known for roles in Glee and Only Murders in the Building, has been bringing holiday spirit and her musical talents across the country for the last decade. Lynch spoke with Charity Nebbe ahead of her Iowa City performance about spreading the Christmas spirit through song. But first, we get to know Studio One host Mark Simmet, as he prepares to retire, and Iowa Public Radio's Morning Edition host Megan McKinney.

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• A personal account of facial blindness and other hidden neurodiversities

  When science journalists Sadie Dingfelder mistook a stranger for her husband at the grocery store, it was the beginning of her discovery that she literally sees and processes the world differently than most people do. She details her experience in the memoir, Do I Know You?: A Faceblind Reporter’s Journey into the Science of Sight, Memory, and Imagination. Host Charity Nebbe talks with Dingfelder about her journey of self discovery and her obsession with hidden neurodiversities. (This episode was originally produced April 28, 2025.)

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• Famous TV Iowans, from the 1950s to now

  Andrew Lopez is on FX's The Bear and Apple TV's Platonic with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He also has his own show in development with HBO. But it wasn't long ago that he was a kid growing up in Pella. Then, Donna Reed is beloved for roles like Mary Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and Donna Stone in The Donna Reed Show. She was born in Denison, where the Donna Reed Foundation keeps her legacy alive.These segments were produced in September and October 2025.

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