CultureAll’s Open Book Presents: JJ Kapur and Josie Shaw

Coralville Public Library 1401 5th St, Coralville, IA, United States

JJ Singh KapurJJ Kapur began his interfaith work in Iowa in high school. He started a youth organization called “The Turbanators,” which focused on “turban-ating” the negative stigma surrounding Sikhism through awareness building and community service. In 2017, he became the first turbaned Sikh to win the most prestigious high school speech and debate competition […]

OJ Fargo: Just Before the Battle, Mother

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center 900 Larsen Park Rd, Sioux City, IA, United States

Just Before the Battle Mother—A Visit from a Civil War SoldierMr. Fargo dresses in full Union Army regalia and focuses the first person presentation on an individual Iowa soldier’s Civil War experience. After a brief overview of the state’s involvement, the audience is introduced to a returning Civil War veteran (played by O. J. Fargo). […]

Scott Samuelson: AI and the Human Future

Sanford Museum & Planetarium 117 E Willow St, Cherokee, IA, United States

AI and the Human FutureThis presentation focuses on the big moral and political issues surrounding artificial intelligence. What exactly is AI? Can it make our lives and our communities better, or is it going to take all our jobs and kill us off? Can AI respect privacy, or is privacy a thing of the past? […]

Abby Dubisar: First Lady of the Farm

Malvern Public Library 502 Main St, Malvern, IA, United States

Farm Women as Global Citizens: Post-WWII Authority of the “First Lady of the Farm”This presentation draws upon the lifework of Ruth Buxton Sayre, known during her lifetime as “First Lady of the Farm.” An Iowa native, Sayre was appointed to President Eisenhower’s agricultural policy committee and served as the president of the Associated Country Women […]

Larry Stone: Iowa Portrait of the Land

Terrace Hill Historic Site 2300 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, United States

Iowa: Portrait of the LandBased on Larry’s award-winning Earth Year 2000 book for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, “Portrait” is a reminder to Iowans of the rich history of their natural resources, with an appeal for protecting that heritage.

Chad Timm: Working with the Enemy

Dubuque County Library - Asbury Branch 5290 Asbury Rd, Dubuque, IA, United States

Working with the Enemy: German, Italian and Japanese Prisoners of War in Iowa during the Second World WarAs part of a relatively quiet and under-publicized government program, thousands of enemy soldiers invaded Iowa in 1943. With the hugely successful 1942 Allied campaign against Adolf Hitler’s vaunted Afrika Corps in North Africa, the number of enemy […]

Jennifer Sterling: 6 on 6 Girls Basketball in Iowa

Mowry Irvine Mansion 503 W Main St, Marshalltown, IA, United States

6-on-6 Girl’s Basketball in Iowa: Traditions, Transitions, and LegaciesFor most of the 20th cenury, Iowa was known for its devotion to a unique form of women’s sport known as 6-on-6 girls’ basketball. As other states abandoned 6-on-6 in the 1970s, Iowa remained committed to this half-court game until 1993, when the final 6-player championship was […]

Donald Shurr: Lewis and Clark in Iowa

West Bend Public Library 316 S Broadway Ave, West Bend, IA, United States

Lewis and Clark in Iowa“Lewis and Clark in Iowa” begins with the story before the expedition: the sale of the Louisiana Purchase to the United States. Tracing the 1803 course from Elizabeth, Pennsylvania to St. Charles, Missouri, Shurr discusses the background of the many “players” of the expedition including York, the engages and Seaman. Moving […]

Darcy Maulsby: Adventures Along the Historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa

Gibson Memorial Library 200 W Howard St, Creston, IA, United States

Adventures Along the Historic Lincoln Highway in IowaNothing says freedom like the great American road trip, especially when you cruise the historic Lincoln Highway in Iowa. Better known today as Highway 30, the Lincoln Highway revolutionized Iowa and America when the historic route was developed more than a century ago. If you’ve ever traveled on […]

David Connon: Research Your Civil War Ancestors

Lakin Library and Envisioning Center 725 Main St, Tabor, IA, United States

Researching Your Civil War AncestorExperienced researcher David Connon shares strategies for tracking down your Civil War ancestor, North or South. Time permitting, audience members could share their research, and he could suggest options. Connon is descended from two Union veterans. He documented 76 Iowa residents who served the Confederacy. He tells their pre-war, war-time, and […]

Tom Milligan: Grant Wood

Dayton Public Library Dayton, IA, United States

Grant Wood: Prairie RebelIn this 45-minute, one-man show, Grant Wood chats with the audience as if talking to an old friend across the backyard fence, or maybe at his home at Five Turner Alley in Cedar Rapids. He tells us about his life and how he changed the art world forever with his work. It […]

Larry Stone: Gladys Black

Carroll Public Library 118 E 5th St, Carroll, IA, United States

Gladys Black: The Legacy of Iowa’s Bird LadyThe late Gladys Black of Pleasantville was widely known throughout Iowa as a conservationist, educator and amateur expert on birds. Larry and co-author Jon Stravers have written a book about Gladys. Larry’s slide program acknowledges this colorful woman’s impact on so many Iowans.