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Remarks about “James Alan McPherson:On Becoming An American Writer: Essays & Nonfiction”
I couldn’t think of a less complicated title for this post about the book “James Alan McPherson: On Becoming An American Writer: Essays & Nonfiction.” It’s a collection of James Alan McPherson’s essays, but this humble blog post is not intended to be a review, nothing as grandiose as that. Nobody should think I have…
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James Alan McPherson Park Update
This being National Park and Recreation Month, I was looking for whether or not a memorial plaque has been dedicated and placed yet at James Alan McPherson Park in Iowa City. The issue of the plaque has been up in the air for years. I remember it being discussed at the dedication of the park…
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Thoughts on Dave Barry’s New Book “Class Clown”
This is not going to be a review of Dave Barry’s 2025 book “Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass,” which I finished a couple days ago. I’m basically saying it’s funny as hell and you should run out and buy it right now. I do have some remarks, none of which will be…
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My Two Cents
I saw the recent news story about the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to block the University of Iowa from redirecting a private scholarship fund to first-generation college students despite the donor’s intention by that it go to black students. I believe the donor, Ezra Totton, intended that the scholarship go to black students and because…
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Still Reading Dr. MLK Jr Biographies
I’m just checking in to let you know I’m still reading Jonathan Eig’s biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’m in the last section. I plan to read The Autobiography of MLK Jr., edited by Clayborne Carson next. I’m not ready to share much right now in the way of my impressions other than…
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Observations on Jonathan Eig’s Martin Luther King Distinguished Lecture
I discovered that the University of Iowa made a video presentation of Jonathan Eig’s speech for the Martin Luther King Distinguished Lecture on January 21, 2026. Mr. Eig wrote the MLK biography, “King: A Life” which was published in 2023. We just got a copy of it along with “The Autobiography Of MLK. We’re reading…
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Saw a Banded Red-tailed Hawk in Our Back Yard!
I got a picture of a banded Red-tailed Hawk today in our back yard. It was pretty exciting. I can’t remember ever seeing one banded. I’ve gotten pictures of them occasionally, most recently before this in July, 2025. That one wasn’t banded. I checked on the web for any reports of who might be tagging…
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Dr. Susan Shen University of Iowa Psychiatrist Wins Prestigious Avenir Award for Research!
This just in! University of Iowa Psychiatrist Dr. Susan Shen, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and, hold on to your hat, she’s the first female psychiatrist, the first from Iowa, and only the third psychiatrist overall to receive to win the Avenir Award…
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Snowstorm Barreling Toward Iowa!
We’re going to get about a foot of snow starting tonight according to the weather report. There are webcams about Iowa that will document the storm, which will occur across most of the state. We’ve charged up the batteries in the Voltask electric snow shovel, which got quite a workout last winter. We took videos…
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The Magic of the Wave
Over three years ago, I posted about a waving man we used to see a lot of on a busy street in Iowa City (yes, we have them). He worked at the grocery store and waved at traffic whether he was walking to work or leaving. He still works there but we don’t drive that…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 