Around Des Moines

In 1996 the Academy of American Poets declared April to be National Poetry Month. Five years earlier the Des Moines National Poetry Festival began. While the former is gaining attention, the latter has reduced its reach.

Poetry is life. It can swoop in with the speed of haiku, linger with the rhymes of a limerick, or inspire through the structure of of a sonnet. It can target the mind, the soul, or the heart. It can heal and it can cut; it is emotions.

For 2008, the Des Moines National Poetry Festival features a presentation by Li-Young Lee in Drake University’s Writers and Critics Series at Sheslow Auditorium (2507 University) at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30th. Another event in the series will be held on Tuesday, April 8th at 7:30 p.m. in the university’s Cowles Library Reading Room (2725 University). Erica Anzalone, who teaches fiction and poetry workshops, and novelist Fred Arroyo, an assistant professor in English, will read and discuss their work. Both events are free.

The Des Moines National Poetry Festival used to stage a three-day event. The festival has not been held since 2006, a major loss for Des Moines. I was able to attend only one event and that was a panel discussion during the 2005 program. The panel included then-U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, former laureate Billy Collins, Native American poet Joy Harjo, and Swan Scythe Press founder Sandra McPherson.

The panel discussion was informative. I discovered that Collins liked structure in his poems, while a turn of phrase attracted McPherson. Kooser, a native of Ames, unintentionally demonstrated how poetry differs from prose. He made reference to an old, brown suitcase and the audience let out a soft sigh, each with its own memory. Then Kooser started to describe the suitcase, and the audience grunted. The cracked leather and musty smell suddenly came from somebody else’s life, not from each person’s own dreams and experiences. Harjo was my personal favorite because of her topics and the flow of her words.

Charles Simic is the current poet laureate of the United States. His eighteenth book of poetry, That Little Something, was published earlier this year by Harcourt Trade Publishers. A description of the Simic and his work was found on the publisher’s website: “…the superb poet of the vaguely ominous sound and the disturbing, potentially significant image, moves closer to the dark heart of history and human behavior.”

More poetry books can be found in the Spring titles from the University of Iowa Press. I have been a fan of university presses for quite some time and came across the interesting titles of the University of Iowa Press while editing Leading Voices: Iowa. Poetry books in the press’s 2008 list include, G. Matthew Jenkins’ Poetic Obligation: Ethics in Experimental American Poetry after 1945, James E. von der Heydt’s At the Brink of Infinity: Poetic Humility in Boundless American Space, and Women Poets on Mentorship Efforts and Affections, edited by Arielle Greenberg and Rachel Zucker.

M.R. Field designs notecards and other communication pieces based on haikus. 

Jim Wallis is a Washington D.C.-based, evangelical Christian minister and national figure committed to elimination of poverty. His views and actions are rooted in Old and New Testament scripture and are noteworthy for the manner in which they cannot be blindly categorized as liberal or conservative. (If you are rigid enough and narrow enough in your left or right views, he will offend you. If you are flexible enough and open enough to the recurrent themes of the Old and New Testament, you will recover. Believe me, he jarred me out of my political comfort zone.)

To see what Jim Wallis is up to take a look at Lyndsey Teter’s article from Ohio. As you can see Jim Wallis will be one of the leaders of a “Justice Revival” in Columbus Ohio in mid-April. The revival will bring together thousands of Central Ohio church goers from diverse political persuasions in order to complete projects that serve the community. Thousands more will sign on to mentor young people through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio. This is the first of what is expected to be many justice revivals across the country, taken as a first step to eliminate injustice and poverty through cooperative action of religious groups.

So what is the Des Moines connection? - an article in The Des Moines Register. I hope you didn’t allow The Des Moines Register’s hot button headline to deflect your interest in reading the page 3A article about Jim Wallis on Sunday (3/30/2008). Other papers around the country used more neutral language in headlining the views and actions of this evangelical Christian. You can read the same article (written by the AP’s Julie Carr Smyth) on-line in the Washington Post without the Register’s politically polarizing headline, “Liberal group redefines goals of evangelicals.” On the issue of abortion Jim Wallis is as “liberal” as the Catholic Church (He is pro-life.) so how helpful was that headline? Perhaps a more fitting headline would have been “Progressive… or Religious group redefines goals of evangelicals.” He is not conveniently categorized (or dismissed) as a liberal. We all know liberal (or conservative) is a dirty word in many Iowa households, and as a consequence if someone is called a either, we sometimes think we don’t have to consider their ideas because we “know” a priori that they are wrong.

My introduction to Jim Wallis came two years ago. At Grinnell College where I teach, we invite a lot of great speakers, and one of them was a nice Midwestern boy named Peter Agre who also happens to have won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003. I got to spend a little time with him. When he was visiting, Peter wanted some exercise so I picked him up at 6 am one morning, and we swam a mile and then had breakfast; that’s where I asked him my favorite question: “What are you reading?” Peter Agre was enthusiastic about three books one of which was God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn’t Get It by Jim Wallis. As you can see from the title, if you consider yourself left or right, you are going to get dinged. I sure did. Two years later I am still struggling with the moral and ethical questions that Wallis discusses, but I loved his book. So for you - Christian or not, church goer or not, left or right - just read it, and draw your own conclusions. The Des Moines Public Library has two copies.

Jim Wallis has three books of note.

• God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong, and the Left Doesn’t Get It
• Faith Works: How to Live Your Beliefs and Ignite Positive Social Change
• The Great Awakening

His umbrella group called Sojourners, a network of progressive Christians, was organized with intent to translate spiritual beliefs into action. Don’t be the last to know why and how politics and religion are mixing more in the last two years than in previous decades; recall the June 2007, Sojourners-sponsored Presidential Forum on Faith, Values & Poverty on CNN or the Public Radio program Speaking of Faith where the major political candidates discussed faith and politics.

Don’t be stuck in yesterday. Times are changing.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

Technorati Tags: Iowa, Des Moines, Central Iowa News, Sojourners, Jim Wallis

Sarah, Plain and Tall, now playing at the Des Moines Playhouse, comes close to being the theatrical equivalent of a chick flick. The children don’t need to know that, though. The play, based on the Newbery Award-winning book by Patricia MacLachlan and adapted to the stage by Joseph Robinette, has a female protagonist, a female narrator, and female characters driving the plot. This is a family story, however, and there are husbands for the women and a young boy among the cast.

It is one of the longer plays that I’ve seen in the Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre, coming in at 90 minutes, plus a 15-minute intermission. The play is a tender story about loss and the discovery that life can still be wonderful if the survivors find peace within themselves. This is a universal theme that has been written about millions of times. In this particular story, the children who suffered the primary loss are still young. Consequently, some of the older youth in the audience seemed to be more restless and less interested than the younger attendees. The Playhouse recommends a minimum age of 5 years and for this play I would suggest a maximum age of 12, unless your child really likes theatre. That does not mean mothers should not see the play themselves. In fact, they should drag the men in their lives along with them to make sure the guys learn it is okay to do the dishes.

The story, set approximately in 1912, is strong and Todd Buchacker has done a fine job directing. I found myself drawn into the play and surprised at how quickly the time passed. Megan Myhre and Brandon Lee performed well against each other as Sarah Wheaton and Jacob Witting. There was no doubt that change in their relationship must come when a look was all it took to challenge the power of existing authority. Maddie Ripperger also performed quite well in the important role of the young Anna Witting. There were several lines at the March 29th show that were twisted momentarily and the youngest cast member mumbled a bit at one point. Those were minor distractions. Amy Flavell and Lexi Frank, as Rose and Violet Nordstrom, managed facial expressions that were so similar I had to double check the credits to make sure they really aren’t sisters.

Kevin Shelby’s scenic design disappointed me; I’ve come to expect much better from him. The layout of the scenery was very well done. My objection was with the furniture in the fisherman’s house and with the backdrop. I think Shelby was trying to echo the title line of plain and tall but the story needed a richer Kansas landscape.

Sound effects were good but the music that opened the first and second acts was inappropriate. I kept looking for woodland folks to start dancing in a glade instead of picturing the wind sweeping down from the Rockies or rushing in from the Atlantic.

M.R. Field writes reviews for AroundDesMoines.com. 

March 1 marks the start of Spring in terms of meteorology. The weather in Des Moines will help make it seem like the season is coming. Get outside and clean off the sidewalks, take an inventory of work that needs done, and then go eat.

The Friends of the Forest Avenue Library (1326 Forest Avenue) will hold its annual soul food fundraiser at the library on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Bus: #5, #3 couple blocks walk)

If a relaxing coffee is more your speed, Mars Cafe (2318 University Avenue) will celebrate its two years of business on Saturday with free coffee throughout the day. There will be drink specials starting at 8:00 p.m. (Bus: #3)

Get ready for spring cleaning at the third annual Living Naturally Expo. It will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2008, at the Animal Learning Center at the Fairgrounds from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Over 60 vendors will offer information and products for such items as cars, food, pet care, child care, and general living. (Bus: #1)

With this being the first weekend of the month, there is a flea market in the 4H building of the fairgrounds. I’ve found hours for Saturday (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) but not for Sunday.

Young professionals interested in keeping up their literacy habit can participate in a book discussion at the North Side Library (on East 5th Street) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The book scheduled for discussion is A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. (Bus: #3, #5 and a few blocks walk)

The state’s girls high school basketball championships are being played through Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. (Bus: #3 closest, any downtown bus plus a walk)

For all the activities on my calendar for Saturday, there is scant happening on Sunday. Botanical Blues features Saylor Hillsliders. Adult tickets are $4.00 and the performance is from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Botanical Center also will have an exhibit of copper garden art sculpture by Ann Allison scattered throughout the conservatory.

A fundraiser for AMOS will be the Stage West performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury. The show will be performed in Des Moines this weekend, Friday, February 29th through Sunday, March 2nd. It will be presented in Ames next Thursday and Friday, March 7th and 8th. The Des Moines performance will be held at the First Unitarian Church at 1800 Bell Avenue. The Ames performances will be at the Actors Theater, 120 Abraham Drive. Shows are at 8:00 p.m. Tickets ($20) may be purchased by phone at (515) 279-3658 or at www.iowatix.com.An e-mail was received from a reader with another activity.

Check out the nascent Des Moines Rehabbers Club. It is a group of people who gather once a month for the purpose of preservation, restoration, and maintenance of Des Moines’ “unique built environment.” This month’s meeting will be on Saturday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at 1711 East 8th Street. The topic will be renovation for profit. M.R. Field encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com. 

No matter what else you do this weekend, by Sunday afternoon please make sure you have the snow, ice, and other obstacles cleaned off your sidewalks. If you have a corner property, please take a few extra minutes to ensure there is a clear path from the sidewalk to the street. Piles of snow are also created when alleys are plowed so double check for those obstacles, too. Thank you.

If you are tired of watching ice and snow fall from the sky, the Geminid meteors shower will be at its peak on Thursday and Friday. Of course, if the skies are clear enough to see the shooting stars, it means clouds are not keeping warmth in the air at night. The Geminids are so named because they appear to come from the constellation Gemini near the star Castor.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, the Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or merely the change from 2007 to 2008, the last Holiday Market will be held at Capital Square and Nollen Plaza on Saturday, December 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be wonderful food to buy and an assortment of gifts from local shops and artisans to purchase.

The best part of this weekend’s planning is that there is only a slight chance for precipitation in the forecast. It will be a good weekend to run errands, to check on the status of your outdoor decorations, and to do any shopping you need to do. Next weekend is very close to Christmas so if you are a person who does not like crowded roads and malls, you are probably not going to want to be in the midst of the last-minute holiday rush. When you’re out shopping, set your budget and then pull out $1, $5, $10 or more to use for charity. If you are driving to a store that’s 10 miles away, consider a closer store. That gallon of gas you save could give you more than $2 to use in helping feed a struggling family.

If you find yourself at Merle Hay Mall (3800 Merle Hay Road) in the late afternoon on Saturday, Sara Butcher will be working on a painting outside of David’s Briar Shoppe from 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Butcher does fantasy paintings. If you are in the East Village and looking for a fantasy art item, The Atlantean (412 East 5th Street) is a good place to stop. Colores, next door to The Atlantean, is also worth a visit. The speciality of Colores is tie-dye clothing.

Some authors are stopping at the Central Library (1000 Grand) on their book tours. Paul Krugman will be there at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday to promote The Conscience of a Liberal. Poet John Thompson will discuss On Holiday on Monday at 6:30 p.m.

For something different, I think my pick this weekend will be bowling. It offers exercise, good social networking, and plenty of opportunities to join leagues in the New Year. It’s also an indoor activity.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

There was a great source listing many school and other holiday pageants. It was the list of cancellations scrolling across local television screens due to the ice storm last Saturday.

It is too time consuming to compile all of the assorted school and church holiday entertainment, but I like to promote them when I can. The performers have spent hours practicing and deserve to be heard. Perhaps more importantly, the shows offer low-priced, community-based alternatives for neighbors who might otherwise be unable to attend a holiday show.

The Des Moines Public Library has some free entertainment for the younger members of our community on Thursday and Friday. The Missouri-based Parasol Puppets will present a variation of The Gingerbread Man’s Christmas. A gingerbread man jumps off of Mrs. Claus’s cookie sheet and involves the audience in a sing-a-long of songs such as Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The show will be presented at the South Side Library (1111 Porter Avenue, December 6th, 10:00 a.m.), at the Franklin Avenue Library (5000 Franklin Avenue, December 6th, 4:00 p.m.), and at the Forest Avenue Library (1326 Forest Avenue, December 7th, 4:00 p.m.).

The library also has activities centered around The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!. Children in third through fifth grades are invited to participate in a discussion of the book by Barbara Robinson. This event in the Children’s Book Discussion series will be held at the South Side Library on Monday, December 10th, at 4:00 p.m. A short preview of the theatrical adaptation of the book will be performed at the Central Library (1000 Grand Avenue) on Saturday, December 8th, at 10:00 a.m. The complete play can be seen at the Des Moines Playhouse (831 42nd Street). It is about a bad-tempered, bad-mannered family and the effect they have on a Christmas pageant and the effect the pageant has on them. Tickets are $12 and $15 and the show runs from December 7th through the 23rd, Thursdays through Sundays. School matinees will be performed on December 11th and 12th.

The Polar Express movie is playing on the IMAX screen at the Science Center now through December 31st.

The Marine Corps Reserves continues its tradition of Toys for Tots. Check out the project’s web site for locations to drop off new, unwrapped toys for ages new born to 17 years old or to mail a monetary donation. Look under “sponsors” and under “FAQs” for the respective addresses. December 18th is approximately when the donation boxes full of toys will be collected.

If you prefer to donate a gift for a refugee in a battered woman’s shelter or other haven, religious organizations often will collect such items. Give a call to a church in your neighborhood and ask if they know of a place where you can drop off an appropriate present. I have not heard of any gift programs for men. A woman could be given some scented soap or a sachet. What could a homeless man be given as a present?

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa. 

Built in 1992, the Forest Avenue branch library was the smallest one in the Des Moines Public Library system. The addition of 2,300 square feet at Forest Avenue means the North Side library now has the smallest space. Although regular branch hours do not include Sundays, the Forest Avenue branch opened on Sunday, November 18, 2007, for a celebration of the renovation. With a table full of delicious appetizers arranged by Something Good Restaurant & Catering and a history of the Blues given by Fruteland Jackson, about 100 people of all ages enjoyed the special day.

After the posting of the colors by the Des Moines Police Honor Guard and the singing of the national anthem, a few short speeches were given. Don Mayberry, president of the King-Irving Neighborhood Association expressed the sentiment of the community when he said, “I wanted everybody to know how enthused we are about this beautiful building.” In the welcome speech, Forest Avenue Branch Manager Sally Wisdom told how Kesho Scott, an associate professor at Grinnell College, shared a command from her mother when Scott spoke at the 1992 opening of the building. In her introduction of Jackson, Scott repeated that phrase: “Get your butt to the library.” Scott added, “it is a statement we’re going to be saying forever.”

Wisdom has been branch manager for about four-and-a-half years. She has been an employee of the public library for two decades, previously working at the downtown central library and at other branches. In an interview with AroundDesMoines.com, she said, “our library is very well supported by the community.” She added, “we have a very dedicated, hard working staff.” There are ten people who work at the library either full time or part time. The Friends of the Forest Avenue Library hold a soul food festival in March. There is a foreign language section with an emphasis on books and other materials primarily in Spanish and in Vietnamese.

A display case in a meeting room told the story of the expansion in numbers. My favorite one was that 50,000 books were moved, twice. Other numbers were: 3,700 carpet tiles used; 3,650 feet of data/phone wire laid; 600 fluorescent light fixtures installed; and 150 gallons of paint applied. In addition, the library was closed for 5 weeks.

The design of the library is long and narrow. There is a tall window that offers a view of Evelyn Davis Park to the west, which is a nice touch. A new teen area offers a place for older students to gather. Over the check-out desk is a large neon sign giving the library’s web site address. The sign is very visible but its message about the future of libraries is very subtle. The ceiling should not be ignored by visitors to the branch. The bright red struts and the location of windows on the front side of the building make me want to dig out information on the building’s original architectural designs.

Jackson’s talk on the Blues ranged from the 1500’s when the blues was first observed in print, referring to turmoil, to the global reach of the musical style in the 21st century. For a person born in Mississippi, he talked fast, as though he had so much to say and too little time. Sadly, he noted that in Chicago, where he now lives, there is no radio station playing the Blues. If not for the Internet, his three CD’s would not be heard in the city. This was an example he shared of how the Blues are now just coasting along and starting to fade away.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Put aside your Halloween candy and watch an exhibition game at Drake University on Thursday, November 1st. The women’s basketball team will play Quincy at 7:05 p.m. The men’s basketball team will play an exhibition against (Minnesota) Southwest State on Saturday, November 3rd at 2:05 p.m. Tickets for women’s games are $12 reserved; $6 general admission. The cost for men’s games is $17-$20 reserved; $14 general admission. Both games will be played at the Knapp Center (25th Street and Forest Avenue).

Reggie’s Sleepout to raise funds to help homeless youth starts Friday afternoon (registration from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Drake stadium, 27th and Forest) and goes until Saturday at 7:00 a.m. If you are concerned about a particular youth you know or believe to be homeless, you can call (515) 264-1222 for information and referrals 24 hours a day.

If you are looking for a cerebral activity, the Young Professionals Book Discussion Group at the North Side Library (3516 5th Street) will meet on November 3 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Call (515) 323-8378 to pre-register.

There are several theatrical performances from which to choose. Stage West Iowa at the Civic Center’s Stoner Auditorium (221 Walnut Street) opens Take Me Out on Friday, November 2nd. General admission is around $20, but half-price rush tickets may be available thirty minutes before curtain on Sunday and on Wednesday. The play is about a popular baseball player and what happens when he announces he is gay. Roosevelt High School (Polk Boulevard and Chamberlain) is putting on Les Misérables Thursday through Saturday. Tickets are $8 adult, $5 K-12 students. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Although Ebenezer & the Spirit of Giving at Terrace Hill does not start until Monday, November 5, seating is limited so you might want to call for tickets (515-280-3450) before the final performance next Saturday, November 10. All shows start at 7:00 p.m. and cost $75. The audience will move from room to room to watch this adaptation of A Christmas Carol and will enjoy desserts with the cast afterwards.

The Two Rivers Art Expo at Hy-vee Hall (730 3rd Street) Friday through Sunday is put on by the same group that offers Jazz in July. In addition, according to the web site for the expo, the group that hosts the event, Metro Arts Alliance, “coordinate[s] a number of educational outreach programs focused primarily on school age children.” Prices on IowaTix are $7 for Saturday or Sunday and $25 for the Friday night soiree. There is no admission charge for children 12 and under.

Wednesday, November 7 is not the weekend but there will be a guitar concert by George Winston on that date. It will be held at the First Christian Church (25th and University) and will benefit the Thresholds Arts Festival. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Thresholds will be held in February 2008 and is hosted by Drake University and First Christian Church.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Iowa attorney and author, Brett Trout, recently released his new book Cyber Law: A Legal Arsenal for Online Business. If you do business on the Internet, it’s a must-read. It covers the most common online legal questions that Brett has been asked over the next 15 years.

This is not just for business owners or bloggers - but consumers, too. The laws are changing and you may be breaking them without even realizing it. Pick up a copy of this desk reference today. You’ll be glad you did!

Another Iowa connection: the cover art is by artist Ron Wagner of Des Moines.

If you know of any books with Iowa connections, give us a holler. We would love to write about them here.

Other posts about books with Iowa connections:

• Under the Tea Leaves
• Age of Conversation

A ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the end of renovation work at the North Side Library (3516 Fifth Avenue) was held on October 9. The formal presentations were short, which gave people time to talk with each other while enjoying cake from a neighborhood shop. The speakers praised the community for supporting the library, the staff for their extra efforts during renovations, the City of Des Moines and the Des Moines Public Library Foundation for financing, and local businesses for doing the work. Susan Genalo, president of the Des Moines Public Library Foundation, summed up the spirit of the event when she told the people assembled for the ceremony that “clearly you all recognize the impact this library has on its community….”

The history of a library on the North Side starts in 1919. It includes store fronts, an old house, a mall, and the current building that was dedicated on December 2, 1984.

Cases with mementoes from the neighborhood and the library’s past line the walls of the library’s meeting room. Among the items on display is a 1937 calendar from Grund Food Market. The market was located at 3809 6th Avenue. The calendar advised customers to “use your phone and laugh at the weather,” because Grund’s delivered, rain or shine.

The branch manager is Katherine Manion, who has been at the North Side Library for about six months. Previously she was assistant branch manager at the Franklin Avenue Library. She said there are seven employees at the North Side branch, four full-time and three part-time. The library has some basic reference materials and periodicals, but its collection is generally popular materials, e.g., novels. She mentioned several activities that are held at the North Side Library, including children reading time and two book discussion groups.

The library is holding a book sale October 13-20. Proceeds support the Friends of the North Side Library. Manion said in addition to buying books, the Friends are looking at acquiring adult-sized armchairs for the children’s reading area at the request of parents. The Friends also bought four of the new computers that are available for public use.

Steve Goers was branch manager at the North Side Library for about 15 years. He said renovation planning started years ago and included focus groups composed of the library’s users and of community leaders. The renovations included creating two study rooms out of closet space so students and their tutors could have some place quiet to meet. A new closet was created out of the old 16mm projector room that was no longer being used for showing films. Goers retired at the end of March 2007. I asked him if he was reading in retirement. “All the time,” he said. He added that he started buying books a year-and-a-half before he retired to have ready for after he retired.

Following the ribbon cutting, Todd Mishler talked about his book, Blood, Sweat and Cheers: Great Football Rivalries of the Big Ten.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.