DMPL Podcast

Long-time Des Moines sports personality Larry Cotlar joins the podcast! Cotlar chats about some of the highlights of his lengthy sports media career, which has spanned more than three decades. He explains how things have changed, for good and bad, and then gives us a preview of his upcoming program at the Franklin Avenue Library. Cotlar will be at Franklin on Tuesday, November 7, at 6:30 PM to discuss the upcoming men’s college basketball season for each of the Division I programs in the state (Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, and Drake).

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Paranormal investigator Chad Lewis joins the show to talk about the wild and spooky things that he’s seen throughout his career. From hunting for the Tata Duende in Central America to looking for spooky sights throughout the Midwest, Chad has lots of experience with the supernatural. He’ll be presenting two programs in Des Moines: he’ll be at the Franklin Avenue Library on Tuesday, October 24, at 6:30 PM, and at the South Side Library on Wednesday, October 25, at 6:30 PM.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Librarians Sarah and Steph hop on the podcast to talk about our patrons’ favorite books! The books discussed are all books that readers chose during our “Book Your Escape” adult summer reading program this past year. There are mysteries, graphic novels, and more! Hear what books readers and listeners like you recommend!

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Aaron talks with Becky and Jen about manga titles! We talk about some the different types of manga (shojo and shonen) and what makes it so unique and popular, especially among teens. Then Becky and Jen talk about their favorite titles as well as some of the classics of the genre.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

State Librarian of Iowa Michael Scott talks about the role of the State Library, increasing broadband access throughout Iowa, and his fascinating career path that led him to Des Moines.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Host Aaron Gernes interviews Rachelle Chase, author of Lost Buxton. In 1900, at a time when Jim Crow, segregation, and the Ku Klux Klan kept blacks and whites separated, residents in Buxton, Iowa—a thriving coal mining town established by Consolidation Coal Company—lived, worked, and went to school side by side. African Americans—miners, teachers, business owners, doctors, lawyers, and more—made up more than half of the population for the first 10 years and remained the largest ethnic group until 1914. By 1922, Buxton was a ghost town. Using photographs and rare audio clips from interviews with former Buxton residents, Chase will share what made Buxton so unique, both in terms of the residents and the town itself—and why Buxton is still being talked about today. Chase will present Buxton, Iowa: A Coal Mining Town Ahead of Its Time at the Forest Ave. Library on Saturday, July 29th at 2:00 PM.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Heather Gudenkauf wraps up the AViD lecture series on Tuesday, May 30 at the Central Library. Gudenkauf, who lives in Dubuque, will be celebrating the release of her newest novel, Not a Sound. Gudenkauf is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of seven novels, including One Breath Away, The Weight of Silence, and These Things Hidden. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages, and continues to work in education as a Title I Reading Coordinator in Dubuque, Iowa.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Host Aaron Gernes is joined in the studio by DMPL librarian Carla Tibboel. Carla discusses All Things Irish. Books mentioned in this episode include The Case of the Missing Books, Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland, Brooklyn, and Real Irish Food. For links to each of these books in our catalog visit this book list.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Special guest host Laura Rowley interviews famed and award-winning author Nathan Hill! Hill is the author of the best-selling novel The Nix. His debut novel, The Nix was recognized as one of 2016’s best books by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsday, Library Journal, and Entertainment Weekly, among others. A native Iowan, Hill received a BA in English and Journalism at the University of Iowa before attaining his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Hill has taught writing at Florida Gulf Coast University and is an Associate Professor of English at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He currently resides in Naples, Florida. Hill will be at the Central Library as part of the 2017 AViD series on Thursday, May 11 at 7:00 PM.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC

Special guest host Mike Draper interviews bestselling author Jon Ronson! Ronson is a Welsh nonfiction author, documentary maker, and screenwriter. He’s written ten books, including the best-sellers So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, The Psychopath Test, and The Men Who Stare at Goats. Ronson regularly contributes to The Guardian and BBC Radio 4, where his series Jon Ronson On... has been shortlisted for the Sony Award four times. In the United States, Jon is a regular contributor to This American Life, GQ, The New York Times Book Review, and has appeared at TED and on The Daily Show. Ronson will be at Sheslow Auditorium on the Drake University campus as part of the 2017 AViD series on Wednesday, April 12 at 7:00 PM.

Music credits: "Young, Tough and Terrible" by The Losers / CC BY-NC