DMPL Podcast

It's Iowa State Fair time, and the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast is sure to make you hungry to head to the fairgrounds. Kay Fenton Smith is the author of Baking Blue Ribbons: Stories and Recipes from the Iowa State Fair Food Competitions. Smith and host Aaron Gernes talk about what happens during the food competitions, popular foods throughout history, and some of her favorite recipes in the book.

Show Notes

• Baking Blue Ribbonsat the Library
  
• Blue Ribbon Foundation
• Elwell Family Food Center

Author Chuy Renteria joins the DMPL Podcast to talk about his memoir,We Heard It When We Were Young.'The book details Chuy's life growing up Mexican-American in West Liberty, Iowa, the first minority-majority town in Iowa. During the talk, Chuy and host Aaron Gernes talk about his experience dancing as a "b-boy," long summer nights in a small town, and how growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s was a different experience than what kids have today.

SHOW NOTES

• We Heard It When We Were Young at the library
• Chuy Renteria inLittle VillageMagazine

On today's DMPL Podcast, Sarah from the Book Chat team is talking about some of her favorite recent romance reads. Listen to the podcast, and then be sure to come to Meet Cute, Book Chat's romance event on Wednesday, June 15!

Show Notes

• Meet Cute: Reading Romance with Denise and Elisa
  • Come to the Franklin Avenue Library on Wednesday, June 15, at 6:00 PM to learn about romance books from people who know them best! Meet local author Denise Williams (The Fastest Way to Falland other titles)and Bookstagramer @LovinglyRead
• Sarah's Picks
  • The Viscount Made Me Do It, by Diana Quincy
  • Love in Color, by Bolu Babalola
  • Spanish Love Deception, by Elena Armas

AViD Author Jason Mott joins us on the newest episode of the DMPL Podcast! During this chat, he talks about the development ofHell of a Book, including when how the special cameo by Nic Cage came to be. He also talks about the book's amazing reception and what surprising nonfiction topic he enjoys reading.

Mott will take part in Authors Visiting in Des Moines on Wednesday, May 25, at 7:00 PM at the Central Library. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more on ourAViD page.

Show Notes

• Jason Mott's Books
  • Hell of a Book(2021)
  • The Crossing(2018)
  • The Wonder of All Things(2014)
  • The Returned(2013)
• Jason Mott | Website
• Jason Mott | Facebook
• Jason Mott | Twitter
• Books Mentioned
  • Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius

On the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, host Aaron Gernes sits down with Beth Hoffman, author ofBet the Farm: The Dollars and Sense of Growing Food in America. The book traces the journey Beth and her husband have taken as they started farming on a 5th generation family farm in south central Iowa.

Beth was a long-time food and agriculture reporter, covering the industry for 25 years before moving with her husband John to begin operating Whippoorwill Creak Farm. The book explores the challenges they faced as they transitioned the farm from a conventional operation to an organic and grass-fed operation, as well as the challenges faced in making money in agriculture as a whole.

Mark your calendars: Beth will be at the Central Library on Thursday, July 21, at 5:30 PM!

Show Notes

• Bet the Farmat the library
• Whippoorwill Creek Farm | Website
• Whippoorwill Creek Farm | Instagram
• Beth Hoffman | Twitter

On the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast, we’re joined by Amanda Montell! Amanda is the author of Cultish: the Language of Fanaticism , and she co-hosts the hit podcast “Sounds like a Cult.”

She is also the next author in our Authors Visiting in Des Moines series! Amanda will be in Des Moines on Thursday, April 21, at 7:00 PM at the Central Library. Doors open at 6:00 PM for this free event, and seating is first-come, first-served. More information can be found atdmpl.org/avid.

During today’s podcast Amanda talks about her family’s personal experience with cults, which cultish groups she wished she had the space to write about in her book, and what movie she says put linguistics on the map!

Show Notes

Amanda's Books

• Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism(2021)
• Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language(2019)

Sounds Like a Cult

Amanda on Instagram

The newest episode of the DMPL Podcast features Angeline Boulley, author of the hit novel Firekeeper's Daughter . Boulley chats with host Aaron Gernes about the whirlwind of a year she's had since her book was released to rave reviews from both the professional press and readers. She also discusses a story from high school that in part inspired her to write Firekeeper's Daughter and reveals what her next book has to do with Laura Croft.

Angeline will be taking part in Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD) on Saturday, March 26, at 5:00 PM as part of the DSM Book Festival. The Book Festival takes place at Capital Square (400 Locust Street) from 9:00 AM-7:00 PM. The event is free, and seating is first-come, first-served. More information about AViD and the DSM Book Festival can be found in the Show Notes below.

Show Notes

• AViD 2022
• DSM Book Festival
  
  
• Angeline Boulley | Website
• Angeline Boulley | Twitter
• Angeline Boulley | Facebook
  
• Angeline Boulley | Instagram
  
• Angeline Boulley | Goodreads
  
• Firekeeper's Daughterat the library
  
• Louise Erdrich books
• The Last Time They Met, by Anita Shreve
  
• Sadie, by Courtney Summers

AViD author Brad Meltzer joins us on the latest episode of the DMPL Podcast! Brad will be kicking off the AViD series on Thursday, March 17, at 7:00 PM at the Central Library. But before coming to town, he comes on the podcast to discuss how excited he is to be back on the road again. He also talks about what he finds so enthralling about being a novelist, and what inspired him to write his Ordinary People Change the World children's book series.

Brad's newest book,The Lightning Rod, comes out on March 8!

Show Notes

• Brad Melter at AViD
  
• The 2022 AViD Series

• The Lightning Rod(2022)
  
• The Escape Artist(2018)
  
• Ordinary People Change the World
• Other Brad Meltzer books

• Brad Meltzer | Website
• Brad Meltzer | Facebook
• Brad Meltzer | Twitter
• Brad Meltzer | Instagram

The DMPL Podcast returns with Book Chat team member Carrie! She's chatting about books she loves that fulfill one or more categories of the 2022 Reading Challenge. If you haven't signed up for the Reading Challenge, do so now! It's a great chance to win books and win prizes in the process.

Show Notes

Carrie's Suggestions

• Sigh, Gone, by Phuc Tran
  
  • Categories fulfilled: BIPOC memoir, book about books
  • Tsunami Tattoo, Phuc's tattoo shop
• Pride and Premeditation, by Tirzah Price
  
  • Categories fulfilled: YA/Middle Grade book; historical fiction not set during World War II, book about books
• The Paragon Hotel, by Lyndsey Faye
  
  • Category fulfilled: Historical fiction not set during World War II