Rekha Basu will be our first ‘Monday Lunch via Zoom’ guest. Did I mention it might get a bit spicy?
First, I want thank those of you who signed up to become paid subscribers to this column. As a result, so far there are six new, emerging writers who are now able to attend the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat this September 19, 20 and 21.
This column will always be free, however we’ve added a paid subscription option to support scholarship recipients for the OWRII. Those who do so will have the added benefit of being able to participate in the Monday Zoom conversations.
How to join the Monday Zoom Lunch call. Become a paid subscriber:
Rekha starts this new feature off on Monday, May 16 and the following week, Monday, May 23, we get to turn the microphone around and ask Iowa Public Radio’s Charity Nebbe a thing or two. She is an impressive host who has an array of fascinating guests.
Check out her podcast: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa/2022-05-05/watching-the-ukrainian-diaspora-from-afar-this-iowa-couple-donated-1-500-books-to-ukrainian-refugee-children
From Nebbe’s Wikipedia page:
A native of Iowa, she grew up near Cedar Falls, and attended Iowa State University, from which she received a B.A. in Political Science and Biology.[1] While attending Iowa State, Nebbe began her career in public radio with a job at WOI Radio. In 1998, while at WOI, she co-created and co-hosted (with Daniel Pinkwater ) a weekly National Public Radio program for children, Chinwag Theater, which was carried nationally by over 50 stations for two seasons.[2]
From 2000 to 2010, she worked as a presenter of Michigan Radio, where she was the local host of All Things Considered, before returning to work for Iowa Public Radio in 2010. Since then she has been the host of daily talk show, Talk of Iowa.[3] She is also the host of a weekly cooking show, Iowa Ingredient, which has aired on Iowa Public Television since 2012.[4] Nebbe is also the author of a children's book, Our Walk in the Woods (2008).
Future guests include: Steve Mazie, a Des Moines native who covers the U.S. Supreme Court for the Economist Magazine; Laura Belin, political analyst and blogger; Ambassador Kenneth Quinn who was president of the World Food Prize; Jerry Crawford, owner of racehorse Mo Donegal; Mayor Frank Cownie; author Leigh Michaels; Tom and Ruth Harkin; Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen; memoir coach and author, Deb Engle; new Des Moines Register columnist Rachelle Chase; Iowa Starting Line editor, Ty Rushing; Ambassador and former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, and many more to come. In other words, it’s a potluck!
A Zoom link will be sent to paid subscribers for the Monday Lunch Zoom date.
Questions? Let me know: