Stories
What Happens Next: Erin Kiernan - 16 and pregnant. 30 and infertile.
The highs and lows of starting a family for an Iowa news anchor.
What Happens Next: Anna Larson - A girl and her grief
How putting words of loss on paper turned into something special.
What Happens Next: Dick Deming - Crashing into a transformation
How a near-death experience taught this cancer doctor how to truly live.
What Happens Next: Joany Yi - Amen
How an Iowan’s long-term stay in Macedonia taught her to focus on what happens now.
What Happens Next: Andrea Love - Learning to roll with it
When life handed lemons to this lawyer, she made lemonade (and hot fudge pudding cake and quiche and cheese bread).
What Happens Next: Richard Dedor - Turning four losses into joy
When literally nothing goes right, how do you respond? By choosing joy over everything else.
Holiday Spectacular: Sue Woods - Lies Ministers Tell You
Christmas is a minister’s busy season — and it’s not always very jolly. But this Iowan learned that the darkest time of year may be when people need the most…
True Tall Tales: Suzanne Volkmer-Jones - If these houses could talk
Encountering the heartwarming, the hair-raising and the hilarious while sorting out other people’s things, as told at "True Tall Tales" on Oct. 29, 2019.
True Tall Tales: Sandra Rohrer - The power of letting go
After her mother’s death, Sandra Rohrer embraced forgiveness and healing while facing her life’s two big mysteries, as told at "True Tall Tales" on Oct. 29, 2019.
True Tall Tales: Amanda McCurley - Ghostly Encounters
This Iowan always wanted to believe in the supernatural and then her daughters began seeing ghosts in her home. As she shared at the Des Moines Storytellers' Project's "True Tall…
True Tall Tales: Chad Elliott - The Great Train Depot Robbery
A 6-year-old’s brush with Johnny Law and lessons learned about redemption, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "True Tall Tales" on Oct. 29, 2019.
True Tall Tales: Rachel Corpus - Becoming an Angel Communicator
After suppressing ‘Spirit’ for years, Rachel Corpus finally learned how to share her gift, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "True Tall Tales" on Oct. 29, 2019.
True Tall Tales: Sadagat Aliyeva - Finding Pip
How this Iowan embraced her inner child to find her true self, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "True Tall Tales" on Oct. 29, 2019.
Holiday Spectacular: Oscar Rosales - From San Salvador to Cedar Rapids
This immigrant discovered his passion for balloon art in Iowa and, two decades later, uses it to spread holiday cheer, as told at "Holiday Spectacular" on Dec. 17, 2019.
Holiday Spectacular: Ann Wright - Christmas Girls Night Out
Ties that bind over 30 years, suffering, loss and lots of laughs, as told at "Holiday Spectacular" on Dec. 17, 2019.
Holiday Spectacular: Elizabeth Balcarcel - Converging Christmases
How this Iowan navigated a new world in America while trying to hold on to the most prized tradition of her Mexican upbringing — Christmas — as told at "Holiday…
Holiday Spectacular: Cynthia Hunafa - Celebrating Kwanzaa
Cynthia Hunafa never felt connected to her African roots – until she found Kwanzaa, as told at "Holiday Spectacular" on Dec. 17, 2019.
Rick McAtee: Living underwater
How I overcame a fear of deep water to explore the seas — just like my hero, Jacque Cousteau, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "My First Time"…
Justin Appel: Free fallin’
For Justin Appel, a blind musician, everything and every day is a first. As told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "My First Time" on Aug, 20, 2019, fear is…
Rachelle Chase: How an Iowa ghost town helped me find my way ‘home’
For all her life, author Rachelle Chase was a nomad. Then she learned of the ‘black utopia’ of Buxton, Iowa, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "My First…
Erik Dominguez: Finding a voice
How speech and debate transformed this once shy Iowan into the truest version of himself, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "My First Time" on Aug. 20, 2019.
Rose Daugherty-Rudd: My first classroom
Unexpected lessons I learned from my students, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "My First Time' on Aug. 20, 2019.
Shashank and Swapna Aurora: A family affair
This couple’s first date had a lot more riding on it than most, as told at the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "My First Time" on Aug. 20, 2019.
Andy Wilson: Finding a way to heal
When Andy Wilson lost his family, he learned forgiveness is what he needed to move on, as told as the Des Moines Storytellers Project’s “On Second Thought” on June 18,…
Sheree Clark: Raw. Vegan. Meat.
Why this Iowan switches diets, and why that’s none of your business, as told as the Des Moines Storytellers Project’s “On Second Thought” on June 18, 2019.
Kelly Buffalo-Quinn: Tribal Baby Battle
How one Iowan’s view of the Indian Child Welfare Act changed after losing her child to the system, as told as the Des Moines Storytellers Project’s “On Second Thought” on…
Patti Wachtendorf: Spiders, ladybugs and convicts
Becoming the first female warden of Iowa’s toughest prison, as told as the Des Moines Storytellers Project’s “On Second Thought” on June 18, 2019.
Kylique Lipscombe: Persevering with basketball
How an 18-year-old pursued his athletic dreams in a little state called Iowa, as told as the Des Moines Storytellers Project’s “On Second Thought” on June 18, 2019.
Ryan Siskow: Coming home
Ryan Siskow talks during the Des Moines Storytellers Project's "On Second Thought" on June 18, 2019 about the importance of opening up to those you love most and coming home