Sitting down, looking at her writing in her early 20s, Rebecca Johns didn't know why her novels were so awful. But after attending to the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she left Iowa City not only as a more successful...

Eight shows a week for nine months straight is nothing compared with actor John Preece's 3,100 performances in Fiddler on the Roof. Preece's performance in Cedar Rapids will be his ninth national tour...

Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., will present an evening of poetry readings from the works of Cole Swensen and Sarah Riggs today. The "Live from Prairie Lights" event will begin at 7...

As part of its "Careers for Change" series, the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights will present the film Owners of the Water: Conflict and Collaboration Over Rivers, at 7 p.m. today...

**** out of ***** "Let's have a toast for the douche bags," Kanye West pleads in his epic-nine minute ballad of egocentrism titled "Runaway." Does he deserve one? That's the question...

Don't take the name literally. Melissa Delbridge's memoir, Family Bible, has nothing to do with religion. "The book is not a bible," she said and laughed. "Trust me on this." The...

** 1/2 out of ***** Maybe Ritalin is one of the "other drugs" this film needed to focus on to tell a fully developed story. Love and Other Drugs bounces from one story to another, trying to...

* out of ***** Can you smell what Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is cooking? That reference might be a tad dated, because The Rock has ditched the wrestling ring in favor of another career in make-believe...

Depending on who one talks to, the name Bumpus could have come from a variety of places. Some fans of the band are told the name comes from the next-door neighbors in the movie A Christmas Story, and...

Damon Dotson has performed at houses, bars, and even the decks of fans' homes. He can also add "Southwestern-style restaurants" to that list. After calling up Iowa City venues and asking each...

It's hard to describe what characteristics can make a person funny. For some, it's the ability to evoke laughter from everyday scenarios people can relate to. But for others, simply drawing attention to...

Flashing multicolored lights, rotating laser beams, and video clips of the band Tool create a powerful aura for the audience — this is what is expected during an Opiate show. The Tool cover band tries...