Join Investigate Midwest on Thursday, Nov. 13 for an evening of live storytelling, community, and conversation at Trumpet Blossom Café in Iowa City.
This year’s theme, “Water – The Current of Life,” brings together five remarkable storytellers — each offering a personal reflection on how water connects, challenges, and transforms our lives.
Meet the Storytellers

Judith Joyce, a geomorphologist for more than 30 years, has dedicated her career to strengthening the bond between people and the environment. Her lifelong passion for water and landscapes began in the creeks of her childhood and continues today through her work leading stream and wetland restoration projects across the Midwest.

Katie Roche lives in Iowa City, where she makes music with Awful Purdies and The Dandelion Stompers and directs the Iowa City Public Library Friends Foundation. A water-lover at heart, she finds joy in the tiny magic of everyday life — from spotting synchronicities to floating, splashing, and going with the flow.

Kylah Hedding is an assistant professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. With a decade of experience in the water industry, she now teaches environmental and strategic communication — and can often be found swimming and paddleboarding with Iowa City’s Open Water Swimmers (iCows).

Larry Weber, director of the IIHR–Hydroscience and Engineering program and the Iowa Flood Center, applies his deep expertise in water and natural resources to prairie and woodland restoration on his 120-acre conservation property in Johnson County.

Parker Field, a Creative Writing and Computer Science student at the University of Iowa, brings a fresh voice to the lineup. Hailing from Los Angeles, he is a poet, world builder, and avid crafter of games from both tabletop and video genres.
Event details
Doors open 5:30 p.m. The program begins 6:20 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online or at the door.
The evening will also feature trivia, a silent auction supporting Investigate Midwest’s nonprofit newsroom, and live music. The program will be emceed by Iowa Public Radio’s Charity Nebbe and recorded for broadcast on Talk of Iowa.
Visit https://IMStorytelling25.eventbrite.com to get tickets or learn more.








