The Stanley Museum of Art at the University of Iowa opened in 2022, 14 years after floods destroyed the original museum. Now, there is a book that allows readers to see the museum’s collection in a new way.
In a Time of Witness features beautiful photographs of works in the Stanley Museum’s collection. It also features essays, poetry and short fiction inspired by the artwork and written by luminaries with connections to the University of Iowa’s writing program – Joy Harjo, Rita Dove, Juan Felipe Herrera, Lan Samantha Chang, Carmen Maria Machado and more.
Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe is joined by museum director Lauren Lessing, and curator of special projects DK Nnuro, the book’s editor. UI director of translation programs and professor of instruction Aron Aji joins the show to describe the translation process for the international writers featured in the book.
Finally, Iowa DNR furbearer and wetlands biologist Vince Evelsizer describes his pilot research project centered around the gray fox, which has experienced a declining population in the Midwest over the last 25 years.