"I would move out of Iowa if I wasn't so old."

[progressoid]

Editorial: The last waltz

February 22, 2023
Art Cullen | Storm Lake Times Pilot

Iowa’s leading muse, Greg Brown, put on his last big show at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City last weekend. He insists he is retired, done with the road, off the stage unless some local benefit draws in him. He’s 73. He would just as soon stay home and write songs, he told the Cedar Rapids Gazette. And he said this:

“For the record, I won’t be doing any more formal concerts, but if there is a charity event around town, I’ll be open to playing it. I still might get up there and perform, but I won’t be playing ‘The Iowa Waltz’ anymore.

“But the problem is, the song isn’t true anymore,” Brown said. “I can’t sing ‘We take care of our old/We take care of our young.’ It’s not accurate. I would move out of Iowa if I wasn’t so old.”

He was no interloper, the author of “Early.”

Plow broke the prairie, the prairie gave plenty

The little towns blossomed and soon there were many

Scattered like fireflies across the dark night

And one was called Early, and they sure named it right

¶

Here’s “Walking Beans:”

Last fall it was dry, oh my, oh my,

You could ask the smartweed; maybe the smartweed knows why.

And then Mr. Corn Borer, he brought his whole family,

And they laid the corn low when it got windy.

Well now there’s corn in the bean fields, persnickety once it clings,

I got these blisters on my fingers; I got these cockleburs in my dreams.

more...https://www.stormlake.com/articles/editorial-the-last-waltz/

[winetourdriver01]

1. It's a shame.

It is sad. The republicans are driving Iowa over the cliff. I got out when I was young, and while I'm glad I got my education there, I'm sure as hell glad I hit the road at twenty three. I never looked back.

[DFW]

2. A friend of mine is Iowa State Auditor, the only Democrat to win statewide office recently

He's sticking around, and I hope he makes a run for Governor or Senator within the next 5 years.

[IA8IT]

5. A GRAND IDEA!!!

and not the first time it's been mentioned.

[DFW]

7. I know. Like about fifty times by me alone.

He just didn't think the timing was right, and the last election unfortunately showed he was probably right. But he got some good coaching early on. I was with him at a fundraiser in Washington DC several years ago, during his initial campaign for State Auditor, and told him he should really talk to Howard Dean. He said he'd love to, but how does one go about "just talking to Howard Dean?"

I said, "well, in your case, like this." I pulled out my phone, dialed Howard, gave him a brief rundown on who Rob was, and asked if he would talk to him. Howard said, "sure put him on." I pulled Rob over, and said, "Rob, here's Howard." I thought they were going to talk for five minutes. They talked for over half an hour. I don't know what they said, but Rob DID win his election (his first for State Auditor) that fall.

[progressoid]

6. +1 We are lucky to have Rob.

The GOP tried awfully hard to get him out of office.

I think he made the right choice to stick with auditor for another term but the Dem nomination is his if he wants it. I know a lot of us would like him to run for Gov.

[jayschool2013]

3. Art Cullen

Won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for his editorials.

There is a great documentary about him, his brother and the struggle for survival of a rural newspaper in Iowa. It's called "Storm Lake," and it's worth a watch.

[mnhtnbb]

4. The 5 children of my Repub brother were raised in Iowa

and 4 of them went to the University in Iowa City where they lived. The fifth went to school in Wyoming to become an auto mechanic. Two are PhD chemists ( like their father, my brother). The one girl teaches dance. None of them live in Iowa.
Two live in Colorado, one in California, one in Wisconsin, and one in Texas. The two PhD's are Democrats. The two who live in Colorado are Republicans like their parents, and I suspect the girl who lives in Texas--and married her middle school boyfriend without ever dating anyone else--is a Republican. Her husband's parents are very good friends with her parents and they often all vacation together. But the parents don't live in Iowa any longer, either (California and Wisconsin).

[rurallib]

8. I am as old as Greg Brown and we are looking to get out of Iowa

We have two daughters, both long gone who would never live in Iowa again. Both have lived in different parts of the country and have said Iowa would be the last place they would pick in the US.

It is just fucking toxic here any more. I keep looking at maps to see if Iowa has squeezed itself between Mississippi and Alabama.