Event Information

Meet the Author: Jesse Thoeming

The History Center
Tuesday, Sep 1, 2026 6:00 PM
Doors open 5:30 p.m.
Program starts at 6:00 p.m.

Jesse Thoeming is a writer whose work explores the intersection of humanity, progress, and imagination. Originally from southern Illinois, where he grew up in the shadow of the Gateway Arch, he has lived and worked in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for over two decades. His essays and commentary have appeared in numerous local and regional publications, and his debut novel, The Brown Bottle Squeeze, earned praise for its narrative voice and depth of character. “God Bless You, Mr. Trump” marks the beginning of a bold speculative trilogy set in the near future.

When he’s not writing or traveling the country and world with his wife, Sarah, Jesse finds his balance on open-air trails—hiking, biking, and thinking deeply about where we’ve been—and where we might be going next.
 
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Doors open 6:00 p.m. Program starts at 6:30 p.m. Join historian Kevin Mason for an immersive journey along the 1835 First U.S. Dragoon Expedition route in Iowa. Drawing from his new book, Retracing the Dragoon Trail in Iowa, Mason uncovers how the state’s prairies and wetlands evolved into the farms, towns, and highways we know today. Blending environmental history, Indigenous perspectives, and the spirit of firsthand travel, this engaging presentation reveals how Iowa’s landscape still echoes with the stories of the past.