"Dissolutioned Fools"
And I'm proudly one of them
A few days ago, Little Village, an independent Iowa news, culture, and events magazine, shared a picture of a letter they recently received. This is what the letter said:
6-18
Dissolutioned [sic] Fools:
Every month or so, or whenever I see the pile of your LITTLE VILLAGE MAGAZINES at my central Iowa library, I grab a LARGE stack of those disgusting, vile & foul pieces of trash and promptly toss them in my RECYCLE BIN.
So don’t get the idea that, “Oh, we have many readers there [sic] in ( )!”
I pity your future, or your kids:
John Q. Public
In case you’re unfamiliar with Little Village (LV), it’s an alternative media publication that “exists not only to document the communities it serves, but to advocate for and improve them.” And they try to have a good time doing it.
Story categories include quality of life (healthcare, education, affordability, access, critical culture), equity & justice (environmental, racial, gender, labor and economics), and play (astrology, advice, pop-culture columns, humor, comics, a challenging crossword, and can’t-miss event listings).
The print magazine typically runs 60-100 pages, and is widely available for free around Iowa at venues in Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Cedar Falls/Waterloo and the Quad Cities. They’re mostly supported by business and nonprofit advertising, paid subscriptions, and 501c3 charitable contributions in support of LV’s journalistic mission.
The online response from LV to that letter:
Thanks for sharing, John; Little Village magazines are recyclable AND compostable!
If you believe in what we do, consider giving to our Independent Journalism Fund or becoming a subscriber—especially if your nearest pickup spot is always out!
As a freelance writer who has taken assignments for LV, I’m one of those “dissolutioned fools” Mr. John Q. Public named.
While I happily knows how to spell “disillusioned” and know the difference between they’re and there, I was confounded by the “disgusting, vile, and foul” types of stories Mr. Public claims LV publishes?
The feature story I wrote for them back in October?
The story I just turned in this week is a feature profile of the Urban Bicycle Food Ministry in Des Moines. Also known as “the burrito people,” a group of volunteers who ride bicycles to deliver burritos, sandwiches, and more to unhoused and food insecure citizens in the Des Moines metro.
A quick glance at the top headline of their current issue? A report of how Iowa’s summer food assistance program is falling short on convenience and choices.
Hardly “disgusting” and “vile” topics.
I’m guessing Mr. Public was rankled by previous coverage of LBGTQ+ topics and local Pride events, and felt the need to write a letter insulting our good spelling and grammar, our children, and recycling in general.
I’m relieved the LV editorial team has both a thick skin and sense of humor. In today’s world, I can’t imagine the vitriol news writers are subjected to by readers like Mr. Public, and while making so little money.
My column here is dedicated to writing about the critical “gaps” in our communities, and that’s precisely what LV does, and is why I always say yes to their freelance assignments when offered.
All this is to say that I’m not disillusioned (or dissolutioned) about the topics I write and read about, and strongly believe in the work of the small, underpaid editorial team at Little Village.
But I also strongly believe in recycling, so thanks to John Q. Public for that. And no need to worry about my kids. They are, if I say so myself, pretty great humans.
Because I’m often writing about the pain and struggles of others and sharing their stories for anyone to learn from, my twice-monthly columns are available to all subscribers for free, but I deeply appreciate any financial support for this work.
As always, I’m deeply grateful for any reader who takes the time to read my stories.
I’m a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative with my “Gaps” column.
We’re a group of writers from all around the state and contribute commentary and feature stories of interest for those who care about Iowa and beyond.
We’re a group of writers from all around the state and contribute commentary and feature stories of interest for those who care about Iowa and beyond.
Click here to meet our writers and column topics.
Or, check out our weekend IWC Roundup and new mid-week Flipside edition!
Writers…check out the list of speakers and topics at the 2025 Okoboji Writers’ Retreat this fall (yours truly included!) Registration spots still open!
Will be on the lookout for your pieces! I love LV. And, about John Q. .... sigh. The response was indeed perfect.
You're amazing, Kali. Thanks so much for being an LV contributor. We appreciate you very much!