It was a great idea by the Blackthorn Pub & Eatery. Host local bands on four consecutive Sundays in late summer, record their sets, compile the best performances on CD, and sell it as a benefit for two charities, Gilda’s Club of the Quad Cities and the Mississippi Valley Blues Society’s BlueSKool program.

The new exhibit Objects of the Spirit: African Art from the Collection of Janice Simon opens November 30 at the Augustana College Art Gallery & Museum. Some of the pieces date from the 18th Century, but most come from the 20th Century, including masks, figures, beadwork, rugs, shields, and jewelry.

Just in time for the holidays, a variety of arts and not-for-profit groups have released new stocking-stuffers. KUNI public radio has just put out its fourth murder novel, Orchestrated Murder: An Iowa Mystery.

Adam Zelsdorf and Jason Held aren't your typical high-school seniors. Well, they are in some ways: They throw things at each other and don't try to hide their youthful enthusiasm and itchy feet.

But teenage mannerisms aside, Zelsdorf and Held are unusual.