“PIEOWA: A Piece of America" at the Bettendorf Public Library -- May 30.
Saturday, May 30, 2 p.m.
Bettendorf Public Library, 2850 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf IA
With her documentary hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "a soulful slice of Americana" that has been covered by national outlets including CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 and the Hallmark Channel's Home & Family, former Quad Citizen Beth Howard brings her film PIEOWA: A Piece of America to the Bettendorf Public Library, the May 30 screening featuring an appearance by the filmmaker and, fittingly, a bit of dessert, to boot.
A feature-length documentary that Little Village Magazine lauded as "the taste-good, feel-good film of the year," PIEOWA: A Piece of America celebrates the myriad ways pie is woven into Iowa’s (and America’s) culture, the lengths people will go to for a slice, and how this humble pastry can bake the world a better place. Audiences and critics agree that “it’s a tonic for what ails us.” PIEOWA's accolades include Best Food Film, 2025 San Antonio Film Festival; Audience Award, 2025 Silicon Beach Film Festival; and Award of Merit, 2025 Impact DOCS Awards. Wholesome and humorous, it will leave you feeling more hopeful about the world – and hungry for pie. Join the library on May 30 to see the film, meet the filmmaker, and have a slice of pie!
Beth M. Howard, producer, director, and editor of PIEOWA, is the author of four books. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Real Simple, and Country Living, among many other publications. She has given a TEDx Talk on the healing powers of pie, and she is a regular commentator for her local NPR affiliate, Tri States Public Radio in Macomb, Illinois. From 2010 to 2014, she lived in the iconic American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, where she ran the Pitchfork Pie Stand. In 2015, she embarked on a round-the-world journey teaching pie classes in nine countries to promote world peace. She divides her time between an Iowa farm and Los Angeles, and continues to write, bake pie, share her film, and advocate for a better, kinder world.
PIEOWA: A Piece of America will be screened in the Bettendorf Public Library's Bettendorf Room on May 30, admission to the 2 p.m. screening is free, and more information is available by calling (563)344-4175 and visiting BettendorfLibrary.com. For more information on filmmaker Howard and her movie, visit TheWorldNeedsMorePie.com.
