Don McLeese
Associate Professor
M.A., 1975, University of Chicago
E336 Adler Journalism & Mass Comm. Bldg. (AJB)
319-335-3364
donald-mcleese@uiowa.edu
Don McLeese came to the University of Iowa from Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, where he was associate editor (travel and features) for Midwest Living. He was previously a metro columnist, critic-at-large and pop music critic for the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman, pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and staff writer for the Chicago Reader. His work additionally has appeared in dozens of publications ranging from Book Magazine and the New York Times Book Review to Town and Country to TV Guide. He long wrote features, reviews and a column on country music for Rolling Stone and has contributed to practically every major national magazine covering popular music. From 1987-99, he wrote or revised practically every entry on popular music for the World Book Encyclopedia.
He has received first-place awards for columns and/or criticism from the Texas APME (Associated Press Managing Editors), Headliner’s Club, Dallas Press Club and Chicago Newspaper Guild, and a Mark Twain Award for his travel writing from the Midwest Travel Writers Association.
He previously taught feature writing at the University of Texas and currently teaches magazine writing and reporting and an editing workshop.