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Wisconsin Life celebrates the people, places, history and culture of the state. Come with us as we kayak the Mississippi River, interview musicians in Milwaukee, and bake pasties in Rhinelander. We connect you with diverse people and ideas through short stories updated twice a week.
440 Episodes
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In the early 1960s, New York City’s “Queen of the Beatniks” was a young woman from Chippewa Falls. Judy Henske wowed audiences for decades with her deep, soulful voice … sadly passing away in 2022 at age 85. Writer Patti See looks back on Henske’s talent and western Wisconsin’s influence on the singer.
When you’re driving through Wisconsin, you might pass the time by trying to spot out-of-state license plates or unusual billboards. Some Wisconsinites, however, are on the lookout for wild veggies, specifically, asparagus. But why is asparagus so prominent along the roadsides in Wisconsin, and how did it get there? WPR’s Sarah Lehr digs into the answer as part of WPR’s WHYsconsin project.
Everyone likes a good ghost story, especially around this time of year. Dorothy Malone of Milwaukee shared a childhood encounter with the supernatural at Ex Fabula’s StorySlam ‘Identity’ event held in March 2020. She talks about seeing ghosts as a little girl and how it shaped her interactions and gifts later in life.
Fifty years after it first terrified — and amused — audiences, “The Giant Spider Invasion” is crawling back onto the screen. The cult classic about extraterrestrial, blood thirty spiders was filmed in the Gleason, Wisconsin area and is beloved by campy horror fans. It even got the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment.
Now, “The Giant Spider Invasion” is being reimagined for its 50th anniversary, with new scenes filmed in northern Wisconsin and a theater release around Halloween. Dan Davies is a Wisconsin native himself who has been cast as the lead actor in the new footage. He talked with WPR’s Shereen Siewert about the film.
Forestry offers a unique glimpse into the natural beauty and evolving landscape of Wisconsin. Writer Ron Weber of Weyerhaueser — a forester himself — reflects on the tracks we leave in the woods, and what that can teach us about wildlife restoration and the legacy of conservation work.
The Madison Methodical Meanderers has a goal. The members want to walk every street in Madison. WPR’s Alyssa Allemand recently took a stroll with the group on the city’s east side near the Yahara River.
It was fifty years ago that the city of Saigon was captured by the North Vietnamese, marking the end of the Vietnam War. Just days before, 12-year-old Tan Pham escaped the city, along with his parents and three siblings. Pham shared the story of his family’s extraordinary journey to La Crosse with WPR’s Ezra Wall.
How do you travel halfway around the world and still feel connected to home? For WPR’s Carina Abrego-Koch of Green Bay, she listened to the sound of her own voice — and the voice of someone she loves — while on a trip to London.
She shares her story as part of the “Home Is Here” project, which amplifies the voices of the growing number of Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic residents who call northeastern Wisconsin home. The project is part of the NEW News Lab – a local news collaboration in northeastern Wisconsin made up of six news organizations.
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin offers hundreds of field trips each year that bring members face-to-face with some of the state’s natural wonders. WPR’s Beatrice Lawrence went along on a recent trip to Nelson Dewey State Park along the Mississippi River to witness a swarm of 3,000 bats put on a show as they returned to their homes at dawn.
People working through addictions or tough times in their life often turn to things that bring comfort and support. Some turn to religion or a recovery coin or books. For writer Stacy Parish of Appleton, she held onto something much more organic.
There’s a peninsula just off Lake Michigan in Milwaukee that has lived many lives. Today, Jones Island is home to a sewage treatment plant, piles of salt and rail cars. But, it was once home to thriving communities, from the Potawatomi to European immigrants.
Jones Island is also the subject of a Milwaukee PBS documentary co-written by author and historian John Gurda called “People of the Port: A Jones Island Documentary.” As Gurda tells us, a Polish immigrant community flocked to the area. They were drawn in for the same reason as Jones Island’s earliest settlers — fishing.
One of the pure joys of spending time with young children is hearing the wild, hilarious and beautiful things that come out of their mouths. Milwaukee journalist Tom Kertscher is feeling gratitude that many years ago, he put his reporter skills to work capturing some of the things his daughter, Hailey, said as a child. Hailey joins her dad for this essay, recounting some of her cute, clever and poignant moments.
If you’re in recovery from addiction, finding a sober community that’s a good fit for your new lifestyle can be a struggle. Especially if you also happen to be a person of color living in Wisconsin. Producer Morgan D. Stewart searches for a sense of belonging within the affinity groups of Recovery Dharma.
As children grow up, parents find new ways to stay connected with them. Or maybe it’s the same as it ever was? Writer Jill Sisson Quinn explores this while enjoying time with her son in the great outdoors.
It’s not unusual to find fresh vegetables or handmade goods at farmers’ markets across Wisconsin. But at one small farm in Tomahawk, the sales approach is different. Tranquil Acres Farm invites visitors to pick what they need and pay what they can afford, no questions asked. Heather and Bill Smith are a retired couple who bought the property during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in search of solitude. What began as a quiet retreat quickly turned into something much bigger: a mission to make healthy food accessible to everyone. Heather Smith talked with WPR’s Shereen Siewert.
Andrew Patrie is like most parents. The Eau Claire author loves his child. He strives to support her, help her succeed and help her stay safe. But accomplishing these goals can be … awkward. Parenthood often means entering unchartered territory. Patrie explores this in his book “Clumsy Love: A Father’s Journey Parenting His Transgender Daughter.” He reads us an excerpt from that memoir.
As summer comes to an end, tourists begin to leave Wisconsin’s northwoods. Every year on Labor Day, people line Highway 51 and wave to the tourists as they head home. As WPR’s Bridgit Bowden tells us, these “wave parties” are a way of saying “thanks for coming,” but also, “thanks for leaving.”
Do you have a random toilet in your basement? Perhaps it’s at the foot of the stairs or you’ve zhuzhed it up. WPR recently received a question about these porcelain wonders from an audience member through our WHYsconsin project. She asked, “Why do so many older homes in Wisconsin have an exposed toilet sitting in the unfinished basement? What’s the story behind the ‘Midwestern toilet?'”
It has been more than two decades since Debra Gillispie of Milwaukee lost her son, Kirk Patrick Bickham, Jr. One night in 2003, a gunman killed him and two others outside a Milwaukee bar. Gillispie has since joined and started local advocacy efforts to change gun laws and share violence survivors’ stories. WPR’s Jonah Beleckis tells us how months ago, she traveled to the Fox Lake Correctional Institution to meet Jaki Marion, the man who killed her son.
Five years ago, a group of friends in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, saw potential in an old parking lot under a freeway. WPR’s Anya van Wagtendonk has the story of the National DIY skatepark – a do-it-yourself project that started out as a secret – and has become part of the fabric of the city.
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