Wisconsin Life

Wisconsin’s Justin Vernon is one of the biggest musical artists to come out of the state in the past 20 years. For most of his career, most notably with Bon Iver, he has shied away from the media and chosen to quietly work out of his April Base home studio in Fall Creek. But on his new record, “SABLE, fABLE,” it’s clear a lot has changed. In a rare interview, Vernon talked with Wisconsin music reporter Justin Barney about the new record, which was released April 11.

We all have these images, these moments from our childhoods that stick with us forever. Perhaps it’s the day you learned to ride on a two-wheel bike or a seemingly simple time when you were playing a board game with your sibling. For writer Andrew Patrie, he’s been exploring some of these memories that he says have been “cauterized” in his mind. He shared a story, “Built to Last,” at a live storytelling event hosted by Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life” and the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. It was held on Nov. 14, 2024 in Eau Claire at The Lakely.

Imagine that you are a 12-year-old Milwaukee Sentinel paperboy wandering through an unknown Milwaukee neighborhood on a cold Wisconsin winter evening in 1987. Dan Kois has been there. It made such an impression on him that he’s written a frightening and funny novel all about it. The book is called, “Hampton Heights: One Harrowing Night in the Most Haunted Neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”

“American Movie” is a movie about … making a movie. When the beloved documentary was released in 1999, it quickly became a cult classic. “American Movie” was filmed in the Milwaukee area and its subject, Mark Borchardt, has gone on to inspire many artists and filmmakers. WPR’s Evan Casey takes a look at the film’s lasting legacy.

There’s a shop in Middleton that has rows of bottles, mixes and cans — but none of them contain alcohol. It’s called Sober Social, Wisconsin’s first and only non-alcoholic bottle shop. Producer Morgan D. Stewart caught up with its owner, Kristi Tanner, about why she opened the store and their respective recovery journeys.

Many of us have places that make us feel comfortable, at peace. Perhaps it’s a bookstore or a bar. For author and UW-Eau Claire English professor David Shih, it’s a place much bigger. He shared the story “The Warehouse Club” at a live storytelling event hosted by Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life” and the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. It was held on Nov. 14, 2024 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at The Lakely. 

There’s a dance studio owner in Madison who has been recruiting instructors to come work with her. Many of them are from her home country: Ukraine. As war has wages on in the eastern European country, these instructors have moved 5,000 miles across the world to start new lives in Wisconsin. Dance is one way they stay connected to their Ukrainian culture. WPR’s Jonah Beleckis visited the Fred Astaire Dance Studios to learn what dance means to these Ukrainians.

March Madness is alive and well for sports fans across the country. Here in Wisconsin, fans and alumni will be cheering on their favorite teams and players. One particular Marquette basketball fan will even have the cheers directed at him. WPR’s Corrinne Hess brings us the story of “The Jump Around Guy,” a super fan who’s been going to Marquette games for more than 50 years.

A white pine in northern Wisconsin stood for more than 150 years before it met ultimate fate. Writer Ron Weber of Weyerhaeuser reflects on the tree’s resiliency and how its legacy is being preserved for years to come.

Profound loss has a way of never going away. Writer Amy Fleury moves through her grief on her family’s land, where she often thinks about her late son and her own mortality. She shared a story “Evergreen” at a live storytelling event hosted by Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life” and the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. It was held on Nov. 14, 2024 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at The Lakely.

A lot of things are not allowed through the doors of Wisconsin’s prisons. Cell phones are banned and even underwire from a bra is considered a possible weapon. But recently, a group of musicians was allowed to venture inside a Wisconsin lock-up with a piano, violin and cello in tow. WPR’s Sarah Lehr brings us this story of “Concerts for Hope,” a show that took place inside the walls of Oshkosh Correctional Institution.

Most of the folks who live on Langdon Street along Madison’s Lake Mendota are short-timers: students or young professionals. But at Kennedy Manor, on the corner of Langdon and Wisconsin Avenue, many residents have lived in the same apartment for decades – some for as long as 40 years. Jess Miller lives around the corner from Kennedy Manor. His curiosity led him to exploring what makes residents want to stay.

Imagine a Norwegian village during the Viking age. When the day’s work is done, the people play instruments and dance around the fire. But what are they dancing to? For musician Eric Bestul of Iola, imagining those sounds has become an obsession. WPR’s Rob Mentzer brings us this story of using music as a bridge to the past.

Sending a message in a bottle has been romanticized for centuries. People have even cast bottles for scientific purposes. And as author B.J. Hollars tells us, it helped one Wisconsin veteran connect with humanity on a deeper level. Hollars shared this story about a message in a bottle at a live storytelling event hosted by Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Wisconsin Life” and the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild. It was held on Nov. 14, 2024 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at The Lakely.

The La Crosse area helped shape an historic politician, yet many people aren’t familiar with his story. George Edwin Taylor was the first Black person to run for U.S. president. To ensure that more people learn about his story, Taylor’s early life in western Wisconsin is now the subject of a new children’s book. WPR’s Hope Kirwan spoke with La Crosse author Darrell Ferguson about young Taylor’s life.