People do a lot to make the best of Wisconsin’s brutal winters. Some strap on some snowshoes or hit the sledding hills. The extremists participate in Polar Plunges. As Milwaukee historian and author John Gurda reminds us, the winter thrill seekers have been thriving in the area for a long time.

Skating into the past: A chilly adventure on the Milwaukee River

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.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Lilies of the valley are often considered a beautiful, yet high-maintenance plant. For writer Nancy Jorgenson, they will forever connect her to her beloved grandmother, who found virtue in caring for them. Caregiving was deeply rooted in her grandmother, who dreamed of being a nurse. But, society had different plans for a woman of her era. Jorgenson reflects on her grandmother’s devotion to her family, dreams, and flowers.

Little known truths about lilies of the valley

There’s been a lot of excitement over the slapstick comedy “Hundreds of Beavers,” with movie fans and critics leaving theaters around the globe in awe. It was filmed in northern Wisconsin and its star and writer, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, is a Whitefish Bay native. As WPR’s Evan Casey tells us, the 33 year-old has always been obsessed with making movies.

Costumes, comedy and cabins: The Wisconsin roots of the critically-acclaimed film ‘Hundreds of Beavers’

It’s been a few weeks since the solar eclipse captivated many of us. Some Wisconsinites, like WPR’s Norman Gilliland, traveled to Illinois to witness the rare totality. While the moments of darkness have stuck with him, there’s another phenomenon he can’t stop thinking about: finding other Wisconsin eclipse chasers far from home at an EV charging station.

The Wisconsin e-Pilgrims: Finding community during the eclipse

Jewish people around the world are in the midst of celebrating Passover. The holiday opens with a Seder meal and commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. The spring renewal festival has writer Mark Griffin of Madison reflecting on his own life and his evolving relationship with his beliefs.

‘The spring renewal Jew’: Father reflects on family and faith while celebrating Passover

Yazmin Lopez of Fitchburg was feeling restless as a stay-at-home mom. So she went on a self-discovery journey and ended up starting her own business: Katharisma Cleaning. In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” shares the stories of Lopez and five other women working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin.

Skating into the past: A chilly adventure on the Milwaukee River

Download our free app to listen on your phone