Wisconsin Life

By Wisconsin Public Radio

What's Wisconsin Life about?

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.

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Wisconsin Life episodes:

04.19.2024
Building community and finding purpose with Yazmin Lopez of Katharisma Cleaning
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...
04.17.2024
Wisconsin as the happiest state? Look to Norway!
People find happiness in all sorts of ways: listening to music, hiking or spending quality time with loved ones. But what if our state of bliss was actually dependent on our geography? Writer Eric Dregni explored this idea after traveling...
04.10.2024
Choose your own journalism adventure: Teaching media literacy with ‘Headlines and High Water’ video game
We live in a time when fake news permeates social media feeds and partisan coverage blasts through some cable news channels. Teaching media literacy can help people wade through the disinformation and become critical news consumers. As Christina Lieffring tells...
04.05.2024
‘All power to the pregnant people’: Waukesha’s Tamara Thompson on life as a doula
“What if we, as doulas and midwives, are agents of social change?” asked Tamara N. Thompson, a doula based in Waukesha, Wisconsin. She dives into this concept and shares what led her to becoming a birthworker. In a partnership with Midwest...
04.03.2024
Early mornings and the hard work ethic: Life on the farm with the Bordeleaus
Life on the farm used to be a common experience for many in this state. But with the number of family farms dwindling in Wisconsin, fewer people grow up ingrained in the hard working, family tradition that has bonded communities...
03.29.2024
Madison community organizer Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores on police accountability
Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores has been involved in her Madison communities for decades. But, when her family friend, Tony Robinson Jr., was killed by a police officer, she sprang into action to try to improve police accountability. In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres,...
03.27.2024
Dear Abby, Ask Ann Landers and Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Legendary advice columnists Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren dished out wise and witty advice to millions of readers for more than half a century. The two were also twins – and sometimes bitter rivals. But before they were famous,...
03.22.2024
‘Nothing is impossible’: Madison’s Samantha Green driven by change and camping dreams
Samantha Green of Madison has a philosophy she lives by: nothing is impossible. She channels that with every pivot in her life while striving to one day own her own camping resort. In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” shares...
03.20.2024
When one door closes, another one opens just down the road
As the saying goes – home is where the heart is. But for writer BJ Hollars of Eau Claire, it’s a little more complicated than that. We can become deeply connected to our physical homes, so moving – and moving...
03.15.2024
Travel inspires tiny nail art painted by Katalina Sanchez of Graffiti Nail Salon
Katalina Sanchez of Madison has always been interested in art, which led her to open Graffiti Nail Salon. In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” shares the stories of Sanchez and five other women working to build community and better...
03.13.2024
Jordan Schroeter on harnessing the power of his voice
Earning a masters degree and launching a business is no easy feat. WPR’s Margaret Faust met Jordan Schroeter of Grafton to see how he did it while also living with a rare, genetic and progressive neuromuscular disorder.
03.08.2024
Love of daughters, cooking fuels Angela Morgan of Food Junkies Catering
Angela Morgan of Madison was feeling uninspired in her job a few years back. It was too rigid. So, she decided to take a huge risk and started her own business: Food Junkies Catering. In a partnership with Midwest Mujeres, WPR’s...
03.06.2024
‘The fastest girl drummer in the world’: Celebrating Wisconsin’s Viola Smith
Drummer Viola Smith was a musical trailblazer and innovator. Known as “the fastest girl drummer in the world,” her career lasted almost 100 years. Author Dean Robbins took a trip to her hometown in Fond du Lac County to tell...
03.01.2024
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Yellow: A Peek Into Wisconsin’s Quirky Margarine Laws
Wisconsin is America’s Dairyland. It’s a title we take seriously. From milk to cheese to butter, the dairy industry is a cash cow for the state, generating $45.6 billion a year for the state’s economy. For Wisconsin’s state legislators, it’s...
02.28.2024
‘The Biggest Daydream’: Living Cancer-Free
Dreaming can help some people get through incredibly difficult times. Tandalaya Taylor of Madison talks about how daydreaming helped her overcome a major health crisis and appreciate everyday life. Taylor’s story came to us from the UW Odyssey Project, where...
02.23.2024
‘That is how you turn hate into love’: Appleton’s Jesús Gregorio Smith for ‘Home Is Here’
What’s one of the best ways to combat hate? For Jesús Gregorio Smith of Appleton, it’s to push back with love…something he did after a homophobic sign appeared in town. He shares his story as part of the “Home Is Here”...
02.21.2024
Gwen Gillon’s fight for Civil Rights
Stokely Carmichael called her a “gutsy little sister.” Gwen Gillon became the youngest staff member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, and participated in Freedom Summer. Now, the Civil Rights pioneer calls Madison, Wisconsin home.
02.16.2024
Icy driveways and stranded drivers: Your valentine has been delayed in transit
There’s an old saying about the United States Postal Service: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night … etc…etc…” But, if you’re a driver delivering a package to the Lake Hallie home of writer Patti See? Well,...
02.14.2024
‘I’m proud to be everything that I am’: A conversation about two-spirit, Indigenous identities
While Joseph Rey Torres of Oneida was on his path of self-discovery, something finally clicked for him. He realized he was two-spirit, which for him, meant embracing masculine and feminine identities. Torres talked about this with his adopted nephew and...
02.09.2024
‘The Day The Music Died’: Buddy Holly and his final shows in Wisconsin
Buddy Holly is a rock ‘n’ roll legend. In the 1950s, he became a musical torchbearer, helping popularize the genre with his band, The Crickets. They had big hits with songs like “That’ll Be The Day” and “Peggy Sue.” Hollys life...
02.07.2024
Food Traditions: Salt Fish Cakes
When we cook, we’re able to keep our family’s dishes and memories alive for generation after generation. That’s the case for Anne Marie Herman in Madison, who was raised on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. To the delight of...
02.02.2024
Food Traditions: Estrogonofe de Carne
Cooking can help us stay connected with our roots, our family’s culture. That’s the case for Mara Rintamaki of Oshkosh, who grew up in Brazil. Maria Brunetta brings us the story of the restaurant owner and one of her favorite...
01.31.2024
Food Traditions: Mandaamin Naboob
Corn has been grown for thousands of years across North America, and tribes have been making corn soup for generations. Each tribe has their own method and strain of corn for cooking this traditional dish. WPR’s Danielle Kaeding caught up...
01.26.2024
A winter night poker game played in the backyard
Winter can take its toll on your mind. The walls close in. The sky is grey and the snow piles up. Every morning you bundle up, scrape the windshield, crank the heat, and trudge to work. Then the call comes,...
01.24.2024
A piece of the Pack: Green Bay Packers fans on ‘owning’ the team
Green Bay Packers fans are a proud community. It’s not just the tailgating in freezing temperatures or the adrenaline rush of witnessing a Hail Mary, but fans love that their team is the only publicly-owned NFL team. Mary Jane Herber...
01.19.2024
Breaking bread: An morning adventure in baking
The simple wholesome act of baking a loaf of bread can fill your kitchen with warm aromas and quiet your mind. That is, unless you’re writer BJ Hollars of Eau Claire. For him, it’s a little more complicated.
01.17.2024
Snowboarding with the older boys: A parent’s lesson on letting go
The quiet, snowy days of winter have a way of compelling us to reflect on our lives. For writer Jill Sisson Quinn, a sledding excursion in central Wisconsin with her son teaches a bittersweet lesson of growing, and letting go.
01.12.2024
Cold-Smoking Sausage Tradition Continues in Marathon County
Deer hunting is a family tradition for many people in Wisconsin. But what do you do with the venison once you get home? As Briana Rupel tells us, her family in northern Wisconsin gets together to cold-smoke sausage.
01.10.2024
Preserving collections and saving cats: Inside Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum
Cats are special companions to many people, including Shawn and Hilary Redner. The couple love cats so much they created Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum, where they display thousands of cat-related figurines from around the world. WPR producer — and...
01.05.2024
’32 Expatriates, Pakistanis and Indians’: Coming together over a game of cricket in Madison
Sports have a special way of bringing a diverse group of people together, even if the fans aren’t rooting for the same teams. Dr. Arif Ahmad reflects on a cricket tournament in Madison where the pre-game jitters were high. It...
01.03.2024
Skating into the past: A chilly adventure on the Milwaukee River
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...
12.29.2023
‘This is big, big stuff’: Cuban exile from La Crosse finally becomes US citizen
Ernesto Rodriguez of La Crosse, Wisconsin came to the state in the summer of 1980. That’s after making a treacherous journey on a fishing boat from Cuba to the United States during the mass exodus known as the Mariel boatlift....
12.27.2023
‘Food memories’: James Beard Semifinalist Jamie Hoang shines through family recipes at Ahan
Chef Jamie Hoang grew up loving spicy food, lime and cilantro. And that love and those flavors go into her recipes at Madison’s Ahan, a restaurant built on her culinary talent and Lao roots. Now, Hoang’s work is being recognized...
12.22.2023
‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ and its connection to Wisconsin
Did you know the first lyrics for the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” were published in London in 1780? Not only that, but in the northern counties of England, the song was often called the “Ten Days of Christmas,”...
12.20.2023
A miracle in Milwaukee: Oprah’s best Christmas
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey is known for so many things. There’s her long-running talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” her OWN TV Network and, of course, the massive giveaways. Oprah’s philanthropy extends far beyond TV show giveaways. Her deep need...
12.15.2023
Longing For Las Posadas
Las Posadas are an important part of the Christmas tradition in Mexico. These community celebrations take place on each of the nine nights leading up to Christmas from December 16th to the 24th. The word “posada” means inn or shelter...
12.13.2023
Small talk about the weather: A competitive sport in Wisconsin
Comedian Esteban Touma is taking time to reflect on cold weather in Wisconsin. Born and raised in Ecuador, the state’s severe winters have tested him. But, an even greater challenge for Touma has been acclimating to how much Wisconsinites like...
12.08.2023
Wisconsin 101: Synagogue Window of Sheboygan
In the early 20th century, millions of Jewish people fled Russia due to persecution and poor quality of life. Some of them ended up in Wisconsin. In Sheboygan, a former synagogue with an historic stained glass window acts as a...
12.06.2023
An awkward first date and a second chance: Falling in love with The Lakatos
Though Steve and Emily Lakatos of Green Bay, Wisconsin met in their 30s, they both found out that it’s near impossible to escape the awkwardness of a first date. And though it didn’t go as well as they hoped, the...
12.01.2023
Former WNBA star Janel McCarville returns to central Wisconsin high school to coach basketball
Janel McCarville’s WNBA career included plenty of highlights, including a championship in 2013. The 6-foot-2 center also played internationally in Italy, China and Sweden. Her playing career came to an end in early 2022. But then, she returned to her...
11.29.2023
Preserving a memory: A meditation on home and memorial benches
When someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness, how do we choose to preserve the memory of that person? Radio producer Alexandra Salmon and her mother-in-law Chris Thomas of Madison, Wisconsin have always been close. When Chris was recently diagnosed...
11.24.2023
‘Representation matters’: Educators collaborate to teach histories, cultures, sovereignty of First Nations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of 12 states that requires Native American content to be taught in schools. That prompted listener Maria Novotny to reach out to WPR’s WHYsconsin project, asking us how educators are teaching this in the classroom. As WPR’s...
11.22.2023
Tubas in Wisconsin: Getting down to brass tacks
We recently received a WHYsconsin question from Elizabeth Renner of Madison. She asked us, “Why are tubas such a prominent part of the UW-Madison band? And why are they so popular in the state of Wisconsin?” WPR’s Tim Peterson marched...
11.17.2023
Come opening day: A hunter’s reflection from the woods
Deer hunters across the state are gearing up for another gun season opener, with hopes of getting that big buck. For writer Ron Weber, it’s not about the catch, but the opportunity the day provides.
11.15.2023
Rebellious readers: Sisters reflect on their love of books
Beth Lo grew up spending most of her free time immersed in books. Now living with her sister Mai J.Lo Lee in Appleton, Wisconsin, she has come to find that her love for reading has had a positive influence on...
11.10.2023
Get lost: A motorcyclist’s guide to adventure
There’s the old saying “Not all who wander are lost.” This is certainly a motto that writer Ron Davis of Eau Claire lives by, especially if he’s out on the road on his motorcycle.
11.08.2023
Protecting the bats of the Kickapoo Caverns
Bats are an important part of Wisconsin’s wildlife. But over the last decade, a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome has devastated bat populations in the state and across the country. In rural Crawford County, a cave that once was a...
11.01.2023
Women behind the bar: A brief history of Wisconsin’s bartenders
Wisconsin has one of the highest concentrations of bartenders in the country, employing more than 24,000 bartenders. A good percentage of them are women. But as writer Patti See tells us, that hasn’t always been the case. She introduces us to some...
10.27.2023
‘Emily and the Haunting of the Orpheum Theater’: A radio drama
Spooky tales around Halloween have made their way into listeners’ ears across the country since, almost, the birth of radio. In the spirit of this long tradition, we bring you, “Emily and the Haunting of the Orpheum Theater,” created by...
10.25.2023
The amazing worlds of horror and sci-fi filmmaker Bert I. Gordon of Kenosha
Kenosha native and monster movie director Bert I. Gordon brought the world the legendary likes of the “Amazing Colossal Man,” “Village of the Giants” and “Attack of the Puppet People.” He worked with Orson Welles, Ron Howard and dozens of...

What's Wisconsin Life about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Wisconsin Life episodes:

Building community and finding purpose with Yazmin Lopez of Katharisma Cleaning

Wisconsin as the happiest state? Look to Norway!

Choose your own journalism adventure: Teaching media literacy with ‘Headlines and High Water’ video game

‘All power to the pregnant people’: Waukesha’s Tamara Thompson on life as a doula

Early mornings and the hard work ethic: Life on the farm with the Bordeleaus

Madison community organizer Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores on police accountability

Dear Abby, Ask Ann Landers and Eau Claire, Wisconsin

‘Nothing is impossible’: Madison’s Samantha Green driven by change and camping dreams

When one door closes, another one opens just down the road

Travel inspires tiny nail art painted by Katalina Sanchez of Graffiti Nail Salon

Jordan Schroeter on harnessing the power of his voice

Love of daughters, cooking fuels Angela Morgan of Food Junkies Catering

‘The fastest girl drummer in the world’: Celebrating Wisconsin’s Viola Smith

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Yellow: A Peek Into Wisconsin’s Quirky Margarine Laws

‘The Biggest Daydream’: Living Cancer-Free

‘That is how you turn hate into love’: Appleton’s Jesús Gregorio Smith for ‘Home Is Here’

Gwen Gillon’s fight for Civil Rights

Icy driveways and stranded drivers: Your valentine has been delayed in transit

‘I’m proud to be everything that I am’: A conversation about two-spirit, Indigenous identities

‘The Day The Music Died’: Buddy Holly and his final shows in Wisconsin

Food Traditions: Salt Fish Cakes

Food Traditions: Estrogonofe de Carne

Food Traditions: Mandaamin Naboob

A winter night poker game played in the backyard

A piece of the Pack: Green Bay Packers fans on ‘owning’ the team

Breaking bread: An morning adventure in baking

Snowboarding with the older boys: A parent’s lesson on letting go

Cold-Smoking Sausage Tradition Continues in Marathon County

Preserving collections and saving cats: Inside Redner’s Rescued Cat Figurine Mewseum

’32 Expatriates, Pakistanis and Indians’: Coming together over a game of cricket in Madison

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

‘This is big, big stuff’: Cuban exile from La Crosse finally becomes US citizen

‘Food memories’: James Beard Semifinalist Jamie Hoang shines through family recipes at Ahan

‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ and its connection to Wisconsin

A miracle in Milwaukee: Oprah’s best Christmas

Longing For Las Posadas

Small talk about the weather: A competitive sport in Wisconsin

Wisconsin 101: Synagogue Window of Sheboygan

An awkward first date and a second chance: Falling in love with The Lakatos

Former WNBA star Janel McCarville returns to central Wisconsin high school to coach basketball

Preserving a memory: A meditation on home and memorial benches

‘Representation matters’: Educators collaborate to teach histories, cultures, sovereignty of First Nations in Wisconsin

Tubas in Wisconsin: Getting down to brass tacks

Come opening day: A hunter’s reflection from the woods

Rebellious readers: Sisters reflect on their love of books

Get lost: A motorcyclist’s guide to adventure

Protecting the bats of the Kickapoo Caverns

Women behind the bar: A brief history of Wisconsin’s bartenders

‘Emily and the Haunting of the Orpheum Theater’: A radio drama

The amazing worlds of horror and sci-fi filmmaker Bert I. Gordon of Kenosha