Wisconsin Life

For some the thought of descending into the depths of a dark, tight cave is the stuff of nightmares. For Robert Root of Waukesha, the challenge of facing that fear was a journey he needed to take in Chilton, Wisconsin. This story has been turning into an animation in the newest season of PBS Wisconsin’s “Wisconsin Life.”

When you think about a cocktail that embodies Wisconsin, what comes to mind? We posed that question to a few bartenders across Wisconsin and these were their responses.

Dia de los Muertos is a day for people to come together and remember their loved ones who have passed. They may set up ofrendas, or altars, with photos, flowers and food. Poet and Milwaukee native Karl Michael Iglesias explores how Latinos manage their grief during this season through his poem, “The Altar.” It’s part of his forthcoming collection of poems called, “The Bounce.”

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 WPR’s senior spooky correspondent  A. Emily Ralph.

We received a WHYsconsin question from an audience member about a legendary Wisconsin athlete. They asked, “Can you give an update on Wisconsin native and former New York Yankees shortstop and NBC baseball announcer Tony Kubek?” You bet we can!

Most of us wouldn’t think twice about cutting down an old evergreen that has grown more brown than green. But for writer and forester Ron Weber, the bark of one old blue spruce holds more than just the life of a tree.

When Ernesto Rodriguez of La Crosse was 24 years old, he left the only home he’d ever known: Cuba. He, along with 125,000 of his fellow Cubans, hopped on boats bound for the United States in 1980. They were part of the mass exodus known as the Mariel Boatlift, a rare moment when President Fidel Castro allowed residents to leave the island. And after he was sent to Fort McCoy, he moved in the Brandstetter family in Sparta, Wisconsin.

Erne’s story is featured on the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”

In the Wisconsin Historical Society collection, there’s a dark, surreal black and red banner. It’s painted with a chaotic collection of eyes and mouths seemingly calling out to the bold word above them: SMART. This banner served as a backdrop in the legendary Smart Studios in Madison beginning in the early 1980s. It’s a space that recorded iconic Wisconsin bands, like Killdozer and Die Kreuzen, and eventually rock n’ roll legends like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Heewone Lim brings us the story of this unique piece of art that once hung in Smart Studios. The “SMART” banner is part of the Wisconsin 101 project, which tells the history of the state through objects.

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.

When Alexandra Rosas of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, was growing up, her mother, Leonor Pinzon de Rosas, worked three jobs to provide for her six children. Alexandra wished she could see her more. In her mother’s final months in hospice, Alexandra finally got her wish for them to spend time together. But her mom had a wish, too, and Alexandra had to find the courage to respect that wish. The following story was told on Oct. 27, 2017 at The Moth during an open-mic StorySLAM in Madison where the theme of the night was “Fish Out of Water.”