A book club is a great way to build community—bringing people together around shared interests, while also introducing them to new perspectives and ideas.

Today, Bill Tishler hosts his inaugural episode centered on community. Tishler, who is also a local elected official, has been hosting book clubs in his district. On today's episode, four area residents join him in the WORT studio to share their thoughts on recent book clubs they participated in this year and how the books they read raised awareness about issues in our city.

In this hour, Tishler is joined by Joe Grande, Water Resources Manager at Madison Water Utility; Patrick Cunningham, best known as Madison’s beloved children’s entertainer Pogie the Yogie; Amani Latimer Burris, who recently served as an elected official; and Ben Varick, a Youth Programs Manager for the Wisconsin Bike Fed.

The books discussed included The Art of Community: Seven Principles for Belonging by Charles Vogle (Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2016); Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (Houghton Mifflin, 1962); and Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies Our Transportation System by Wes Marshall (Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2024).

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. discusses vaccines, sperm count, fluoride, and autism in a wide-ranging Friday Buzz interview with Andy Moore.

Micah Robinson and Lily Someson share the mission behind Baldwin’s Books and Records, Madison’s first Black and trans-owned pop-up bookstore.

UW Professor Mike Wagner discusses the political defunding of vaccine research and misinformation studies on today’s Friday Buzz.

On the Friday 8 O'Clock Buzz, Ankur Malholtra shares his picks for the best music events happening around Madison the next week.

Ian Marsden is the owner and mind behind Turtle Island Dispensary here in Madison, Wisconsin. He shares his passion for exploring the corners of the mind as a business owner as well as supporting indigenous rights and fighting the Enbridge pipeline.

Ian, Codename Moon Turtle, is knowledgeable about the hemp and psychedelic side of Wisconsin. He joins mad scientist host Wally in the WORT studio on 4/17/2025.

Public domain image from Franz Eugen Köhler's Medizinal-Pflantzen. Published and copyrighted by Gera-Untermhaus, FE Köhler in 1887 (1883–1914).

The United Nations Association, also known as UNA-USA, is an advocacy network that uses community-based programming to advance the United Nations’ mission. They have more than 200 local chapters across the country.

The Dane County chapter is hosting their second annual Women’s Summit next Saturday, May 3rd. This year’s theme: “Women at the Crossroads.”

Our News Producer Faye Parks sat down with Mary Rathbun, the chapter’s gender equity lead, and Debbie Kaddu Serwadda, a new member, to learn how they’re approaching global challenges with local action.

Image courtesy: Don Sutherland via Flickr.

This week on Transparency Talk, hosts Bill Lueders and Tom Kamenick discuss the most recent batch of letters released by the Office of Open Government, as well as some of the pitfalls of the current correspondence system.

Jennifer Loewenstein by WORT 89.9FM Madison

On today’s A Public Affair we’re honoring the life and legacy of Bob McChesney who passed away on March 25. In addition to being a renowned academic and activist who fiercely advocated for independent media, McChesney was also a host on this show. In this episode from 1997, he interviews Allen Ruff about his first book, “We Called Each Other Comrade”: Charles H. Kerr & Company, Radical Publishers.