Ever feel like you’re constantly battling garden invaders? Dealing with the weeds, bugs, and critters can be a never-ending, daunting task. Or, you can roll with it, just like author BJ Hollars and his family.
Wisconsin is home to many firsts. The first blender, the first typewriter, and even malted milk was developed and introduced to the world right here in the dairy state. Two Rivers is the home of the first ever ice cream sundae. Well that last one is debated by some. Dean Robbins explains.
The pandemic has been hard on many parents. For N’Jameh Russell-Camara of Milwaukee, her parenting started earlier than she expected, when a pregnancy related illness sent her to the emergency room during the height of the pandemic. Russell-Camara shares her experience as part of the Pandemic Pregnancy Project, which is documenting the stories of families and their babies and how they’ve been affected by COVID-19.
Writer Crystal Chan loves to cook. During the pandemic, she traveled home often, enjoying long stays with her parents. To show her gratitude, she would cook delicious and comforting dishes for family dinner. She shares a story celebrating the labor of love that goes into making a great pot of stew.
There are few fishermen like Mike Valley left on the Mississippi River. Valley is a third generation fisherman, the work is in his blood. He’s one of the many people who have fished this water for more than a thousand years. WPR’s Mary Kate McCoy brings you more.
Summer camps are a big deal in Wisconsin. Whether it’s playing sharks and minnows, roasting marshmallows while sitting around a bonfire, or tying off a completed friendship bracelet, summer camp activities have bonded youth together for years — and sometimes even generations.
Many of us reach a point in life when it’s our turn to take care of our parents. That was the case for Hedi Lamarr Rudd, whose father, LaVelle, had an enormous impact on her life and left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him. She shared their story at the UW Continuing Studies Writers’ Institute. WPR’s Tyler Ditter produced this story.
Finding forgiveness is deeply personal. Sometimes, it’s easy to forgive someone who’s wronged you and move on. Other times, the road to forgiveness is long and bumpy. But what if forgiveness isn’t an option? Writer Deshawn McKinney of Milwaukee is exploring this in his new, debut collection of poetry, “father forgive me” from Black Sunflowers Poetry Press. He shares one poem from that book, “On Forgiveness.”
There’s a rumor that Rib Mountain in central Wisconsin is an extinct volcano. It seems somewhat reasonable…You can see it from miles away, it has a conical shape and there are volcanic rocks all over the city of Wausau. Well, it’s not. It never was. And although it does have ties to ancient volcanoes, the star of Rib Mountain’s story is a rock too tough to break. WPR’s Liz Dohms-Harter reports.
When WPR producer Steve Gotcher’s daughter, Erika, was a little girl, she started a tradition of sending him letters on pieces of birch bark. Recently, they sat down and talked about how and why it began.