Wisconsin Life

Wisconsin Public Radio

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

  • Remembering when The Fendermen took Stoughton to the top of the charts
    What are some of your early rock ‘n’ roll  memories? For Stoughton’s Bill Amundson, his hit REALLY close to home — when Stoughton’s very own “One Hit Wonders,” The Fendermen, rehearsed in a garage down the street from his home. WPR’s Brad Kolberg produced this story.
    17 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • Meet the real John Wick of Mazomanie, Wisconsin
    You know the action movie character John Wick? The assassin who avenges the death of his dog? Well, did you know the real John Wick lives in Wisconsin? Matt Geiger introduces us to him.
    15 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • Motherhood: Reigniting a love for bedtime stories one book at a time
    In a tribute to one of her favorite activities as a new mom, WPR’s Jenny Peek gives us an ode to the bedtime story. She tells us how becoming a mom reignited a love for children’s books she has been missing since she was little.
    10 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • From Elvis to NASA: Reliving unique childhood memories with The Fahertys
    There are memories that you hold dear to your heart, knowing you’ll never experience those often simple moments again. Change can feel so gradual that when you look back, you forget just how drastic it can really be. Pat Faherty of Milwaukee talked with husband, Dennis, about those kinds of memories, from life as a kid in cities like Memphis and Jacksonville, Florida. The couple talked about their experience with StoryCorps.
    8 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • Little known truths about lilies of the valley
    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.
    3 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • Costumes, comedy and cabins: The Wisconsin roots of the critically-acclaimed film ‘Hundreds of Beavers’
    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.
    1 May 2024, 10:00 am
  • The Wisconsin e-Pilgrims: Finding community during the eclipse
    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.
    26 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • ‘The spring renewal Jew’: Father reflects on family and faith while celebrating Passover
    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.
    24 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 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 five other women working to build community and better themselves in southern Wisconsin.
    19 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 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 overseas.
    17 April 2024, 10:00 am
  • 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 us, a video game created by UW-Madison’s Field Day Labs aims to teach students to become more media literate and what it takes to be a journalist.
    10 April 2024, 10:00 am
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