Essay
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Teacher’s lounge
“That’s when I decided that the teachers’ lounge is like a cruise ship where, once you get into international waters, you can do anything you want.” Read more
Climbing the rock
“Hidden from sight, I was on my own. Standing on the relatively flat base of the rock, I gazed at the ocean, the endless surge of water so lonely and awe-inspiring.” Read more
May 8, 2024
The blood-stained wedding dress
Our friends came over for a costume party — we still had a basement full of liquor from our wedding to get rid of—and we proudly showed off our costumes, including the bloodstains.’ Read more
Apr 13, 2024
Walk this way
‘The isolation I’d sought near the edge of town began to feel a bit too isolating. I chafed at the need to hop in my car nearly any time I wanted to meet up with friends.’ Read more
Mar 13, 2024
Anxious in the liquor store
“It wasn’t that hard, but it stopped being fun at some point. Soon I noticed the smell of wine on my mom’s breath when she would lament to me about ‘being too sick to do anything.’ I was young, not stupid.” Read more
Feb 6, 2024
Warm blanket
”My presence at the desk was, in fact, both an affirmative action initiative and a desperate ploy to address dwindling enrollment.” Read more
Jan 10, 2024
Tiny Tiger, big love
“When I met No. 72631, he sat on the far edge of a desk in a meeting room and stared at me. Slowly, he inched closer. Closer. I offered him Easy Cheese on the tip of my finger. It was the first time I’d felt the warm, rough tongue of a cat.” Read more
Dec 12, 2023
A bowl of many parts
"At our house, my son Hollis, 10, is responsible for taking out the recycling. He’s not super into it. But when we started wondering whether we could make cool stuff out of our own plastic waste, the job got more interesting." Read more
Nov 10, 2023
8:00 AM
52 decibels
“It’s a simple fact that humans create noise, both naturally and via technology. As I write this I’m listening to a Bach violin concerto (52 decibels). It’s a pleasant noise, but noise nonetheless.” Read more
Oct 11, 2023
8:00 AM
Five things
“Adding to the sense of dread is the suspicion that this is the ‘new normal,’ to use a phrase we’ve all come to hate. You don’t like it this hot? Well, it’s only going to get worse, we’re told.” Read more
Sep 17, 2023
8:00 AM
Caregiving 101
“My mother was often confused, sometimes frightened. And there I was — a warm, calm, familiar presence, smiling and putting my arm around her, making her feel safe. It was so easy and made such a big difference.” Read more
Aug 14, 2023
8:00 AM
A fork in the road
“As a physician, I make recommendations to patients but personally, I have never had to make such mortifying decisions…. As physicians, we aren’t any more equipped to make those decisions than patients who go through them.” Read more
Jul 12, 2023
8:00 AM
Peter Rambo
The power of one
“I had known for a long time that I couldn’t read. But when my teachers told my parents that I struggled with reading, my parents never believed them.” Read more
Jun 9, 2023
8:00 AM
In the June/SummerTimes issue
Pedal, paddle, proceed to Paoli
Investments in restoring this historic Dane County community are paying off Read more
Journalist scores win in lawsuit over public employee gag rule
In an apparent first, a journalist has successfully sued a public agency over its policy prohibiting employees from speaking to reporters without permission. Read more
Election denialist ties up courts
Peter Bernegger has filed some 20 cases charging elections officials with fraud. All that have been adjudicated have been dismissed in court. He also faces a $10,000 fine or more than three years in prison in an ongoing criminal case. Read more
Get thee to an outdoor theater production
Despite the possible impediments of unexpected downpours, swarms of mosquitoes, and the occasional threatening bat, there is something magical about watching the (metaphorical) curtain rise as the sun sets. Read more
Behind the Isthmus cover: June 2024
Madison-based designer and illustrator Christina King says she has an ‘unhealthy obsession with chairs,’ with two vintage lawn chairs among her collection. The humble lawn chair stars in her June 2024 Isthmus cover illustration. Read more
