Essay
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Old friends
‘But what young person thinks about their later years? Who thinks a conversation with an older person about their losses and challenges sounds like fun?’ Read more
Selfie truths
‘So that desire — to see, be seen, decide where we belong and document it — existed long before the quick-shot world of today.’ Read more
Dec 10, 2024
The “A” word
“I didn’t mind the checkout guy’s patter. It was rote, but not meaningless. It gave a rhythm to our interaction, moved things along.” Read more
Nov 11, 2024
Letter from a childless cat lady
In this month’s essay, Rebecca Jamieson declares “I’m a childless cat lady who cares about our future.” Read more
Oct 7, 2024
What’s the rush?
“Listening to slow talkers can indeed be exasperating. Fast talkers sometimes try to finish our sentences, occasionally helpful when a word is hard to recall, but also annoying.” Read more
Sep 12, 2024
There once was a tree that lived on top of the factory
“Garver Feed Mill wasn’t always a nice spot to take your family or get some work done. It was once an abandoned building, but one that teemed with life, a playground for those brave enough to enter.” Read more
Aug 7, 2024
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
Jun 11, 2024
8:00 AM
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
8:00 AM
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
8:00 AM
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
8:00 AM
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
8:00 AM
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
8:00 AM
In the December issue
Control of Wisconsin Supreme Court is again at stake in pivotal election
Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring after 30 years on the high court. Most likely the contest for her seat will pit Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge, against former Attorney General Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County judge. Read more
Annie Forest is building a fitness business around vulnerability and community
It's all about stacking successes at this gym that gives people a sense of safety and ease. Read more
The year in Madison restaurant openings and closings — and relocations
Perhaps the most exciting restaurant news was not about an opening but a move — Mint Mark left its small quarters in Schenk’s Corners for a space in The Eastern. Read more
Anti-fluoride activists target Wisconsin cities
Members of a growing anti-fluoridation movement have prompted at least nine Wisconsin municipalities to remove fluoride from their drinking water this year. Read more
A retreat where nature is the guide
“The throughline of all these retreats is quiet, time with the land, and time with oneself,” says Pam Shellberg of Holy Wisdom. The first retreat, Winter Rest, on Jan. 10-11, is full, but looking forward there’s three more. Read more
