August 2020

Photo from Dosha Joi's Facebook

On Air & Online Remembering Those We've Lost

In the second week of August, Wisconsin passed a sobering threshold: there have now been more than 1,000 deaths in the state due to COVID-19. WPR reporters highlighted a few of the victims' stories, including 28-year-old foster youth advocate Dosha "DJay" Joi, pictured above in a selfie he took at Lake Michigan in 2019. Read about Mary and Wilford Kepler of Wauwatosa, who were married for 74 years and died just hours apart, and more stories at wpr.org/coronavirus-in-wisconsin.

Aurelie Marrier D'Unienville/Tommy Trenchard for NPR

Zip Zap Circus Brings A Heart To The Big Top

Take a minute for something lighter, and marvel at the dramatic pictures accompanying this NPR story about a circus in Cape Town, South Africa and one of its last pre-COVID performances.

This piece comes from NPR’s “Goats and Soda: Stories of Life in a Changing World.” Another uplifting story from the series is about people from all over the world contributing their ideas for better living in the pandemic, including an art curator's backyard gallery and a window puppet theater.

A. Reuter

Behind The Scenes Meet WPR Photojournalist Angela Major

Did you catch the stunning pictures in this piece on dairy farmers weighing the presidential candidates’ appeals? Or this one on the joys of Kenosha baseball? Or this profile of Milwaukee Black Lives Matter activists? Those images are thanks to WPR’s new photojournalist Angela Major (pictured). She joined WPR in June, after five years at the Janesville Gazette.

Angela's been traveling the state alongside WPR broadcast reporters, as well as doing some trips on her own. “One thing I’m learning,” she said, “is to be mindful of my camera’s shutter clicks. They can disrupt the sounds the reporters are capturing. But like them, I’m listening for opportunities, and capturing the news visually however I can.” In her career in professional photojournalism, she's been in some interesting spots. “I once photographed a pilot from the seat of his open cockpit airplane mid-flight,” she said. “It doesn’t get much more exciting than that.”

Image courtesy of PBS WI

Around Wisconsin Join The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show From Anywhere

While there’s no in-person event this year, quilters from all over can join PBS Wisconsin for the Great Wisconsin Quilt Show, a free virtual experience Sept. 10-12. Register now to learn new skills like making photographic quilts and creating harmonious color palettes. You can also view interactive quilt exhibits and get an exclusive preview of PBS Wisconsin’s documentary on the late beloved Zieman of “Sewing with Nancy.”

This year's Great Wisconsin Quilt Show is free, but you must register to participate. Visit QuiltShow.com to reserve your spot and explore the event schedule now.

Photo courtesy of StoryCorps Still Time To Register To Record With StoryCorps

WPR is pleased to partner with StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative to record stories of Wisconsin veterans, service members and their families. Seeking representation from all branches and eras, WPR is especially interested in recording Black, Latinx, Native American, Hmong/Lao, and LGBTQ+ veteran or service member stories to include in the MVI project.

Have a story you want to record or know a Wisconsin veteran who might be interested? Recordings will be done online, from home. Learn more and schedule online now on the StoryCorps reservations page, or call 1-800-850-4406. English & Spanish assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Appointments are available from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4.

Soundbites NPR's Cokie Roberts Inducted Into

Longtime NPR political reporter and commentator Cokie Roberts, who died in 2019, has been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. She was known as a "founding mother" of NPR, a brilliant observer of Congress, and a trailblazing role model for women in journalism.

The Sacred Sound Of Santeria

The sacred music of Santeria, the Yoruba-Roman Catholic syncretic religion of Cuba, takes the spotlight in “The Odyssey Series” of musical vignettes this month. Listen to Dr. Jonathan Overby, host of “The Road To Higher Ground,” explain the roots of the music, and its surprising ties to an iconic American TV star of the 1950s.

Send In Your WPRA Ballot

The deadline to vote in the 2020 WPRA Board of Directors Election is Aug. 24. Members who have given in the last year are eligible to vote, and should have received a ballot with voting instructions by mail or email. Please call Audience Services with questions: 800- 747-7444.

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