It’s the time of year when I knew I would really miss Wisconsin. I moved away last August, acknowledging the fact that summers in Virginia would be a lot hotter, and easy access to the rich cultural life of music, ethnic, and arts festivals, food trucks, and outdoor adventures in lakes and rivers would become cherished memories of my three decades in the Midwest. There’s lots to do and see in my new home, but there really is something special about Wisconsin.
In the upper Midwest, snowy winters offer an abundance of recreational options. But there is also that natural urge to hibernate, to hunker down with a good book, or slow-cook a hearty bowl of soup accompanied by a warm and buttery hunk of fresh-baked bread. Then, when the daffodils bloom and the asparagus piles up at the farmers’ market, there’s a feeling of anticipation and knowing that the warmer weather, the bulging gardens, and the head-spinning number of goings-on are not simply expected: they are earned!
The summer issue you are reading offers a lovely reflection of this richness and diversity of Wisconsin life. The Wisconsin Idea is alive and well in the lab, the classroom, and the artistic endeavors of geneticist and cell biologist Ahna Skop, who leads our announcement of the Academy’s class of 2024 fellows with a cover profile of her life and work. We also remember the artistic legacy of the great Truman Lowe, as well as the contemporary impact of Latino/a/x artists organizing and engaging in communities throughout the state.
In addition, we learn about the economic impact of our horseradish industry (this was news to me!) and celebrate another wonderful batch of fiction and poetry from our award-winning writers. I was especially moved by Holly Hilliard’s story, “Zugunruhe,” a tale of a young ecologist who is dedicated to his conservation work at a Wisconsin nature preserve but comes to understand—like the butterflies and birds he is tending to—the natural urge to move on. Zugunruhe is a German word meaning migratory restlessness. Having recently experienced my own zugunruhe, I resonated with Hilliard’s story on a cellular level.
Happy reading, and I hope you are enjoying the heck out of another beautiful Wisconsin summer!
