Karl Christenson
Karl Christenson is a producer at Wisconsin Public Radio. He enjoys taking his family on cross-country holiday road trips to theme parks and eating bologna sandwiches and parking in the last spot so he can get out of there first.
Latest Contributed Stories
November 8, 2022
Madison’s Ricardo Gonzalez and the Cuban Salsa Band
(This story is an excerpt from the podcast, “WPR Reports: Uprooted.”) Ricardo Gonzalez was 12 years old the day the Cuban Revolution prevailed and Fidel Castro took power. Gonzalez grew ...
June 9, 2022
Finding stillness in the storm: Family camping in the best and worst of times
Taking the kids camping usually sounds like a great idea, until it’s not. Author BJ Hollars brings us a story about the trials and triumphs of the family camping trip. ...
April 19, 2022
‘Community gratitude’: Lessons learned on the road to cancer recovery
Taking notice and being thankful for the family and community we have around us often occurs when we’re facing our most difficult circumstances. Jan Larson brings us an essay about ...
March 8, 2022
Madison musician connects with his heritage and father by archiving Ho-Chunk recordings
Clint Greendeer is a Madison-based musician and member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. A few years ago, his family member found an old box of cassette tapes belonging to Greendeer's late ...
February 24, 2022
Comedian Charlie Berens writes best-selling book about surviving in the Midwest
Wisconsin comedian and host of the "Manitowoc Minute," Charlie Berens is at it again; this time with his first book landing on the New York Times best-sellers list. WPR "BETA" host ...
December 23, 2021
Conjuring The Ghost Of Christmas Past
Just in time for the holidays author BJ Hollars brings us a Christmas story about an Eau Claire newspaper’s determination to preserve the community’s faith in Santa Claus. == Conjuring ...
December 21, 2021
Kitchen Dance: A Parent’s Legacy
Have you ever been at a wedding and caught a glimpse of your parents slow dancing? Maybe you marveled…or maybe you cringed, but I’m willing to bet you felt…something. Jan ...
October 28, 2021
Lessons From The Ghost In My Room: A Story From Ex Fabula
Everyone likes a good ghost story, especially around this time of year. Dorothy Malone of Milwaukee shared a childhood encounter with the supernatural at Ex Fabula's StorySlam 'Identity' event held ...
September 30, 2021
Finding Yourself With The Neighborhood Crew: A Story From Ex Fabula
As a kid, knocking around the neighborhood with your friends can be a formative time. The experiences from those years can resonate for decades. Matthew Lewis of Milwaukee shared a ...
September 23, 2021
Tomahawk Circle: An Ojibwe Family Band
For the members of Tomahawk Circle, playing in a rural family band is a labor of love. Founded in 2006, the Lac Du Flambeau Ojibwe drum group got its name ...
August 24, 2021
The Beast Of The East Hill: An Urban Wildlife Tracking Expedition
Was it a badger? Was it a bobcat? Or was it just an abnormally large, trash-eating house cat? Author BJ Hollars of Eau Claire tells the story of his family’s ...
June 3, 2021
Wisconsin Comedian Charlie Hill Continues To Inspire Generations Of Indigenous People
Comedian Charlie Hill grew up in Oneida, Wisconsin watching his favorite comics get laughs on late night TV. He eventually ended up as a 30-year regular at The Comedy Store, ...
March 4, 2021
Wisconsin’s Libby Riddles: The First Woman To Win The Iditarod
Since 1973, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race has brought together humans and dogs. They work together traversing nearly 1000 miles of brutal conditions across the frozen landscapes of the ...
January 19, 2021
Bean Soup: Navigating Politics With Family
Believe it or not, not everyone agrees when it comes to politics. And in the current political climate those differences are especially amplified when trying to have these discussions with ...
November 17, 2020
A Place Called Deer Camp: A Wisconsin Cabin’s Transformation
For many Wisconsinites, deer hunting is more than just a seasonal hobby. It’s an opportunity to slow things down for a bit and take some time to enjoy the outdoors ...
October 6, 2020
Driving Lessons: Navigating Roundabouts And Reconnecting With Oshkosh
Author Crystal Chan has lived in Chicago for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has brought her back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to reconnect with her family. She shares a story of ...
August 20, 2020
Fine Print: Lessons From A Family Company
Running a family business can instill pride and a valuable work ethic that circulates through the household. Wisconsin writer Nancy Jorgensen shares a story about her father, Quentin Smirl, and ...
June 16, 2020
‘I Am Terrified For His Life’: A Mother’s Love And Worry For Her Black Son
There are parents in Wisconsin who fear for the future of their Black sons. That's no different for storyteller Takeyla Benton of Madison, who wishes others would see her son ...
March 12, 2020
Cloud Eating: The Power Of Homemade Tortillas
Many of us have strong memories tied to making food with our families. Writer Araceli Esparza shares a poem about the bonds that are nurtured while making fresh, fluffy tortillas ...
January 22, 2020
Fola And Haley: A Friendship Story
There’s a national fellowship program that brings young, African leaders to college campuses across the U.S. UW-Madison is one of the schools that partners with the Mandela Washington Fellowship. The ...
November 6, 2019
The Hello Girls Of WWI: Heroes On The Front Lines
Way before cell phones, there were these things called telephones. And in the early days, a telephone call required a switchboard operator to make the connection. Writer Meg Jones tells ...
October 23, 2019
Actor Mark Proksch Is A Master Of The Mundane
If you’re a fan of “The Office,” “Better Call Saul,” or the comedy horror series, “What We Do in the Shadows,” you’ve probably seen Mark Proksch. A native of Onalaska, ...
July 10, 2019
Preserving India’s Folk Music Roots On Vinyl
Ankur Malhotra splits his time between Madison, Wisconsin and New Delhi India, where he runs Amarrass Records. It’s an independent record label that produces vinyl releases from a range of ...
June 14, 2019
What Do All The Symbols On The Wisconsin State Flag Mean?
Here’s a classic joke: A miner, a sailor and a badger walk into a busy bar. Actually, it’s not a bar…it’s the Wisconsin state flag. Dive in to find out ...
April 12, 2019
Parenting, Prom, And The Packers
The smell of heavy cologne, hairspray, and nervous energy in the air can only mean one thing: it's prom season. As high schoolers across Wisconsin worry about who to ask and ...
March 27, 2019
QWERTY: Milwaukee’s Typing Legacy
If you’re near a computer keyboard, take a look at the first six letters on the upper row and you’ll find: Q-W-E-R-T-Y…or…qwerty. So who decided how the letters on our ...
December 28, 2018