This week on "Wisconsin Life": Meet a couple with a special connection to the North Pole, a Wisconsin scholar ready to take on the world, a woman who finds big joy in a tiny form of art, and a retiree who's found rhythm. It's all ahead on "Wisconsin Life!" Funding for "Wisconsin Life" is provided in part by Alliant Energy, Lowell and Mary Peterson and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television. Hello and welcome to "Wisconsin Life". I'm your host, Angela Fitzgerald. Today we're going to explore the life of Lorine Niedecker. A world-famous poet from right here in Wisconsin. Her story begins on Blackhawk Island. Located southwest of Fort Atkinson, Blackhawk Island runs along the Rock River which feeds into beautiful Lake Koshkonong. The area scenery here is stunning. I can see how Lorine found her inspiration for her vivid and artistic poetry. In a bit we'll explore Lorine's home here, which is normally not open to the public. But before we do, our team heads off to Pewaukee to meet a husband and wife who hired another pretty famous couple to raise spirits of the young and old.
bells jingling
holiday music
chattering in background
Hi Emma, how are you? Good. Would you like to tell Santa what you'd like for Christmas? Books. A guitar. A guitar? A real guitar? Every year, boys and girls around the globe are excited to tell one of Santa's helpers what they want for Christmas. Do you want a gumball machine? - I want a gumball machine. You do, too? But once a year, a handful of children around Pewaukee are lucky enough to meet "the" Santa and Mrs. Claus. He loves it if somebody leaves him cookies and a little milk. We're going to bring something else. Yeah, something hot. John Nugent knows it's the real Santa and Mrs. Claus because he hired them. I was fortunate to be the 4th generation in the Nugent family to be in the temporary help business. John is in the temporary staffing industry's hall of fame and not just because a couple decades ago he found Santa Claus for one of the biggest temp jobs of the season. -We had an order from the Robert E. Johnson Cookie Company. They were interested in having a Santa and a couple of elves for a Christmas party for the employees' children. Just like magic, Santa showed up and said, "I can help!" Ruth Nugent turned out to be an even more important hire by John. Mostly because she was never temporary. They met at John's company and married in 1986. I want the American Girl doll "Lea." Soon Mrs. Claus was showing up with Santa. I think Mrs. Claus said, "It's time that I get to meet some of the children and get to really feel the joy of Christmas from firsthand." You guys are seven years old? But how do the kids know it's the real Santa and Mrs. Claus? They know the difference between the real Santa and Santa's helpers that are in the mall. If they weren't real, how would they know the name of each child's "Elf on a Shelf?" Yeah, the elf is telling me all these things. That's why I write them down. Or things that happened over the summer. Did you go camping in Dubuque with your grandma and grandpa? Mm-hmm. How in the world would anybody know except the real Santa? John and Ruth say Santa and Mrs. Claus keep coming back each season because they enjoy the work. Santa loves to see people happy and feel like he's contributing to that happiness to some extent. That joy is within them. And if that isn't there, then our life is kind of... flat. Merry Christmas. Hi there, Santa. How are 'ya? Good. How are you? Real good. - Hello! That joy is why Santa and Mrs. Claus visit people of all ages. Thank you so much for such a nice welcome. It's wonderful to be back here at Oak Hills Terrace. They always wanted to touch the elderly because they don't get touched enough. I hear you've been a good girl this year. I have been a very good girl. You could see that they hadn't sat on Santa's lap for a long time and it brought up their childhood. It brought back memories for them. Well I didn't think I'd be with Santa. Oh boy, well... How lucky can I get? Sure, there you go. While Santa and Mrs. Claus have brought joy to the elderly and the ill, they themselves don't get sick. Oh, I don't think so. - No. I don t think they get sick. Not that we've ever heard, no. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Ruth and John. Yeah, I had cancer 11 years ago. And it was in remission, and just notified this fall that the cancer came back and it's Stage IV in my bones. I was very nervous when I found out Ruth's diagnosis. They have the same Christmas wish for Santa. I've talked to Santa and said, "If I'm supposed to have this, help me to have the joy to live while I'm here." Okay, good. - Thank you. You're welcome. Each day is special. Each day is a blessing. Merry Christmas to you. - Merry Christmas to you. Thank you. - Many, many, many more. Thank you. John and Ruth hope to know Santa and Mrs. Claus for years to come, You're getting to be a big guy. Hey, Maxin. But if that doesn't happen, they will cherish the time they had. I think it's been a real blessing to be able to have met the real Mr. and Mrs. Claus. It's just been a great joy to be able to meet them and we feel very blessed. Lorine Niedecker was born in 1903, here on Blackhawk Island and spent most of her childhood outdoors. Her love of nature would become a huge inspiration to her poetry in the future. After attending college in Beloit, she returned to Blackhawk Island to care for her mother. She wrote many of her early works of poetry right here in this modest cottage. Lorine moved to Milwaukee after marrying, but when her parents died, she inherited a piece of land and eventually built this summer home. As you can see, the house has been raised due to the heavy flooding the area sees in the spring. One of the most intriguing things about Lorine is that while she spent most of her life writing poetry and published four books, many of her closest friends and relatives didn't even know that she wrote poetry. I'm heading into town to learn more about Lorine, right after we watch this next story. While her work wasn't widely known during her lifetime, the modern-day wordsmith, in our next story, is already well on his way to making a name for himself. I'm going to just start throwing you questions. What lessons have you learned positive or negative from the experience at UW? There are people who are chasing greatness and I think I have a bit of that in me. There are other people who are just doing the work and fighting and I have that side of me, too. I'm Deshawn McKinney. I'm a ball of a lot of things. I'm a student. I'm a fourth-year student. I'm here at UW, creative writing major. I'm an organizer, an activist. I'm a PEOPLE Scholar. I'm a First Wave scholar. So First Wave is a hip hop arts scholarship program. We have dancers, rappers, singers, graffiti artists. In a lot of ways, it's a gateway to college for students. You don't have to major in art or creative writing or music or anything. Once you're here, you can major in anything you want,
but it allows you to one
come to college
and two
continue your art while you're in college.
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Deshawn McKinney from...
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...up to the microphone. So you don't have to sacrifice any piece of yourself just to try to succeed in life.
rapping at poetry slam
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Star scholar that was me. My momma was a nebulous. She ain't never touched a college class. She would clash with y'all but maybe that's the reason we grew up without the wherewithal. I think a lot of the reason that I'm comfortable in the public eye in my convictions is because of my training as a performer. All of that stuff is wrapped up in First Wave, so it was crucial for me.
performing poetry
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If it wasn't for these classes in which I get distracted, you wouldn't get these classics at all, yo.
cheers and applause
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My hometown is Milwaukee. I grew up on the north side of Milwaukee. I have two older brothers. Life was tough. At times, you know, lonely. We weren't really raised. We just kind of grew up. I grew up living with our grandmother and we didn't get to experience a lot of things that kids typically experience. I don't think I'd ever been to a birthday party, didn't get to hang out with friends too much. We never had a family vacation or anything like that. We mostly just knew the north side, mostly just our neighborhood. She was trying to shield us from the world. Like dealing with my dad and alcoholism or seeing my mother go through abusive relationships. I know what the bottom is like. I know what it feels like. I know what it tastes like. I know what it smells like. Nobody likes being in the hood. Nobody likes growing up in the ghetto. We all want better. It was a turbulent time. But I think it-- through that fire I was forged into something really strong. Life on campus is pretty good for me. I have friends. I have people who love me. I'm doing things I want to be doing. By and large it's-- my campus experience is really good. I'm the president of the Wisconsin Union this year. Historically it's been a white male dominated space and the union is supposed to be serving all of its members. And you look at the 43,000 students on campus, they don't just look like the white students, even if that is the majority. It's been a lot of work but I think it's been rewarding. If we can add the position and just add the... I want to continue to diversify the space. I think we did a really good job with that this year. I feel pretty secure in the path that I'm on and I think that good things are coming. I applied for the Marshall to go to the London School of Economics for a master of public policy and administration and a master of social policy. I'm excited for it but I'm also a bit wary and I'm kind of... innately curious. It's a very interesting time to be thinking about studying aboard for graduate school. It means people having to protect, ardently protect, the gains that have been made in the last eight years for fear of them being... like the rug being snatched from under you. So I think now people see that and they feel a sense of urgency of, "I need to get involved in the work. "The country isn't going to save my community. I have to do it." So I need to push through. The world didn't stop. I still have responsibilities. I still have dreams, which is most important. I still have hope. I still want to do these things. I have lofty goals and expectations and I want to live a beautiful life. I want to be able to travel the world and continue to see more and more things and humanize folks all over. I would like to look back and say that I lifted my family out of those circumstances that we come from. I want to be able to look back and say, "We finally got to have that family vacation." What was it and when was the last time you learned something from your students? I do hope that my life can be an inspiration to folks. I absolutely do. I hope that me being in these positions means that other people can then see themselves in the positions. And know that it's okay to dream and to strive and fight. So I hope that people can look at my life and see that. I think that's just a consequence of a life well lived. I'm here with Amy Lutzke, librarian and member of the Friends of Lorine Niedecker organization. How are you doing today, Amy? I'm doing great. Thank you. And so how would you describe Lorine's poetry? I describe Lorine's poetry as sparse. She used the word condensed. She does not use any words that are not necessary to convey the idea that she is trying to convey in her poetry and it makes for almost a musical kind of pattern, I think, in her poems. Her subject matter is also very Wisconsin and very this area. She writes a lot about the Blackhawk Island area where she lived along the Rock River and Lake Koshkonong. It has a lot to do with water and water plants and water creatures. And she transfers that idea of water into a lot of different things. And she also writes about the kind of people that you find in this part of the state. I'm definitely intrigued to read more of her work. Yeah. Her work is really fascinating. So what can you tell us about the collection here at the library? The collection here at the library is primarily Lorine's personal library, the books that she owned. We also have a few other special things. Some little handmade books that she gave to friends here around town who gave to us. And a whole lot of materials that people have been collecting over the years and who went and interviewed people who knew Lorine and would get their hands on anything that they could here in the community to add that to the collection. Wow, thank you so much for being a part of maintaining this awesome history. You're welcome. Next up, our team meets a Milwaukee retiree who's been inspired to move to a new beat.
choir singing
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Milwaukee is a wonderful city. And we're very fortunate to be here. Our group name is Renacer or "rebirth" in Spanish. The music is very upbeat. It's all Latin music and it's all sung in Spanish.
singing in Espaol
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I was born and raised in Milwaukee. And I was born just a few blocks from this community center.
Latin American-style guitar music
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I taught at the Milwaukee Public Schools, in particular, Pulaski High School, for 32 years and I loved my job. I retired in 2004. When I first retired, I thought, well, my father was a musician. I should, perhaps, play my father's guitars. So I got a hold of Alberto Cardenas. And he said he could give me music classes. I had never played a musical instrument in my life. So this was brand new for me.
Latin American-style guitar music
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My father came to Milwaukee from Mexico in the early 1920s. He was 14 years old, orphaned. He was also a musician at a young age with his guitars. He played with numerous groups in Milwaukee. I have albums that belonged to my father and mother, such as Trio Los Panchos or Eydie Gorme. She was very popular in those days. This is the type of music that our group Renacer is playing for concerts. It started with just Alberto and myself, but now it's shared by many. I would have never imagined that this would have started here, but this was Alberto's idea. We're very fortunate that we have a wonderful, Spanish-speaking director who knows the music very well. And it takes a lot of practice, but he has a very special way of teaching the beginners. When they play here at the senior center, he sees the seniors. And he sees that they're interested and they love music. The building is physically located in the Latin American Community on the south side of Milwaukee. Our singers and our guitarists are from a variety of different Latin American countries.
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So we sing music from Cuba and Puerto Rico and Mexico and Guatemala and El Salvador. Basically, all of the Latin American countries. I play a guitar, a classical guitar. I think what was so difficult for me were all of these strums. But with practice... we learn.
uptempo Latin American-style music
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I think it's very important that you know your roots, where you came from. That's for all ethnic groups, whether you're German, Italian, Polish. Whatever it might be. I measure success by all of our smiles. We know that they enjoy the music. They have been handed down from generation to generation. I feel lots of love and emotion. And I think of my mother and father. So it's all part of our family's history and that's why I just love it.
final note of song fades out
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We're at the Hoard Museum and upstairs from the National Dairy Shrine is this room dedicated to the life of Lorine Niedecker. This room really brings Lorine and her poetry to life. You're able to get a sense of the kind of woman Lorine was by seeing her preserved personal belongings. The museum contains a historical archive of her documents and writings. A real literary treasure trove. Speaking of treasures, our team caught up with a bead artist in Manitowoc whose creations brighten up the lives around her. If it's Monday, Velma Cox and her friends must be playing Rummikub. I have three tens to put down. That's called a set. All of it different. That's called a set. At 96 years old, Velma has a busier social calendar than most people half her age. I played dominoes this morning. And usually this time of the afternoon, we play Skip-Bo and Rummikub. On another day, she might fit in some Wii bowling. After all, she does hold the high score for her senior living community. I play games at least three times a week. And we just play half a day, so the other half a day, I've got to find something else to do.
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I got all kinds of beads. In her remaining spare time, Velma makes art with beads so small, she can fit dozens into a single flower petal. Velma can make one blossom a day. Over time, she has made 30 bouquets. And given them all away. I make little animals and I make flowers. It was just fun. And I'd give 'em to my friends so I could make some more 'cause they piled up a little bit. If I made some, I couldn't make any more, unless I got rid of them. So I just started giving them away. Her friends all sport broaches and hair clips with Velma's bead flowers. I enjoy making them. And it spends my time. I have a lot of extra time. That extra time is how Velma came here and started making bead flowers in the first place. In 2006, her husband Robert became so ill from diabetes Velma could no longer take care of him. Their daughter Arlene moved them to the Felician Village in Manitowoc. Velma was in her apartment and Robert was in the nursing home wing. I went to see him when he was in St. Mary's every day, yes. And I finally had to feed him his meals. Robert passed away three years later. Oh, after my husband died, I had to find something to pass the time because time was heavy on my hands because always before, always went to be with him in the day time. Velma's children tried to help her find a hobby to fill the empty hours. My daughter-in-law bought me a bead book. I kept at it till I just enjoyed it so much. It gave her something to focus on during the long afternoons. I'm only thinking of my beads. I'm not thinking about nothing else. Robert never lived in this apartment, but his memory is all over, from photos on the wall to a candle holder on the counter. I met him on a roller skating rink. That's a long time ago. They were married in 1941. We farmed 30 years. They raised three children. And Velma uses email and Skype to keep in touch. I showed them my beads and stuff. Oh cool. - Yeah. Well, we've been having fun here I guess. I send a message to my daughter every morning. Tell her I'm up, out of bed so she knows I'm still alive.
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Even with all the games and talking with family, there are still a lot of hours left in the day. And Velma says working with beads and making art can be therapeutic. It's even better when she can share the results with her friends.
indistinct conversation
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The life and poetry of Lorine Niedecker is a fascinating part of Wisconsin history. Before we leave you, we want to share an excerpt from one of her poems, entitled, "Paean to Place" by Lorine Niedecker. And the place was water Fish fowl flood Water lily mud My life in the leaves and on water My mother and I born in swale and swamp and sworn to water My father thru marsh fog sculled down from high ground saw her face at the organ bore the weight of lake water and the cold- he seined for carp to be sold that their daughter might go high on land to learn Saw his wife turn deaf and away She who knew boats and ropes no longer played If you'd like to find out more about the stories you've heard today, including Lorine Niedecker, visit our website at WisconsinLife.org. And as always, we'd love to hear about your "Wisconsin Life." Send us your ideas at [email protected]. In the meantime, I hope to see you soon. I'm your host, Angela Fitzgerald and this is our "Wisconsin Life." Bye! Funding for"Wisconsin Life" is provided in part by Alliant Energy, Lowell and Mary Peterson, and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
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