"You can't really ignore the humanness of it, and then everything that it holds." @rmbanting.bsky.social delves into the details and creative partnerships of Madison incubator space-turned-community center, Textile Arts Center, which has recently reopened at 1702 South Park Street.

"Either way, good day or bad, I can probably make it through if I have falafel in the freezer." In this month's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.bsky.social shares how he approaches cooking while managing his MS.

News and Politics Editor Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez talks with local activists, like attorney Aissa Olivarez and professor Armando Ibarra, who are putting a renewed emphasis on legal strategy and grassroots movements to defend immigrant rights during a time of relentless fascist threats.

"Watching NO FEAR, NO DIE (1990) with several decades of Claire Denis' films as context, it's striking to realize how the director emerged on the scene almost fully formed." Sara Batkie previews the new 4K restoration, screening at the @chazenartuw.bsky.social this Sun, Sept 21, at 2 p.m.

I'll be moderating a Wisconsin Book Fest event tomorrow evening at the university, to talk with author David Levithan and songwriter Jens Lekman about their collaborative novel, 'Songs For Other People's Weddings.' We'll talk. Jens will play a few tunes. Come out! www.facebook.com/events/40773...

As the summer movie season began to wind down, our film section editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social and contributor @drboffa.bsky.social joined OCA Media's Josiah Wampfler—host of "Two Tickets Please!"—for a collaborative discussion (to confer and commiserate).

In his ongoing Dane County Jail coverage, Dan Fitch examines the proliferation of mail-scanning systems and breaks down Sheriff Kalvin Barrett's skewed commentary on the issue.

A few months back I stepped down as publisher of @tonemadison.bsky.social, grateful and relieved to leave it in the hands of three wonderful colleagues. They’ve kept on putting out journalism that no one else in Madison is even trying to do. They need your help, because reader support is everything

Any amount you could give would be deeply appreciated. And most of it will go towards paying the Madison-area writers, artists and editors who make Tone what it is.

our publication is the only one in town still devoting substantial space to film analysis (and not primarily offering cursory, compartmentalized arts listicles). help us continue to do so, and support a terrific team of freelancers. 🙏 tonemadison.com/donate/

"Homelessness can't be addressed if the City and County aren't on the same page and mutually committed to making good solutions even better." @stinadale.bsky.social assesses Madison's regressing attitudes towards unhoused people in this week's Microtones.

TWO DAYS LEFT before our fundraising deadline, and we have only raised $1,336 out of $5,000. We need to reach this goal to pay our staff and freelancers so they can continue the arts, music, film, and politics coverage you only find at Tone Madison. DONATE TODAY! ✨ tonemadison.com/donate/

Liz Bachhuber and Jill Sebastian's EAT MY WORDS art exhibition in the Overture Center's James Watrous Gallery creates a stunning cycle of decay and recreation. "It is best consumed slowly," writes Sam Harrington.

"The current AI-obsessed education sector is yet another chapter in a decades-old tech supremacy narrative vis-à-vis education..." Neil Kraus details how corporate-backed AI has recently sucked up all the oxygen in the UW System and beyond.

It's #bandcampfriday! Our industrious Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social is planning a fourth compilation of local music for the fall. In the meantime, you can pick up our three prior comps—a total of 104 tracks by local artists—for just $40! TO GROW A GARDEN from 2022:

"In addition to being an existential threat to our future, climate change is preventing us from enjoying the simple pleasures of the present. We're seeing the impact on our ecosystem, physical and mental health." In this week's Microtones, @stinadale.bsky.social reflects on the confined summer.

Check out former Tone Madison Publisher Scott Gordon's thread and reporting on this important issue. The Dane County Board will vote on this proposal at its 7 pm meeting tonight.

We need your help. Tone Madison needs to raise $5,000 by September 12 so we can continue to publish the arts, culture, and politics reporting and commentary you value. Go to tonemadison.com/donate to support local, independent media.

Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social keys in on six new releases from Madison artists worth celebrating. Corridoré, LINE, Baby Tyler Band, Kat And The Hurricane, Solshade, Drive-A-Tron, and Damsel Trash all factor in. Read/listen here: tonemadison.com/articles/a-h...

Our latest "Cinemails" column features a written exchange between Edwanike Harbour and Jason Fuhrman on the late-summer hit, WEAPONS. Director @zcregger.bsky.social's adaptable network narrative of psychological horror and black comedy feels "fresh, innovative, and carefully crafted."

"...How is it that so many people choose to move within a two-week period, typically among the hottest of the year, and discard so many possessions along the way?" In today's Microtones, @stinadale.bsky.social asks us to stop putting a cutesy Hippie-Christmas spin on housing instability and waste.

UW Cinematheque's fall season begins this Friday in 4070 Vilas Hall with a new restoration of gritty 1980 action-thriller NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER. @fullykrausened.bsky.social writes that it's propelled by intense performances and "maintains nearly constant tension despite barely having a soundtrack."

In a piece we've republished from @wisconsinwatch.org, Janelle Mella updates a prior reported story about the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development denying unemployment benefits to disabled workers. Last Wednesday, August 20, a federal judge struck down a state law as discriminatory.

" @mandrigall.bsky.social positions herself as a masterful storyteller—or more accurately, a fablemaker—and presents us with one way to turn anguish into beauty. " @rmbanting.bsky.social talks with the Madison-based author about writing poetry in the face of political precarity and more.

Tone Madison hopes to raise $5,000 by September 12 to help us stabilize and grow. Your support allows us to do more high-quality investigations, cultural deep-dives, and biting commentary. Help us build a more-expansive future—with more information, art, and ideas. 🙏 tonemadison.com/donate/

"If a nice meal can turn a tough day at work into a memorable evening with a loved one, then maybe that's the whole point." In August's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.bsky.social writes about why service standards are integral to the dining experience (through a meditation on a social media trend).

Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social sits down with the members of emergent indie-punk quartet Slick for a sweeping conversation that touches on everything from the band's roots to their views on music marketing. Find out what makes Slick tick by following the link. tonemadison.com/articles/sli...

"Oshkosh Corporation continues to play a fundamental role in the genocide of Palestinians while profiting in the hundreds of millions," reports first-time contributor Julian Cooper. Header illustration by @cmy-kay.bsky.social

"If you sincerely care about the exterior look of housing, then follow through. Ask what we can do to give more people a nice place to come home to." In this week's Microtones, @scottgordonwi.bsky.social considers all the complaints about ugly new housing in Madison that aren't getting us anywhere.

"I've learned that I have more determination than I initially thought, that my voice is louder than I thought it was..." In a piece we've republished from @wisconsinwatch.org, Natalie Yahr reports on quality-assurance testers at Raven Software ratifying their first union contract after three years.

Ahead of @lachrista.com's appearance and reading at @roomofonesownbooks.bsky.social this Thurs, Aug 14, at 6 p.m., @illumin8edhly.bsky.social delves into THE GUERILLA FEMINIST's chronicle of the author's life experiences, how she found community, and how she's amplifying significant cultural issues.

Ryan Trecartin's "quintessential piece of internet-age video art," I-BE AREA (2007), channels the aesthetic highs and lows of digital-era culture into a manic stream. Maxwell Courtright previews the MMoCA Rooftop Cinema screening this Thurs, Aug 14, at 8:30 p.m.

Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social reflects on the unifying factors of Wisconsin depictions in film and TV. @joepera.bsky.social, Mark Borchardt, a delightfully acerbic @vornietom.bsky.social quip, and many other figures and instances paint a fascinating picture. tonemadison.com/articles/wis...

New east-side venue Atwood Music Hall is launching free Silent Movie Nights this month with live DJ accompaniment. DJ Slimzy will be on the decks for the inaugural screening of Fritz Lang's METROPOLIS (1927) this Friday, 08/08, at 8 p.m. @nothingunfinished.bsky.social has the full story. 📽️

We're once again releasing a clothing design to celebrate our original editorial art. This new shirt features Andrew Mulhearn's wonderful illustration for the 2022 Microtones article "Listen to the sky." Your purchase will help Tone Madison bring more expansive, esoteric stories to you. 🙏

"As an enticing reminder of what heights can be achieved via an uncanny understanding of craft, 'Easy Going' stands out as a superlative entry in that collection." Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social examines the latest album from local musician Dan Walkner. tonemadison.com/articles/dan...

In this week's Microtones, film section editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social meditates on collecting and collectors' market in the year 2025. He attempts to embrace sentimental value and resist the urge to splurge on physical media in an era of inflation.

It's #bandcampfriday! Our industrious Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social is planning a fourth compilation of local music for the fall. In the meantime, you can pick up our three prior comps—a total of 104 tracks by local artists—for just $40! TO GROW A GARDEN from 2022:

Ahead of their summer production premiere of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM on August 1 at 6 p.m., @mminkoff.bsky.social talks with the Young Shakespeare Players about how they're enlivening dramatic language and the centuries-old form.

"...the poems in INVISIBLE CARTOGRAPHIES are haunted by everything that can be disappeared..." @rmbanting.bsky.social talks with @megpieinflight.bsky.social about their "careful practice of excavation" and diligently precise writing in their New Delta Review award-winning chapbook.

"There's no real 'Madison-style' pizza that people are continuously trying to iterate on. Instead, Madison's pizza offerings are diverse, and—I'll come out and say it—excellent." In this month's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.bsky.social writes about being a repository of dining information.

Punk quintet Hottt Probs headline the next entry in Atwood Music Hall's new Locals Only series. "Defiant joy is at the heart of Hottt Probs' performances," writes Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social in our latest preview. The event takes place August 2. tonemadison.com/articles/hot...

@kavinsenapathy.bsky.social writes about bigotry—particularly against trans people—in some atheism movements. "They insist that science is pure and apolitical, but that faction is wrong; science and social justice are inextricable." tonemadison.com/articles/ame...

"I want Tone Madison to continue to be a platform for journalists, artists, and all of the diverse voices in our community who deserve a space to share their perspectives." Our incoming News and Politics Editor, Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez, says hello in this week's Microtones.

"[EEPHUS] features plenty of good-natured shit talking, pratfalls, and small-town oddballism to go along with all the waxing philosophical about the passage of time," writes Lewis Peterson. Carson Lund's new film premieres locally at the Bartell Theatre this Sat, July 19, at 5 p.m.

From Wisconsin Watch: Raising wages for corrections officers eased the worker shortage, but vacancies are rising again. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has "more than 23,400 prisoners in facilities built for about 17,700" and that population is expected to grow. tonemadison.com/articles/pas...

We're back with a story from @scottgordonwi.bsky.social and Dan Fitch digging into a proposal to scan the personal mail of Dane County Jail inmates—who's behind it, how are they benefiting from it, and do their claims hold up under scrutiny? tonemadison.com/articles/dan...

We're currently on a short summer break. Our regular publishing schedule resumes Monday, July 14.

"...He believes in the power of art on its own terms, and not as something that can save us but redeem us." Before the mid-year mark, @drboffa.bsky.social and Sara Batkie revive our "Cinemails" column. The two writers share a sharp dialogue on Wes Anderson's latest adventure, THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME.

"What chronic illness and disability have taught me about Pride is that sometimes the most radical acts are those that may not even be publicly witnessed, but ensure our collective survival." In today's Microtones, @racheldl.bsky.social reflects on the love of her queer chosen family.