"...The dream of the inexpensive starter home is not compatible with our economic reality, but a starter apartment under $200,000? That's more realistic," writes Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social in our latest Microtones.

"...All people, children and adults, are the arbiters of their own bodies and should not be forced into a box to fit someone else's design," writes @anodynerhyme.bsky.social.

In this month's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.online meticulously meditates on making bread: the process, flour, flavor, time, and place. 🍞

This week - February 12 thru 17 - on Tone Madison! ✨

The past week-plus on Tone Madison: February 2 through 10! ✨

This week on Tone Madison: January 26 through February 1! We featured two stories by new contributors. ✨

This week on Tone Madison: January 19 through 25!

Nicholas R. Wootton's latest experimental short, LIKING THIS ANGLE, finds artistic inspiration in degrees of the edit, writes film section editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social.

This week on Tone Madison: January 12 through 18!

RIP Hungarian slow-cinema master Béla Tarr. In 2020 and 2023, we published writing by @nothingunfinished.bsky.social and Lewis Peterson on Tarr's enduring works SÁTÁNTANGÓ (1994) and WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES (2000).

This year I took a big step back from the day-to-day at @tonemadison.bsky.social, but my colleagues there have kept up the fight. They’re still publishing adventurous and adversarial journalism. And still, no one else in Madison media is doing anything like it. Please help them meet today’s goal!

tonemadison.com/donate/ We're in the final hours of our year-end fundraising campaign, and there's still $6,800 that we could secure. These are make-or-break funds that will determine how many stories Tone Madison will be able to publish in 2026. Help us "look out for the little guy." 🙏

If today and tomorrow a total of 19 people donate to @tonemadison.bsky.social who have never donated before, we get $1,000 thanks to NewsMatch. If you’ve never donated to Tone, this is the perfect time to start. tonemadison.com/donate/

For today and tomorrow only, our latest local-music compilation, RESOLUTION, is 25% off. That's 30 tracks of demos, alternate takes, rarities, and unreleased material from Madison-connected artists of past and present for just $15. tonemadison.bandcamp.com/album/resolu...

We're in the final stretch of our make-or-break fundraiser. If 22 people donate for the first time, we'll also receive a $1,000 bonus. Help us reach our goal during NewsMatch so our small-but-mighty publication can keep publishing the perspectives you really care about. tonemadison.com/donate/

We only have four days left to unlock $8,400 in matching funds. Tone Madison could unlock a total of $21,000 for journalism that's "full of heart and unafraid to punch up." But we need your help to do it. tonemadison.com/donate/ 🙏

"I implore community members, our elected officials, and those participating in the confidential RFP review process to be critical of any deal that does not return proper value to taxpayers," writes Nick Pjevach, Madison Arts Commission chair, in a guest column.

"The question of honest work in colonial systems and fine arts institutions raises the specter of censorship, particularly of art that is deemed 'political.' But what makes a work of art political or apolitical?" asks Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social after a visit to the Trout Museum of Art.

Help Tone Madison continue to be a "vital resource" for film and arts coverage through your donation during NewsMatch. An anonymous local donor has recently offered to match the next $2,500 contributed by our readers. tonemadison.com/donate/

"...Finding balance is all about mastering the layers of flavor being presented." As #doublethegarlic dominates social media, @jesseraub.bsky.social consults with local chefs and experts about reevaluating and preparing your recipes in this month's "Small Bites."

Despite public hesitancy, @wisdot.bsky.social wants an additional lane to stem congestion on 20 miles of the Beltline between West and South Madison. News and Politics Editor Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez reports.

This year we've... • Questioned how local governments allocate resources by pointing out the impacts on the most vulnerable. • Interrogated the narratives that lead to harmful economic policies. • Championed the perspectives of workers and organized labor. tonemadison.com/donate/ 🙏

"...Okay, we're writing the feral queers in the woods canon, finally." @millbot.bsky.social talks with @mlfaliveno.bsky.social about queer bodies in rural spaces and much more in their upcoming novel, HEMLOCK, which is out on January 20, 2026, with @littlebrown.bsky.social.

"While neighboring Wisconsinites are standing up against the top-down imposition of corporate interests, Madison still plays a crucial role in formulating a model of resistance in solidarity with wider opposition to data-center development," writes Juan Carlos Garcia Martinez in today's Microtones.

"As comic artists themselves, the MAC Fest organizers are using their intimate knowledge of opportunity gaps within the movement to carve out a new space for growth." @cmy-kay.bsky.social previews the inaugural event at Aubergine (1226 Willy St) this Sat, Dec 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Nearly two years after police raided the encampment on Library Mall, UWPD records obtained by @tonemadison.bsky.social reveal loose justifications for arrests and inconsistent enforcement on campus. @fayeparks.bsky.social sat down with Roman Fritz to learn more. www.wortfm.org/uwpd-priorit...

Our final "Cinemails" column of 2025 spotlights Joachim Trier's new psychological family drama, SENTIMENTAL VALUE. @nothingunfinished.bsky.social and Lance Li exchange largely divergent viewpoints—though, their inquiries elicit some unexpectedly intriguing dialogue on its narrative resonance.

We can't imagine a better legacy for a media outlet than to inspire aspiring writers to pursue ambitious, critical stories. But they can only do that if you continue to support us. We are HALFWAY to our fundraising goal. THANK YOU! But we still have a ways to go. tonemadison.com/donate/

"...Campus administrations are more comfortable with simply arresting people out of sight and mind than confronting the reminders that their system is built to fail students and marginalized people," writes new contributor Roman Fritz.

Today, we're releasing "Resolution," a new Bandcamp compilation that will help fund Tone Madison's future. "Each track acts as a demonstration of the perseverance inherent to Madison musicians," writes Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social. Read more here: tonemadison.bandcamp.com/album/resolu...

"...I'm a film writer without any film tees. Who am I, and what am I doing with my life?" 🙃 In this week's Microtones, @nothingunfinished.bsky.social looks to @4starvideo.bsky.social's Lewis Peterson and local shop Cosmic Cabin for some help with buying and curating movie-related attire.

Before it hits @bandcamp.com tomorrow, hear a sneak preview of our newest local music compilation, RESOLUTION, at @giantjonesbrewing.bsky.social tonight from 5 to 8 p.m.!

A new restoration of Charles Burnett's THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (1999) screens on 35mm at UW Cinematheque this Fri, Dec 5, at 7 p.m. Hanna Kohn writes that the core couple's "courtship is the perfect mystically motivated and senior-focused antidote to your weekly 'hurt' watch of I LOVE LA..."

This Giving Tuesday, another anonymous local donor has offered to match the next $1,000 we raise. That means donations will be tripled! And new monthly donations are matched twice for their full annual amount, turning $15 a month into $360 for us. tonemadison.com/donate/

This Friday, we'll be releasing "Resolution"—a new Bandcamp compilation—as part of our year-end fundraiser. Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social goes over the concept, reveals some contributing artists, and outlines the advance listening party in our latest. tonemadison.com/articles/loo...

On Sat, Nov 29, we've teamed up with MAMA to spotlight four emerging acts as part of the "New Artist Listening Room" at Harmony Bar & Grill. Show starts at 8 p.m., and cover is just $10! Hear on-the-rise local talents Marigold Motel, Jonathon Millionaire, The Stoplights, and @rockstarelise.com. 🎶

On Sat, Nov 29, we've teamed up with MAMA to spotlight four emerging acts as part of the "New Artist Listening Room" at Harmony Bar & Grill. Show starts at 8 p.m., and cover is just $10! Hear on-the-rise local talents Marigold Motel, Jonathon Millionaire, The Stoplights, and @rockstarelise.com. 🎶

it’s never a bad time to start a $5/month donation to @tonemadison.bsky.social

On Sat, Nov 29, we're co-hosting a showcase of new and emerging local artists with Madison Area Music Association at Harmony Bar & Grill (2201 Atwood Ave). In this week's Microtones, Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social shares a few words on the announcement and our valuing of the music community.

"What does it mean to be a co-op if the Group Health Cooperative Board is now going to disregard the unanimous votes at a well-attended and well-noticed meeting of its own membership?" ask Adam Chern and Rebecca Kemble in a joint guest column.

"The sequential rhythms of INERTIA FOLLIES are intermittently anxious and contemplative but persistently thrilling. Credit that to director Chelsea Gaspard's guiding belief in the show's improvised components as 'living and breathing and shifting,'" writes @nothingunfinished.bsky.social. 🎭

"We are asking the UW Board of Regents to stand up for students' right to learn and the faculty's right to teach, both of which are intertwined with democracy itself," writes Neil Kraus, AFT-Wisconsin VP of Higher Education.

"Even as MDEV expands, making the industry accessible to newer indie developers remains a key focus of the conference." @manateemailbox.bsky.social reports from the @wigamesalliance.bsky.social MDEV conference (Nov 7-8), and talks with game developers and industry representatives alike. 🎮

"Low on prep and high on passive cooking time, roasting is a godsend." In this month's "Small Bites," @jesseraub.bsky.social gives us a low-effort guide to bringing maximum flavor to the table when seasonal produce is limited in late autumn.

Amendments to the 2026 budget the Dane County Supervisors passed—including freezing 20 unfilled positions at the Dane County Sheriff's Office—better fit the county's needs than the original budget by Dane County Executive Melissa Agard, writes @stinadale.bsky.social.

The Black Film Festival returns this year—November 12 thru 15—with screenings and discussions at Fountain of Life Covenant Church and @madisonlibrary.bsky.social locations throughout the city. Film section editor @nothingunfinished.bsky.social takes a closer look at the scope of the programming.

Join us for Office Hours next week at State Line Distillery! We'll be kicking off our year-end fundraiser and raffling off merch, copies of our body cameras zine, and tickets to "The Moth" StorySLAMs in Madison. tonemadison.com/event/tone-m...

In a story we're republishing from @wisconsinwatch.org and Wisconsin Public Radio, @addiecostello.bsky.social and Trisha Young report on Habitat for Humanity's La Crosse affiliate embracing an affordable manufactured housing project and development model.

As a number of Wisconsin basketball teams kick off their seasons, Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social examines the state's relationship to basketball, touching on everything from Madison's many courts to the influx of excitement surrounding the sport. tonemadison.com/articles/bas...

Join us for Office Hours next week at State Line Distillery! We'll be kicking off our year-end fundraiser and raffling off merch, copies of our body cameras zine, and tickets to "The Moth" StorySLAMs in Madison. tonemadison.com/event/tone-m...