front cover of So Ole Says to Lena
So Ole Says to Lena
Folk Humor of the Upper Midwest
Compiled and edited by James P. Leary
University of Wisconsin Press, 2002

In the land of beer, cheese, and muskies—where the polka is danced and winter is unending and where Lutherans and Catholics predominate—everybody is ethnic, the politics are clean, and the humor is plentiful. This collection includes jokes, humorous anecdotes, and tall tales from ethnic groups (Woodland Indians, French, Cornish, Germans, Irish, Scandinavians, Finns, and Poles) and working folk (loggers, miners, farmers, townsfolk, hunters, and fishers). Dig into the rich cultural context supplied by the notes and photographs, or just laugh at the hundreds of jokes gathered at small-town cafes, farm tables, job sites, and church suppers. This second edition includes an afterword and indexes of motifs and tale types.

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front cover of Some Like It Cold
Some Like It Cold
Surfing the Malibu of the Midwest
William Povletich
Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2016

Some Like It Cold

chronicles the true story of twin brothers Lee and Larry Williams, whose love of surfing evolved in the most unlikely of geographies: off the shores of Lake Michigan. From their boyhood home in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the brothers trekked to the local beach with their longboards and their dreams to master the waves at spots like the Elbow and the Cove. The next six decades proved that their zeal for catching grinders and barrels was much more than a hobby.

Surfing in the cold had its challenges, and Lee and Larry recall stories of freak storms, ice-encrusted beaches, and near drownings, along with the usual hypothermia, helped but not cured by their customized cold-water wetsuits. Despite living nearly 2,000 miles from either coast, Lee and Larry have made a lifestyle out of freshwater surfing, recreating their hometown as "The Malibu of the Midwest" and gaining international fame as hosts of the Dairyland Surf Classic.

With humor and wit, author William Povletich brings their tale of revolutionizing surf culture to the page.

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front cover of Sunday Rides on Two Wheels
Sunday Rides on Two Wheels
Motorcycling in Southern Wisconsin
Barbara Barber
University of Wisconsin Press, 2009
Eighteen unforgettable routes along riverways and ridges, down rustic roads and coulees, and over 1,800 miles of southern Wisconsin’s best rides
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