Great Lakes, Great Read Stories

Just add water! Everyone has stories to tell, but crafting your experiences into powerful memories that you want to share, again and again, is an art. Storytelling expert and producer of Love Wisconsin, a multimedia storytelling project of Wisconsin Humanities, Jen Rubin leads storytelling workshops to capture stories for Great Lakes, Greats Read.

0:00 / 0:00
Surfing at 38 F

Join Geri in a lively recounting of his time as a Wisconsin surfer. From building his own board to losing a few teeth, this tale proves that anything really is possible with a dream and some cold-weather wax.

Recorded in Ashland, Wisconsin on October 5, 2024.

0:00 / 0:00
Great Lakes Soulmate

There’s no place like the Great Lakes, and Sheri has known this since she was just a girl. Listen as she describes her journey from a youthful fantasy of marrying a man who loves the water to realizing the waves were her forever partner all along.

Recorded in Ashland, Wisconsin on October 5, 2024.

0:00 / 0:00
If I did absolutely nothing

Geri could have spent more time building walls in his workshop that one sun-drenched summer, but then he would have missed out on memories made in ever-changing waters. Take a dip in the magic our lakes hold and learn what’s being done to protect them with this story.

Recorded in Ashland, Wisconsin on October 5, 2024.

0:00 / 0:00
Undertow Tale

Listen as our storyteller recounts a fateful day on Lake Superior, learning the dangers of it’s waves. Emotion and urgency pull you into this story, and renewed respect for the Great Lakes will lead you out.

Recorded in Ashland, Wisconsin on October 5, 2024.

Thank you to our generous partners.

About the Great Lakes