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City Cast Madison

Rob Thomas

“Inhumane.” “Some sort of Soviet gulag.” “A disturbing and alienating Lovecraftian monster.”

And that’s just from the people who LIKE the Mosse Humanities Building.

the grey, brutalist building on the UW-Madison campus

 at 455 N. Park St. nicknamed the “Inhumanities Building” has been a major part of the college experience for generations of students.

 Now that the building’s days may finally be numbered

, Madison artist Doug E.L. Haynes has captured the unique character and history of the building, and the conflicting opinions about it, in his new illustrated book “

The Humanities Building: Do you love it or hate it?

Haynes met me at the building last week to talk about the book and his release party on Oct. 26 at Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè. (In what was perhaps an unwitting tribute to the building’s notorious labyrinthine structure, Haynes and I first spotted each other standing on different levels of the courtyard, and then spent several minutes trying to figure out which set of stairs would connect us.)

“I don't want people to think that I neglected the opinions of people who hate the building,” Haynes said in an interview in a concrete-bunker-like classroom in the building, featuring a row of tiny skylights covered in blackout tape. “But I think I do have some love. Madison is filled with conventional architecture. There’s a lot of buildings that could be anywhere in the world. They’re forgettable.”

The Humanities Building is anything but forgettable. 

Designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese

 (who also designed the original Chazen Museum of Art building next door) but underfunded by the state Legislature, it’s been plagued with maintenance issues almost since it opened in 1969, known for inadequate ventilation, leaking roofs, temperature issues, and crumbling concrete.

Haynes first came to the building as a West High School student taking summer ceramics classes and was immediately fascinated by it. Later, Haynes attended UW-Madison, where his very first class was in the building, and he spent years sketching in its studios, listening to lectures in its classrooms, and otherwise hanging out.

” during the COVID-19 pandemic, Haynes was looking for another Madison artistic project. He knew that the Humanities Building was scheduled for demolition and wanted to document it, wandering over with his materials with drawing supplies in hand. In the end, the book contains over 100 drawings of the building, everything from its temple-like exterior to to its interior rooms and stairwells.

“One hundred is a lot, but it is a massive building,” Haynes said. “There’s a lot to take in.”

For the text in the book, Haynes conducted a survey online to capture people’s reactions and memories of the building – the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

The survey is still active and accepting responses

. Some respondents write about how they grew to love the distinctive building, while others focus more on the formative experiences they had within its concrete walls. Others just plain hated it.

But if the building is ever finally torn down, Haynes predicts that even the haters might miss the Humanities Building more than they expect to.

“I'm guessing absence will make the heart grow fonder,” he said. “You’ll forget about the musty smells or the cockroaches. A lot of it is about the memories. Even if they hated it, they’re like, ‘This is where I met my wife.’”

Discover the history and unique character of UW-Madison’s iconic "Inhumanities Building" in Doug E.L. Haynes’ new illustrated book. Explore generations of student memories, conflicting opinions, and the brutalist legacy of the building before its days are finally numbered.

Madison Artist Documents UW’s Weird Humanities Building

UW-Madison’s ‘Inhumanities Building’ Inspires New Book

Find the best of everything that Madison has to offer.

Madison’s Best

Madison's Best

One thing’s for sure, you won’t walk away from the 

Wisconsin Book Festival’s 25th annual Fall Celebration

 Oct. 15-18 without something new to read.

The festival’s annual event, put on at the Madison Public Library and its foundation at the Central Branch and a few other locations, offers something for every kind of reader. Whether you want the hottest new literary fiction, the most thought-provoking nonfiction, some new bedtime stories to read to the kids, or even some tips for your own writing project, they’ve got you covered. And it’s all free.

, host Bianca Martin is joined by festival Director Jane Rotonda and Madison writer Jeff Oloizia, 

host of the “Writing Forward” podcast

 that just launched its second season. They talk about highlights of this year’s festival, Wisconsin’s literary tradition, and the books that every Madisonian should read.

An Insider’s Guide to Madison’s Writing and Literary Scene. Plus, Books Every Madisonian Needs

Here’s a few recommendations for every kind of book lover to enjoy at the fest. As a note, the Madison Public Library is a sponsor of City Cast Madison (you’ve probably seen their ads in this newsletter!). But this article is produced with 100% editorial independence.

Sweating about the upcoming midterms? Former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler has the prescription for progressive angst in his new book “

This Is The Plan: How To End America’s Meltdown and Save Democracy

.” Wikler offers a hopeful and specific list of action items for individuals and small groups to get the country back on track. Can’t wait? Wikler was on the City Cast Madison podcast last year 

to talk about the future of Wisconsin’s Democratic party

. (6 p.m. Oct. 17, Madison Central Library)

It’s hard to believe that the Strokes’ debut album “Is This It” was released a quarter-century ago, ushering in a new era of guitar rock in the ‘00s that included bands like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand. In his new book “

Is This It: The Never Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes (and Rock ‘n Roll

,” rock critic Steven Hyden chronicles the band, and how their career shows the ever-changing impact of rock music on popular culture. (6 p.m. Oct. 16, Madison Central Library)

The book festival always coincides with the Wisconsin Science Festival, and sponsors several collabs of science-related books. Check out Siri Carpenter’s anthology “

The Best Science Stories and How They Work

,” which looks at 11 stories by science journalists, with Carpenter’s commentaries on what makes them compelling. (4:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Discovery Building)

Téa Obreht’s 2019 novel “Inland” was a thrilling and ambitious novel that challenged the stereotypes of the Old West. She rides a similar trail in “

,” which follows three different characters in three different timelines a century apart who arrive at the same Wyoming town. (6 p.m. Oct. 17, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art)

Fans of the literary magazine The New Yorker have enjoyed the squiggly, funny cartoons of Roz Chast for years. Chast comes to Madison with her new book, “

,” co-written with Jason Adam Katzenstein, which explores the darker, funnier corners of both their food prep spaces. (7:30 p.m. Oct. 16, Madison Central Library)

In addition to being the unmistakable voice of National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition, Scott Simon is also an animal lover. In his illustrated memoir, “

,” Simon celebrates the animals that changed him over his lifetime, from the family dog growing up to a delinquent hamster named Bagel. (12 p.m. Oct. 18, Madison Central Library)

Discover your next great read at the 25th annual Wisconsin Book Festival Fall Celebration, Oct. 15-18. Enjoy free author events for all ages at Madison Public Library.

Wisconsin Book Festival Tips For Every Kind of Reader

Practice Shelf-Care at the Wisconsin Book Festival 

We’re in the middle of our fall membership campaign this week (have you heard?), and one thing we keep stressing is the importance of community, of meeting your Madison neighbors out in the world and building community together. The City Cast Madison team who makes the newsletter, makes the podcast, makes the social media posts – we all live here too!

In that spirit, every time somebody signs up for the City Cast Madison newsletter, we send them a welcome message and ask them this question: 

What’s your favorite place in your neighborhood and what makes it special?

Here are some of the answers we received – it seems everybody has a different favorite spot to get together. 

We hope City Cast Madison has become one of those favorite spots for you, too

you’ll consider supporting us as a City Cast Madison neighbor

. “It’s a city park flower garden maintained by volunteers. Magical!”

. “I love to get my exercise there. It’s peaceful, beautiful and safe to enjoy alone. It doesn’t feel like you are in the middle of a city.”

. “Super friendly and authentic/great food.”

(located across the street from Gloria’s!). “The owners are super friendly and the food is incredible. They offer different Korean dishes (bulgogi, bibimbap, japche, soondubu) but I always get the same thing (pork japche Level 1 spicy) because it’s so tasty!”

! “A little fancy bar near the corner of Park St and Fish Hatchery. It's a cool, dimly lit place with great cocktails (especially their espresso martini), the bartenders are super cool, and my favorite part: they allow dogs! My pup and I frequent there. They've started doing drag karaoke there every other Wednesday which is always a really great time (but I'm obsessed with karaoke so I'm biased).”

City Cast Madison Neighbors share their favorite places in Madison.


Readers Share Their Favorite Neighborhood Spots in Madison

Your Favorite Spots To Meet Your Neighbors in Madison

It’s October in Madison, which means there’s lots of scary stuff going on. And there’s lots of 

 of scary stuff to do, whether you want to see a horror movie, get lost in a haunted forest, learn about some haunted spaces, or more.

So here’s a list of the ways that Madison is trying to scare you this Halloween. Enjoy, and make sure to keep the lights on at night.

Get the willies scared out of you at one of the area’s haunted houses. 

 near Stoughton includes four haunted experiences to walk through for one price, including a prison and a mad scientist’s laboratory. (That’s a no from me!)

By day, Schuster’s Farm near Deerfield offers a fun and family-friendly corn maze. But by night, the ghouls come out for 

. Good thing there’s a bar where you can decompress afterward with a beer and some live music.

 offers eerie tours of both downtown Madison and the UW-Madison campus, digging up stories of the spirits that may still haunt those historic spaces. Meanwhile, 

 unveils the spooky stories behind locations like the Majestic Theater and Tempest Oyster Bar.

,” which UW Cinematheque is screening for free Halloween night in a beautiful 35mm print. The Bartell Theatre has 

a double feature of two scary-funny horror movies

, “Re-Animator” and “Prom Night II,” on Oct. 30. And the Union South Marquee Theatre is screening two ‘70s horror classics, “Suspiria” and “Halloween,” on Oct. 30 and 31.

Meanwhile, Marcus Point and Marcus Palace is offering its “

” series, where for $18 you can see four classic horror movies – but you won’t know which ones until the lights go down.

Madison Ballet presents a brand-new production of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “

” at MYArts Starlight Theater Oct. 29 through Nov 1. Chicago’s 

Manual Cinema recreates Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”

 on Oct. 23 on stage using eerie shadow puppets. And Glass Cannon Network will play the Lovecrafting role-playing game “

” live on stage at Atwood Music Hall on Oct. 15.

Looking for a scare this October in Madison? From horror movies to haunted forests and eerie ghost tours, here is your ultimate guide to Madison Halloween events.

The Best Spooky and Haunted Things to Do in Madison

Where To Get Scared in Madison for Spooky Season

Jade Iseri-Ramos

📖 Wisconsin Book Fest Fall Celebration

Wisconsin Book Festival’s 25th Fall Celebration

! All year long the festival brings authors to Madison (

), but every fall they bring dozens of authors to town for the four-day event. The whole celebration is free and a select few author events include a free book for attendees.

 is holding a T-shirt giveaway this fall if you visit three of the participating art museums. Lucky for us, both Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chazen are on the list, so with one short road trip, that shirt could be yours! If you want to make a vacation out of it, the website has several preplanned road trips.

Badger Homecoming is this week! We laid out all you need to know about homecoming and tailgating on the 

. The UW-Madison football team’s big home games this month are on Saturday, Oct. 3 and on Oct. 24. But there are also other Badgers sports teams worth cheering for this month!

 is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division I this year, and for the last decade, the team has consistently been one of the best in the nation. Their home games always draw a big crowd to the Field House where they have four games this month.

 soccer teams have had strong starts to their seasons and both have a handful of home games in October.

 has two tours that uncover the ghost stories of our city. From haunted theaters to campus ghost stories, things can get a little intense! Plus, Madison Ghost Walks is hosting our City Cast Madison Neighbors on a tour. 

and join us on a ghost walk later this month!

Obviously, the month ends with Halloween. This year, the holiday lands on a Saturday which means things are probably going to get a little wild on “Halloweekend.” A tamer option for the kids is 

Downtown Madison’s family Halloween night

 on Wednesday, Oct. 28. There will be hayrides around the Capitol, crafts, and trick-or-treating at participating businesses.

For the adults, the Bur Oak and Atwood Music Hall are hosting 

 with two nights of cover-band shows and costume contests. And if you’re a child at heart, the Madison Children’s Museum is hosting 

Plan your perfect October 2026 in Madison! Check out the 25th Wisconsin Book Festival, cheer on the Badgers, tour haunted spots, and find top Halloween events.

What to Do in Madison in October 2026: Book Fest, Badgers & Halloween

What To Do in Madison in October 2026

We can agree to disagree. But the joke behind 

Corey Holl’s political satire “The Park People”

 is that we can’t agree on how to disagree.

Holl is a 24-year-old Monona Grove High graduate who makes short business documentaries and music videos in Madison with his partner David Guenther through their company 

. He’s raising money to shoot “Park People” in Madison next summer, and has started a crowdfunding campaign and 

 to show to production companies who want to get involved.

Sitting in the Tenney Park shelter near his home, Holl talked about finding the funny aspects of protest in unfunny political times:

“The Park People” is a political satire. It's a love letter to Madison, but it's also a satire about Madison, and it's about protesting and about place and finding your people, and then obviously about nature and parks, because I'm a big park person myself. So I'm always in parks, and I feel like I found a lot of solace in it, especially in recent times.

This park shuts down in the corner of the city, and these neighbors, mostly these two hippies, protest its closure right away. And then there’s Katie, who's this listless young adult who's our protagonist. She’s like a lot of young people, kind of doomscrolling, not really sure what to do with this world. She gets involved with these hippies and tries to figure out how to stop this park [closure]. They figure out that, you know, there's a corrupt mayor and there's this big billionaire company that's just gobbling up land and building luxury apartments on it. Things get more and more drastic as they try to stop it.

There’s something about this that really reflects Madison. Different generations of people who may be aligned politically but have very different ideas about action.

I feel like the most politically active are either young or old, just because they're not busy raising a family, they just have more time to think about these things, which was really interesting. I think I've seen that a lot too in promoting this movie. It feels like the people who are the most interested in it are either older, or like, the same age as me, which has been really interesting. That's been kind of a fun parallel between the story and the real world.

I've had a bunch of variations on this idea of nature bringing people together, just in my head for so long. I was trying to think about that. At the same time, it was this kind of concept where I was trying to figure out how to do something about protest as well. I thought, land is being ignored, and it’s something that isn’t so heavy that I could make fun of the concept of protesting without being insensitive about things that need to be protested. I thought I could have some fun with this and build this big satirical world around it.

Are you finding a good pool of talent in Madison in front of and behind the camera?

More than you'd think, just because everyone's in their own little niches and their own little bubbles. But things are coming together. Once you meet one person, they know this person, and then they know this person, and it’s really just all a web where everyone comes together. So you're able to find pretty much anyone you need in the city. They're all really talented and all very passionate. People just want to get things made and things that are fun made.

Madison filmmaker Corey Holl launches a crowdfunding campaign for his new political satire, "The Park People." Explore the proof-of-concept short film.

'The Park People': Corey Holl's Madison Political Satire Film

‘Park People’ Will Satirize Madison’s Protest Culture

 says she’s more excited about her new book “

” than she has been about one of her novels in a while.

Part of that is the anticipation of catching her readers off-guard. At first, “Tell Two Friends,” which hits stores Sept. 8, fits in snugly with Garvin’s other books like “Bummer Camp” and “

,” funny, poignant novels about messy, lovable women. “Friends” focuses on Jane Baye, who becomes the pariah of her very Stoughton-like small town when it’s revealed that her husband is a polygamist.

That alone seems like it would be enough for a novel. But then Garvin starts interjecting chapters told from the perspective of Truman, an ex-con who has moved in across the street from Jane, and is watching her for reasons that are unclear but certainly troubling.

Garvin will talk about “Tell Two Friends” on Sept. 22 at Mystery To Me bookstore with 

“Writing Forward” podcast host Jeff Oloizia

. She talked to City Cast Madison about her glee in throwing her readers a curveball.

CCM: It’s like this guy Truman has infiltrated an Ann Garvin book.

AG: That’s exactly how I wanted it to feel. My very first book had like a real tension line through it, but then I kind of left that behind because people were like, "We don't know how to market a book that is a little bit scary and a little bit funny.” This is the first time where you read chapters and you think, “Oh, that's new.”

It was fun. I was nervous to write it because I wasn't sure if I was going to get the voice right and the tone right. But then I met a post-incarcerated man who was on the docket for a teaching thing that I did in New Hampshire, and I got to know him well. And so he promised that he would read it, and I actually paid him to read to be my sensitivity reader.

Does this mark a turn in the kinds of books you want to write?

I have ideas in the future for some books that are tension-filled, but nothing like this really. I'm not really the kind of person that thinks about murderers often. When I pick a book to write, I just have to really feel excited about it, passionate about it. I actually have to know that there’s a true story in there, not just a premise.

What was the biggest challenge of writing the book?

The hardest thing I think with this book was to make her everyday life tension-filled enough that anybody gave a shit about her chapters while you waited to find out what this other guy was doing. I want people to be turning the pages in her life, and all she’s doing is being a regular mom in a town that’s mad at her.

Speaking of that town, you have a disclaimer at the front of the book that this is not Stoughton. But how do you think Stoughton readers will react?

I think I’ll get a mix of responses. I think I’ll get some people mad. You know, “She made fun of us!” I don’t think I was disdainful. I think I rib them carefully because I don’t feel disdainful.

This is a very common question for a writer, but how much do you draw from your real life?

I know that everybody sort of puts themselves in there, and people very often think I’m the protagonist. Which in some cases, I guess I give the protagonist my voice. But she definitely is not me.

When I was a nursing student, I saw a little want-ad, “Be a Pen Pal With An Incarcerated Male.” I thought, “Poor guy, prison must be so boring.” I came from a small town. I was 19 or 20, and I never had heard that people write to incarcerated people, like the women who are interested in Ted Bundy. So we wrote back and forth for a while.

And then he asked me for a photograph, and I was not so dumb that I didn’t know what was up. I wrote back and said, “I don’t think we need a photograph to be friends.” And then he wrote back and said, “Don’t write to incarcerated men anymore. You’re too nice.”

Madison author Ann Garvin shares her glee in throwing readers a curveball with her poignant, messy new novel, hitting stores September 8.

 Madison Author Smuggles a Thriller Inside Her Latest Novel

Ann Garvin Has a Surprise in Store For Her Readers

September means that local theater companies are kicking off their 2025-26 seasons, including a couple of world premieres. In the Overture Center Playhouse, Forward Theater Company has the world premiere of the lost-at-sea musical “

Forward Theater, who’s sponsoring our monthly guide this September, is giving City Cast Madison readers the chance to win free tickets to see “Steady She Goes”! 

Just head over to our Instagram page and enter

” (Sept. 17-20), a musical inspired by the collection the Hand Drawn Map Association, to Overture’s Promenade Hall. The Bartell Theatre’s production of “

,” (Sept. 18-26) about a woman who buys a robot version of her late husband, couldn’t be more timely in the age of AI angst. Edgewood University revives Moliere’s French comedy of manners “

It’s been a hard summer in Madison, and on the east side especially. But the neighborhood’s iconic and eccentric 

 (Sept. 19-20) is a chance for the community to get together and get weird. In addition to several stages of live music and lots of food and drink, everybody is invited to dress up and march in the Sunday morning parade.

Good things come in small packages (or small plates) at 

 on the Capitol Square (Sept. 5-6) with over 90 food vendors. 

 (Sept. 26) at Warner Park will feature 17 restaurants and eight bands, including Nashville’s Langhorne Slim headlining.

 (Sept. 12) features live music, food, and drink. But what sets it apart is the opportunity to decorate and personalize a lantern, either to remember a loved one or set an intention for the future, and release it on the water in a healing ceremony. Editor’s note: Water Lantern Festival is also a sponsor of City Cast.

Push yourself to the limit (and support someone who is) at 

 (Sept. 13). Athletes love coming to Madison not just because of the beautiful and challenging course that includes a downtown run, a hilly bike ride, and a swim in the lake, but because of the crowds cheering them on.

 has been in Madison before, but never like this. On Sept. 22 at the Orpheum Theater, Smith will tell stories and play songs inspired by her new memoir “Bread of Angels.” Ticketholders will get a free paperback copy of the book courtesy of A Room of One’s Own.

Discover the best things to do in Madison, Wisconsin, in September 2026! From vibrant fall festivals to concerts and athletic events, plan your perfect autumn with our ultimate local guide.

Your Guide to Madison in September 2026

What To Do in Madison in September 2026

 makes no secret of her love for the Milwaukee Brewers. She and her husband have season tickets, heading to American Family Insurance Field a dozen times a season to see the team play.

she designed a T-shirt to be given away at the Aug. 12, 2025 game

, and even got to throw out the first pitch. Now, she’s turning that T-shirt design, called “Seventh Inning Stretch,” into a mural that’s being unveiled today at 2 p.m. at McKee Farms Park in Fitchburg.

who was on the City Cast Madison podcast in 2024

 talking about the Chappell Roan-themed haunted house she helped create in the neighborhood, is an in-demand Madison artist. She’s created several other murals around town, and was artist-in-residence in the Madison Public Library’s Bubbler.

Madison artist Emily Balsley unveils her new "Seventh Inning Stretch" mural at Fitchburg’s McKee Farms Park, inspired by her Brewers T-shirt design.

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