2024 Season
Film Screening: Join or Die
We help to write the stories of our communities by our participation — our willingness to contribute to make our communities what we want them to be. Here’s more about the event:
Join or Die is a film about why you should join a club — and why the fate of America depends on it. In this feature documentary, follow the half-century story of America's civic unraveling through the journey of legendary social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking "Bowling Alone" research into America's decades-long decline in community connections could hold the answers to our democracy's present crisis. Flanked by influential fans and scholars — from Hillary Clinton, Pete Buttigieg, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to Eddie Glaude Jr., Raj Chetty, and Priya Parker — as well as inspiring groups building community in neighborhoods across the country, join Bob as he explores three urgent civic questions: What makes democracy work? Why is American democracy in crisis? And, most importantly… What can we do about it?
We are the River Valley: An Evening of Storytelling
This event invited storytellers from all walks of life to share their personal tales in an intimate and welcoming setting. Here’s more about the event:
Join us for a powerful evening of storytelling where your friends and neighbors (and maybe even you!) share what it means to be part of the River Valley. Whether it's a hilarious anecdote, a heartwarming memory, or a tale of personal triumph, "We are the River Valley" celebrates the power of spoken word and our shared experience of living in this part of the world.
This event included workshops as well as the evening event. See the original event page for all of the information
Sarah Smarsh: Beyond the Divide
We were absolutely thrilled to welcome Sarah Smarsh on August 20th. Here’s more about the event:
Sarah has long written about the dangers of simplistic political and cultural narratives, especially about rural America and the people who live there. This election season, she invites us to transcend fear-based postures and polarizing frameworks even as we insist on a more just society.
Sarah Smarsh is a journalist who has reported for the New York Times, Harper’s, the Guardian, and many other publications. A former English professor and grant-writer for social service agencies, Sarah aims for all her work to have a backbone of civic responsibility.
Her first book, Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, was an instant New York Times bestseller, a finalist for the National Book Award and the Kirkus Prize, the winner of the Chicago Tribune Literary Prize, and a best-books-of-the-year selection by President Barack Obama. Her 2020 book She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named a must-read book by TIME Magazine.
Sarah is a regular political commentator in national media and has spoken internationally on poverty, rural issues, and cultural divides at venues ranging from small-town libraries to Sydney Opera House. A former writing professor, Sarah has served as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. In 2019, Sarah released a podcast entitled The Homecomers, which focuses on how a national blind spot toward rural and working-class America is driving misleading headlines, broken politics, and dangerous fissures in our social fabric. The podcast showcases stories of people who, as residents or advocates, remain committed to their complex, embattled homes.
Sarah’s next book, Bone of the Bone: Essays on America from a Daughter of the Working Class, 2012-2024, will be published by Scribner in 2024. She is also at work on a book about the endangered tallgrass prairie ecosystem, which will be published by Scribner in 2026.
Sharing Stories Around the Table
As we wound down the 2024 season, we gathered to share food and stories informally and to connect with our neighbors around the table. Here’s more about the event:
Everyone has a story to tell. Whether you spend hours refining each word or are simply prompted on a whim to share a particular snippet of your life, we value your unique experiences and want to hear from you. Join us on September 23 to hear stories across the table, across generations, across fence lines, and across time. Plan to sit next to someone you’ve never met, share a short story (written or from memory), and be ready to listen with an open heart.
Sharing Stories and Building Community in the Local Food System: A Wisconsin Science Festival event
In this event, we explored the Wisconsin Science Festival theme of agriculture by examining the impact of telling the story of our local food producers on our food systems. Here’s more about the event:
We’re told that sharing stories helps connect us, but is there any science behind that? In fact, there is! In honor of the Wisconsin Science Festival and its focus on agriculture this year, we’ll introduce you to Jules Reynolds. Jules’ 2024 dissertation is the result of a 4-year collaboration with local producers and Brix Cider, known as the Brix Project, exploring how telling the stories of local food producers impacts food systems….. Several Savor the River Valley members participated in the project. They will join us, too, to share their thoughts and stories.
Jules Reynolds recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a joint PhD in Geography and Environmental Studies. Her community-based dissertation research built on a decade of experience working with farming communities and local food systems across the country and internationally. She is particularly interested in how community-university collaborations can better serve place-based change and food system transformation, and looks forward to continuing this work in Wisconsin in the future. In her spare time, Jules enjoys biking Wisconsin’s trail systems, reading, watercolors, and adventuring with her dog Blueberry.
Telling our Story through Family Recipes
Our family recipes tell a powerful story about who we are and the history of our families and communities.
Author Susan Apps-Bodilly, daughter of storyteller Jerry Apps, highlighted the food made by his mother, Eleanor, and featured recipes found in her well-worn recipe box. The recipes took us on a culinary tour of life on the farm during the Depression and World War II. Seasoned with personal stories, menus, and family photos, Old Farm Country Cookbook recalls when electricity had not yet reached the farm.
About Susan
Susan is a retired educator and writer. She taught elementary and middle school students for 34 years. She holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction.
When she is not reading or writing, Susan enjoys spending time with her family, hiking at the family cabin, kayaking, and trying new recipes with produce from her garden.
Susan’s Books:
One Room Schools, Stories from the Days of 1 Room, 1 Teacher, 8 Grades is enjoyed by children and adults who attended a one-room school or know someone who did. The book was a finalist for the 2013 Midwest Independent Publishers Association in the Children’s Non-Fiction category.
Susan and her father, Jerry Apps, collaborated on Old Farm Country Cookbook, Recipes, Menus, and Memories. This book was the topic of a PBS Wisconsin show titled “Jerry Apps, Food and Memories.”
Her third book is Seeds in Soil, Planting a Garden, and Finding Your Roots. This unique gardening book is a “Gold” level winner from the 2023 Midwest Independent Publishers Association in the Children’s Non-Fiction category.
Coming soon: Fall of 2024 – Timber! A Northwoods Story of Lumberjacks, Logging, and the Land – co-written with Jerry Apps. This book for young readers describes the history of logging in the Midwest through the days of reforestation. The book also includes ways to appreciate and care for our forest lands today.