Some Things Don’t Burn

Some Things Don’t Burn: Art, Activism, and Arson at the Bugle American

From 1970 to 1978, the Bugle American was the voice for Milwaukee’s counterculture, with its incisive political coverage, razor-sharp comics, and in-depth reporting on the city’s vibrant music scene. More than just an alternative newspaper, it was a lifeline for artists, activists, and readers from Milwaukee to Madison hungry for independent journalism. Then, in February 1975, a firebomb ripped through the Bugle American offices, endangering the lives of staff and burning the building to the ground. The crime was never solved. But the paper didn’t die. Supported by a determined community―and high-profile allies including Leonard Cohen and George Reedy―the Bugle American rose from the ashes to publish the very next week. In Some Things Don’t Burn, author Aurore Sibley tells the full story of this influential alternative paper: its founding ideals, its creative energy, its brushes with fame, and its lasting impact.

Author Bio

Aurore Sibley is a writer, educator, and musician based in Capitola, California. A Wisconsin native, she is the daughter of former Bugle American arts and entertainment editor Gary Peterson and contributing writer Joyce Rodgers. Her poetry and prose have appeared in numerous publications, including Midwestern Gothic, and she is the author of two poetry collections.