Author Aurore Sibley, in conversation with David Luhrssen, discusses Some Things Don’t Burn: Art, Activism, and Arson at the Bugle American

Boswell Book Company welcomes Aurore Sibley, discussing her new book on Milwaukee’s legendary alternative newspaper, the Bugle American

From 1970 to 1978, the Bugle American wasn’t just an alternative newspaper, it was the sparkplug that propelled Milwaukee’s emergence as an influential cultural hub. On a cold February night in 1975, a firebomb ripped through the Bugle American offices, threatening lives and burning the building to the ground. The crime was never solved. But the paper rose from the ashes to publish the very next week. In Some Things Don’t Burn, Aurore Sibley tells the full story of this influential underground paper: its founding ideals, its creative energy, its brushes with fame, and its lasting impact.

Aurore Sibley is a writer, educator, musician, and Wisconsin native. She’s also 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.

David Luhrssen is co-founder and Managing Editor of the Shepherd Express and has written numerous books on film, music and other aspects of culture. At age 16 he got his first check for writing from the Bugle American.