Some Things Don’t Burn

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Art, Activism, and Arson at the Bugle American

Aurore Sibley

A fierce, vibrant portrait of a newspaper that refused to go up in smoke.

208 pages, 6 x 9, 60 b&w photos and illustrations
Paperback: $26.95 | ISBN: 978-1-9766-0085-2
Ebook: $15.99 | ISBN: 978-1-9766-0086-9
Publication Date: 11/10/2026

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Description

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.

With access to rare materials and family insight—her parents met at the Bugle American, and her father served as one of its editors—Sibley layers investigative research with personal narrative, exploring how to reconcile with her father's complicated life and death, while revealing the many ways the ragtag weekly newspaper gave voice to a generation.

Featuring dozens of photographs and illustrations, including comics from renowned underground artist and Bugle American co-founder Denis Kitchen, this book brings readers inside the quirky, passionate, and often chaotic world of a newsroom fighting to stay alive and independent.

A gripping story of art, activism, community, and resilience, Some Things Don't Burn reminds us that while buildings can be destroyed, the ideals that ignite a movement are much harder to extinguish.

Author Bio

Aurore Sibley

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.