Author Archives: Katherine Wikoff

About Katherine Wikoff

I am a college professor at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I teach literature, film studies, political science, and communication. I also volunteer with a Milwaukee homeless sanctuary, Repairers of the Breach, as chair of the Communications and Fund Development Committee.

Heat Waves😄

Posted on November 12, 2019

The little crinkle-flashes you see along the sidewalk are literally heat waves. There’s a set of vents about seven feet up the wall on the side of our Campus Center building that exhausts (exhales? like the building is alive and … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Gearing up for Great Books – Nazi VR and Man’s Search for Meaning

Posted on November 11, 2019

In between grading and meetings, today I’m also getting ready to lead the discussion of Viktor Frankl’s classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Wednesday night at MSOE’s Great Books Dinner & Discussion event. As part of my prep, I found … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, History, Milwaukee, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Salt shadows

Posted on November 9, 2019

Took these pictures yesterday on my way back to the office from a meeting. These leaves must have been frozen to the ground when the wet, slushy snow hit. Then the salt went down, the temperature dropped, the air dried, … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee | 2 Comments

Daylight savings (robbing Peter to pay Paul)

Posted on November 7, 2019

These first evenings after daylight savings time ends are always disorienting. When you’re used to leaving work under an orange, twilight sky, the abrupt shift to stepping out into darkness is too jarring to make sense of. For example, my … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

And the sun came out . . .

Posted on October 21, 2019

Very windy rain showers hit Milwaukee around mid-day today. I took this series of photos from my office window after returning from a couple of meetings around three o’clock. For some reason the title of a favorite picture book of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, Life, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged | 1 Comment

BMO Tower name goes up

Posted on October 20, 2019

The name was going up on the new BMO Tower in downtown Milwaukee when I took this photo Friday afternoon. I love all the construction going on around Milwaukee. This city has always felt like the biggest small town in … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, Milwaukee | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

What one ponders during meetings

Posted on October 18, 2019

Well, not all the time, of course. But one’s gaze does tend to wander when certain people talk. And if it’s a sunny day, certain areas of brightness and shadow outside the windows do tend to capture one’s attention, especially if the … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , | 2 Comments

“Found Object” — the overhead light in my office

Posted on October 17, 2019

I just noticed that the light fixture on my office ceiling is kind of interesting. I’ve been here twelve years, so how did I not see it before today? Answer: sometimes things don’t register until they’re viewed from an unusual … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Gorgeous October sunset!

Posted on October 11, 2019

Taken tonight as I was leaving my office. I wanted to shoot a panorama so you could see the beautiful glow of all that orange light reflected and reflected again off of office building windows and down onto the streets … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Mid-century wall and windows – getting closer to getting it right

Posted on October 10, 2019

This wall of windows at Milwaukee Area Technical College has caught my eye for a long time. Not sure why, but the starkness of the pattern appeals to me. Previous photos, like the one below taken through my car window … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments