Great River Writes Events: Michael Perry
Free Staged Reading of Michael Perry’s Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time
Friday | November 30 | 7:00-9:30pm
Weber Center for the Performing Arts
428 Front St. | La Crosse, WI
Population 485: Here the local vigilante is a farmer’s wife armed with a pistol and a Bible, the most senior member of the volunteer fire department is a cross-eyed butcher with one kidney and two ex-wives (both of whom work at the only gas station in town), and the back roads are haunted by the ghosts of children and farmers. Michael Perry loves this place. He grew up here, and now—after a decade away—he has returned. Mike figures the best way to regain his credibility is to join the volunteer fire department. Against a backdrop of fires and tangled wrecks, bar fights and smelt feeds, he tells a frequently comic tale leavened with moments of heartbreaking delicacy and searing tragedy.
Q & A with Author Michael Perry
Saturday | December 1 | 1:00-3:30pm
La Crosse Public Library
In this open Q & A, Michael Perry will share his path into writing, how to make a living as a freelancer, talk about writing in multiple genres, and probably seque into some funny stories.
About the Author
Michael Perry is a New York Times bestselling author, humorist and radio show host from New Auburn, Wisconsin.
Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom. Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then wound up writing by happy accident. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and is an amateur pig farmer. He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist, and tours with his band the Long Beds (currently recording their third album for Amble Down Records). He has recorded three live humor albums including Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues, is currently finishing his first young adult novel, and can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.
Sponsored by the River Arts Alliance in collaboration with the Great River Writes Series 2018.