New York Times bestselling author — and former Rice Lake resident — Michael Perry is coming to town to “shoot the breeze” as he says, tell some tales with a hefty dose of levity and discuss his books.
Perry burst onto the literary scene with “Population: 485,” a book set in his hometown of New Auburn that invited readers to meet the neighbors “one siren at a time” while he recounted adventures on the frontlines of the volunteer fire and rescue department. The author later adapted the story to the stage, and performances were given throughout Wisconsin.
The author’s follow-up works, including “Truck: A Love Story” and “Coop,” earned him more accolades, and when Perry comes to Rice Lake Public Library on Tuesday, he will be discussing his latest: a novella titled “Forty Acres Deep.”
Now living on a farm near Fall Creek, Perry said the inspiration for “Forty Acres Deep” came during a winter featuring record-breaking snowfalls that threatened to destroy two of his pole sheds.
“A lot of of farmers lost their sheds, some lost barns, some lost livestock — one was even killed down by us,” Perry said.
Describing himself as a “knuckle-head writer with pole barns with a lot of junk in them more than anything,” Perry began to wonder what it would be like to face the same circumstances as a farmer whose livelihood was actually under threat.
Perry wrote on his website: “… the main character is also fighting his own misguided sentimentality — the bullheadedness that keeps us hanging on when we should let go. As a farmer and a citizen he’s facing suppressed rage and powerlessness in the face of change. As a husband, he’s facing all the ways you can fall short in a marriage even as you meet the standard definition. As a parent, he’s confronting — or avoiding — the worst grief imaginable. And as a human he’s brought face-to-face with those for whom the world offers no easy space.”
Perry drew on the experiences of farmers he’s known to write “Forty Acres Deep,” a novella he admits can be difficult to read. But he set out to write it from the heart, portraying the farmer’s story with as much accuracy and honesty as he could.
“I would say the rewarding thing is the number of people who have contacted me and said it just helped to hear the story told,” he said.
Although the “Forty Acres Deep” tale tends toward the grim side, it is laced with some humor, which Perry said he will bring in abundance when he greets his audience at 7 p.m. at the library.
“I always wind up doing a lot of humor and telling stories,” said the author, who also is a humorist, singer/songwriter, playwright, radio host and self-described amateur snow plow driver.
“We always have a great time,” said Perry, describing his previous visits to Rice Lake, a city he once called home. He invites people to come and relax for awhile — whether they’ve ever been to a book event or not.
“I’m just looking forward to shooting the breeze with folks and telling some stories,” he said.
For more information on Michael Perry’s work, visit sneezingcow.com .
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