Rebecca Brown's Interview with
Michael Perry
Author of
Population 485:
Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time

Rebecca:
I was delighted to read this author's energetic & often ironic stories of his life as a fireman, where he also must face the trials & troubles of his neighbors. All he has written into a compassionate & satisfying read.

Every small town in America has a story of how it came into being, would you tell us a little of New Auburn, Wisconsin?

Michael:
The glaciers came first, departing 10,000 years ago, leaving hills & lakes. Based on the discovery of a copper lance point in the area, it is speculated that the first humans came through about 6,000 years ago. Eventually the area became home to the Sioux Indians. The Chippewa (Ojibwe) tribe arrived later, there was fighting, & in the late 1700s, the Ojibwe drove out the Sioux. French explorers followed, but it wasn't until the 1870s that a white settlement took hold. As with many of the communities in northern Wisconsin, New Auburn was born as a lumber camp. The first buildings were built with boards straight off the mill.

Rebecca:
Why did you move away, & when & why did you decide to become a First Responder, a fireman?

Michael:
I moved away when I was 18, although I had been spending summers away since I was 16 (working on a ranch in Wyoming). It was no big breakaway move, I just went off to college. Twelve years passed, during which I got a nursing degree, worked as an EMT, & began writing. I tend to keep to myself, & so when I moved back to New Auburn, I figured the best way I could become a part of the community was by joining the fire department. It was a natural move, as my mom & two brothers were already members.

Rebecca:
What brought you home, & how do your hands set you apart from your neighbors?

Michael:
I always felt the pull of this place. I just feel centered here. In many ways it is an unremarkable, run-down little spot, but as I have written, I understand the language, & happiness can be a matter of global positioning. Having said that, my brothers & fellow firefighters get a kick out of my reputation in literary circles as some sort of backwoods blue collar rough boy, since my hands are soft, pink & callus-free. You just don't put much wear on them when you type all the time.

Rebecca:
I particularly relished your descriptions of your running, how you see your neck of the woods as you jog by. What time of day do you prefer to run, & what was the scariest moment you encountered?

Michael:
I have always preferred to run after dark, because no matter how clunky & slow you might be, you feel fast in the dark. It is some sort of optical/sensory illusion. Lately I have taken to running earlier in the day, but I can still be found running the loop after midnight. I have had two scary moments while running. In one case, I was forced to the shoulder by a pack of rollerblading Amish youths. People find this hard to believe, but whenever the weather is nice, I can find you some. In the other instance, I was running into the wind when I nearly stumbled over a black bear. The bear was as startled as I was & ran off across the field. I made it home in record time.

Rebecca:
Which writers have influenced you?

Michael:
Jim Harrison, Dylan Thomas, Sharon Olds, John McPhee, John Hildebrand, Bruce Taylor, & shelves & shelves of others. My writing has also been influenced by Waylon Jennings & Steve Earle.

Rebecca:
As a First Responder your stories inevitably describe horrendous accidents & fires, & your book could have been a depressing roster a tragedy. What is it about humor, that keeps you sane?

Michael:
I like humor for two reasons. Specific to your question, it serves as an essential outlet, a place to go with our fear & despair. Gallows humor has always been a vital part of any tragic scene. Ultimately, humor is a way of letting the dark forces know they cannot win.

As a writer, I value humor because it helps me decompress after going off on some philosophical ramble. A little joke is my way of saying, “I could be wrong.”

Rebecca:
Why on earth is there a Hovercraft in New Auburn?

Michael:
I have no idea, but as long as I live here, it will ever be so.

Rebecca:
What do you hope Readers will find in your stories?

Michael:
For the past two years, I have been using one word over & over: grateful. I'm grateful that I was ever given the opportunity to write. I'm grateful that I grew up & returned to a place that filled me with such a sense of belonging & purpose. & I'm grateful that so many readers seem to have enjoyed the story of that place. What I have found is that although I was writing about a very specific place with some very specific characters, readers seem to be able to see themselves & their neighbors in the stories. Nothing makes me happier than to be signing a book a thousand miles from home & to have the reader smile & say, “Your town is just like my town.”

Rebecca:
Thank you, Michael, for penning the rich & enjoyable tales from your life as a First Responder in small town USA, I greatly enjoyed the visit, is there anything else you would like to say?

Michael:
Thanks for the opportunity to check in. It's been a busy week here, we've had a couple of bad accidents & a small fire, but the grass is green & the One-Eyed Beagle is ready to help out if you need him. For updates on life in New Auburn & beyond, swing by www.sneezingcow.com. I check in every now & then, reporting on everything from the state of my garden (anemic & squirrel-riddled) to the state of the Jamboree Days beer tent.

Rebecca:
Do catch my review of Michael Perry's humorous & insightful Population 485 I know you're going to like it & you go out & buy yourself a copy! Rebecca Brown
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