Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
Essays. Nonfiction. Humor (Nonfiction.) HTML: "A delightful mix of humor and pathos, touching the heart and tickling the funny bone.". HTML: Whether he's fighting fires, passing a kidney stone, hammering down I-80 in an 18-wheeler, or meditating on the relationship between cowboys and God, Michael Perry draws on his rural roots and footloose past to write from a perspective that merges the local with the global. Ranging across subjects as diverse as lot lizards, Klan wizards, and small-town funerals, Perry's writing in this wise and witty collection of essays balances earthiness with poetry, kinetics with contemplation, and is regularly salted with his unique brand of humor..
Media reviews
School Library Journal
Perry has been a farmer, registered nurse, firefighter, cowboy, backpacker, and reporter. In a somewhat laconic, thoroughly enjoyable style, he introduces folks he has met on his journeys. The 33 solid essays, written over the past 10 years, convey the wonder of the seemingly ordinary. Whether
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riding along on the back of a Harley for a firsthand look at Rolling Thunder's annual tribute to soldiers who gave their life in Vietnam or contemplating the ways that Elvis has permeated the lives of people born after his death, Perry shows that everyone has a story. Convoy gives a passenger's-eye view of life as a trucker and paints a compelling picture of how American consumerism is tied to the 3.1 million or so truckers on the road. Fear This is the author's response to the arrogance of a nation that prides itself on No Fear slogans when it has not had to experience all that there is to fear in this world (written in 1997, the piece is even more meaningful after 9/11). The one flaw in the book is the paucity of recent pieces – only 10 were written since 2001. Perry shows such an uncommon mix of wisdom and humor that one feels a little cheated not to have been given a glimpse into more of his thoughts on the state of the world today. Reluctant readers will appreciate the scope Perry covers in only a few pages, and avid readers will enjoy getting to know him and a few of his friends. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
A collection of magazine articles and essays. Most written for specific editors and audiences. Still Perry, still insightful, interesting, and poetic, and still, imo, worth keeping forever. Sometimes his writing gets just a little florid. One of my favorite pieces here, Branding God," does
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get that way: use the Amz feature Look Inside to find the longish paragraph that includes the words "pawning off our purities." If you like that, read yourself some Perry. If it's too much for you, consider reading some Perry anyway. ;)" Show Less
LibraryThing member unclebob53703
Essays from the 90s, hit and miss, some very good. I much prefer his memoirs.