Exploring Rural America: An Entertaining Introduction

What is rural? And what is rural life like? Is West Campus rural?

Join us as Michael Perry—an accidental New York Times bestselling author and humorist from New Auburn, Wisconsin—provides an entertaining introduction to rural America.

In addition to being an author and playwright, Perry produces the popular audio newsletter “Michael Perry’s Voice Mail.” His bestselling memoirs include Population: 485 (subsequently adapted for the stage), Truck: A Love Story, Coop, Visiting Tom, and Montaigne in Barn Boots. Among his other dozen titles are The Scavengers (for young readers), his novel The Jesus Cow, and his two most recent books, Million Billion and Peaceful Persistence.

Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then detoured into writing. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and has a handful of chickens.

He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist (his live humor albums include Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues), tours with his band The Long Beds, and lives online at www.sneezingcow.com.

This event is part of a series hosted by the Stanford Rural Engagement Network, a collaboration of The Bill Lane Center for the American West and Haas Center for Public Service. To stay informed of Stanford’s efforts to deepen engagement with domestic rural communities, sign up here.