Events › Online Author Talks: Michael Perry

Humor, Heart, and Reflective Rural Stories with Michael Perry

Join us in conversation with bestselling author and humorist Michael Perry, whose collection of genre-spanning works encapsulates the experiences–and the magic–of rural town communities and the everyday people who reside in them.

In Michael Perry’s memoir, Population: 485, 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, and the back roads are haunted by the ghosts of children and farmers. Against a backdrop of fires and tangled wrecks, bar fights and smelt feeds, Perry tells a frequently comic tale leavened with moments of heartbreaking delicacy and searing tragedy.

The Jesus Cow, Perry’s fiction debut, is a hilarious yet sincere exploration of faith and the foibles of modern life. Low-key Harley Jackson finds himself entangled in drama from all corners: A woman in a big red pickup has stolen his bachelor’s heart, a Hummer-driving predatory developer is threatening to pave the last vestiges of his family farm, and inside his barn is a calf bearing the image of Jesus Christ–a secret he wants to keep quiet, until the truth slips right through the barn door.

Enjoy this and a range of talks from bestselling authors and thought leaders covering a broad spectrum of genres and topics and featuring interactive Q&A sessions (questions can be submitted in advance upon registration), presented by the Library Speakers Consortium. Presentation will be recorded and available after the event. See all author and expert presentations, both upcoming and previously recorded »

For inquiries about accessibility and accommodations, please contact us at ask@jocolibrary.org or 913-826-4600 at least two weeks before the event.