false 409287 0060958073 9780060958077 628 173 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174506098m/409287.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/409287.Population_485_Meeting_Your_Neighbors_One_Siren_at_a_Time 2772479 Michael Perry 1282 373 5 0 false Sat Jun 27 22:40:29 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 31 21:49:04 -0700 2009
The book is divided into a number of essays on topics like the impact of dangerous road corners, the first time you puke as an EMT, dealing with the death of someone you know on the road and living in a small town. One of my favorite chapters is called Tricky. It tells the story of a local ne'er do well named Tricky who crashes his car into the laundromat. Perry relates how the fire department deals with the accident from traffic control to triage to clean up. The accident victims bizarre behavior spices up the story and so does Perry's description of the town. He is given to multiple threads in his essays and this one features a defense of country living and lifestyles, including yard art.

Although the tone of the stories vary and the book is often quite humorous, the overall, there is an overall tone of seriousness set by the opening and closing essays. These two stories center on tragic accidents and while they are quite different they are both deeply affecting, without being exploitative. The last accident involves a family member and his treatment is particularly good here.

Perry is a great writer and a stalwart defender of small town life and I want to read his other books, Truck: A Love Story and Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs and Farming.]]>