Michael Perry's Blog, page 383

Miscellaneous Book Notes

First, this.

Then, briefly:

Charles Rice is 80 years old.  For 30 years he served as a volunteer firefighter and he helped usher in the age of the EMT.  I'm glad he captured this history in Last Call.  There is a very helpful review here (scroll down).  More info here.

I met Tom Rivers in a blur on one of my book tour stops, and he handed me his Farm Hands.  It's a front-line report from the fields where he worked side by side with immigrant laborers.

And finally, because I always tell folks you ...

Today and Every Day

From which Old Glory waves.

Fire on Wheels

I've received a number of emails from Dave Modder and have met his Aunt Grace.  They've shared very kind thoughts about my books over the years.  So I'm pleased to let you know that you can see Dave in action on the Fox Sports Network show Inside Drag Racing on July 4 at 10:30 a.m. and Monday, July 5, at 3:30 p.m.  Dave's website is here.  Background info on Dave here (Wisconsin feller!) (also a captain on a Major Airline…if you're taking off with him, you'll probably get pushed just a...

Sounds Like Summer

Our little family enjoyed the company of friends and neighbors at Volume One's "Sounds Like: Summer" concert series last night.  The Phoenix Park ampitheater was jammed with people picnicking, enjoying the music, and getting along in the sort of way that we sometime forget is possible.  Don't mean to overstate it, just want to say we had a real nice time and thank you to Volume One for setting up the series and to the sponsors for supporting it.

Special Emergency Lingo

In Population 485 I wrote of the little lady who called the ambulance and was then ready and waiting on her porch with packed suitcase at her side.  Fellow named Steve emailed me to say his buddy Rusty (EMS long-timer) calls that a "Positive Samsonite."

In related news, I figured I'd heard of every rescue mnemonic under the sun, until a guy approached me at a reading this spring and asked me if I knew what "BSDS" stood for.  He said it was reserved for those real nasty calls that are such a...

The Man Gave Me Some Joy

Jonathan Wolken has died.  I had never heard of him until I read his obituary.  But it turns out he was one of the founders of Pilobolus Dance Theater.  I have fond memories of a day I spent wandering Chelsea, looking at art, eating at the Empire Diner, and then happening into a Pilobolus performance at the Joyce Theater.

Kashtin

Been a while since I hauled out the Kashtin albums.  Can't for the life of me recall how I first heard of them.  Wouldn't be surprised if it was on WOJB, some late night drive.  Plugged some in on a drive with the family yesterday and enjoyed the rediscovery.  We were listening to the Innu album.  The "Overture" and "Nikanish" are a good start, and I enjoy the power of "Harricana," but for late night mopey writing sessions, it's tough to beat "Ishkuess."

There's a video of "Ishkuess" here...

Why She Sings

According to the three-year-old: "When I sing my heart feels colorful."

Dang Pigweed

Planted a patch of oats where the pigs were last year.  Got some amazing oats…nearly shoulder high and deep green.  Unfortunately they're infested with pigweed (lamb's quarters?) that is equally green and head-high.  Hand-pulling it to salvage the oats.  Leaves a patchy-looking mess but better than giving up entirely, which I was prepared to do until my wife jacked me up.

We have two other patches of oats planted on land that hadn't been tilled for 25 years.  It's paler and a tad stunted, but ...

Talking Pigs

A while back I talked about pigs with Yael Grauer of the food magazine Spezzatino.  The entire interview is available here as a downloadable .pdf.  Yael asked some good questions that led the conversation off into a few less-common corners.