Michael Perry's Blog

Some podcast interviews go places you’d never predict, especially when you’re paired with someone you’ve never met until the camera and microphones switch on. Such was the case with my recent appearance on “Just Press Record,” which then led to this thoughtful and practical post by Matt Zeigler (which also includes a link to the podcast).

P.S. it’s “gurm” with a hard “g”.

 

 

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Somewhere back in the distant mists of time, probably when Population 485 came out, I was invited on a radio show in Madison, Wisconsin. The host greeted me like an old friend, then proceeded to make me feel like the wittiest person he’d interviewed that year. Later I would find he had the ability to do this with all his guests (and callers). Now, after an incredible 58-year run, Larry Meiller is hanging up his headphones.

So I reckon that means my last visit with Larry was my last visit with Larry. We had our usual rollicking conversation, took some calls, and discussed my latest book Improbable Mentors. You can listen on various platforms (I join just after the 5:45 mark).

– Apple Podcasts

– Spotify

– Wisconsin Public Radio

Congratulations, Larry, and thank you for all the air you allowed me.

The post Au Revoir, Larry appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

“They Never Planned to Be Writers | Aaron Gwyn & Michael Perry on Mentors Who Changed Everything”

From Mike: “This was a first…a podcast where you don’t know who you’re going to be talking to until the camera rolls. We talked about Cormac McCarthy, being raised by ranchers and farmers and loggers, losing fingers in accidents (we grew up around buzz saws, silage choppers, and roller chains), and how scars have the power to remind us that our past is real. One of those times when the electronic visit felt like shootin’ the breeze in the shop, the garage, or through the pickup truck window.”

Click HERE to watch the discussion.

More on Aaron: https://substack.com/@bloodmeridian

Mike’s books: https://sneezingcow.com/store/

 

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Mike will be a presenting author at this year’s Tucson Festival of Books, (Saturday and Sunday, March 14 & 15, 2026). As well as his usual entertaining presentation, he’ll be discussing his two latest books, Forty Acres Deep and Improbable Mentors & Happy Tangents.

Over the years, “T-fob” has raised and donated over $2 million to support local literacy programs. It has also grown into one of the largest book festivals in the United States. Admission is free, but some venues are space-limited, so you’ll want to plan ahead. All the information you’ll need is right here. As of this post, exact schedule of events is pending.

The full list of presenting authors is here.

 

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You can tell a lot about a person from the care they invest in the details. Scenes from our merch table. Thank you, Tony.

The post Tony Takes Care… appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Michael Perry joins THE CULTURE BUZZ with John Busbee today, Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:40 PM CT. If you are in the Iowa area you can listen on KFMG-LP 98.9 FM. For those out of ear shot of their radio, the interview will be streaming simultaneously at www.kfmg.org.

At 12:40 PM CT, Michael Perry, one of the Heartland’s great storytellers, returns with a wonderfully introspective book, Improbably Mentors & Happy Tangents. Enjoy Mike’s usual irresistible banter as he shares glimpses into this gem of a read, which will prove to be a soul-touching experience.

“If Mark Twain had written a book about seeking wisdom, this would have been it!”
—Andy Andrews, The Traveler’s Gift.

The post Wednesday, December 10, 2025: Michael Perry on THE CULTURE BUZZ – Improbable Mentors appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Howdy folks:

My father was a gentle man, but now and then if he figured maybe you were running your mouth a little more than necessary, he’d say, “I think you’re talkin’ just to hear your teeth click!”

Ever since my new book Improbable Mentors & Happy Tangents came out, I’ve been doing a lot of tooth-clicking. What I’ve especially enjoyed about this round of interviews is how they’ve varied. Some were in-person sit-downs, some were Zooms, some were “phoners,” and one crossed international lines. We’re sharing a few of the best below. One with a motivational speaker (and fishin’ pal…we reveal how the new book was born of us being stranded at sea); one with a successful quant investor turned philosopher/publisher/culture maven; one with a financial adviser (artists never wanna talk about that stuff); one with a farmer outta Illinois; one with a former skateboard designer turned successful podcaster (I wore gold headphones for that one); and a couple others.

Thank you for supporting the new book and all of my books. And T-shirts. And Sneezing Cow can koozies. Orders placed by December 12 should arrive by Christmas. 

Below are those interviews.

The Andy Andrews Show Website YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts Jim O’Shaughnessy’s Infinite Loops podcast Website YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts The Thing We Never Talk About Podcast Website Spotify Apple Podcasts The Passion Podcast YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts The Stuph File Program with Peter Anthony Holder Website Apple Podcasts The SHARKFARMER PodcastYou can stream the episode by clicking  HERE .8 O’Clock Buzz Radio Show with Andy MooreYou can listen to the interview  HERE .

See y’down the road,
Michael Perry

To grab a copy of Improbable Mentors and other items at the Sneezing Cow Store in time for the holidays, please order by December 12, 2025.

Print books ordered directly from ImprobableMentors.com will be signed by Mike.

Your local bookstore can order the book through Ingram.

Thanks to you, Mike’s last book, Forty Acres Deep, has sold thousands of copies and continues to find a growing audience.

To track Mike’s interviews, podcast appearances, speaking events, and live performances (and get early word on his next book), please join the mailing list.

For information on booking Mike as a speaker or for one of his popular humor performances, please visit the Booking Page.

The post …recent Michael Perry book and interviews. appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Recently, Michael Perry returned to chat with Andy Moore on the “8 O’CLOCK BUZZ” radio program on WORT-FM in Madison, WI. Andy and Michael catch up to talk about his new book, Improbable Mentors and Happy Tangents, which you can receive by Christmas if you order by December 12, 2025 here: ImprobableMentors.com.

Perry explains that the project grew out of notes he developed during a speaking engagement, material that evolved into stories about the unlikely people who shape our lives. The conversation turns to how much our work defines us, the importance of keeping an open mind, and the quiet power of listening.

You can stream the episode by clicking this link.

The post Michael Perry – Improbable Mentors and Happy Tangents on the 8 O’Clock Buzz Radio Show appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

What’s it like to go from pitching straw bales in Wisconsin to pitching scripts in Hollywood? How does an L.A. entertainment attorney take his parrot for walks? Why are people who supposedly don’t read, buying books? Why did the twine snap? What would my mother think of what I said in that meeting? What’s Louis L’Amour got to do with it? Is that really the best use of a snow plow? And what is veracity, and can it heal us?

All these questions and more are answered in a new essay by Mike currently available online thanks to the great folks at Panoptica in their “Stories of America” section. Click here to read the illustrated piece: https://www.panoptica.ai/baling-in-america/

All of Mike’s books (including his latest, Improbable Mentors & Happy Tangents) available here.

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Welcome to Michael Perry’s Voice Mail, episode 291. This one’s available to free and paid subscribers alike. Click HERE to listen.

In this episode I reveal how I agreed to allow my children to have cats only after making it clear the cats would be allowed only under my rules—but of course rather than living under my rules they snuck under them. And over them. And around them. And through them. And that was just the first week. And never mind the house, these days they pretty much run my office.

A big thank you to everyone who ordered the new book, which is now also available as an audiobook (read by me). It’s a little different, and that’s turned out to be good, because we’re meeting a whole new bunch of readers.

Okey-doke. Gotta get this cat off my lap and back to work. Not that a cat ever works.

Forward!
Mike

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