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From the Top: Brief Transmissions from Tent Show Radio
“I’m happy to go to the opera, but I should like to be allowed to wear steel-toed boots with my evening suit. I like to read Harper’s with a chaser of Varmint Hunter Magazine. Maybe that’s why I enjoy a good show under canvas. Here we sit, brain-deep in arts and culture, but we’re also just people hanging out in a tent, some of us wearing logging boots, a few of us wearing Birkenstocks, but best of all we’re breathing free fresh air filled with music.”
From Scandihoovian Spanglish to snickering chickens, New York Times best-selling author and humorist Michael Perry navigates a wide range of topics in this collection of brief essays drawn from his weekly appearances on the nationally syndicated Tent Show Radio program. Fatherhood, dumpster therapy, dangerous wedding rings, Christmas trees, used cars, why you should have bacon in your stock portfolio, loggers in clogs - whatever the subject, Perry has a rare ability to touch both the funny bone and the heart.
From Scandihoovian Spanglish to snickering chickens, New York Times best-selling author and humorist Michael Perry navigates a wide range of topics in this collection of brief essays drawn from his weekly appearances on the nationally syndicated Tent Show Radio program. Fatherhood, dumpster therapy, dangerous wedding rings, Christmas trees, used cars, why you should have bacon in your stock portfolio, loggers in clogs - whatever the subject, Perry has a rare ability to touch both the funny bone and the heart.
Audible Audio
First published November 4, 2013
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About the author
Michael Perry
26 books606 followersMichael Perry is a New York Times bestselling author, humorist and radio show host from New Auburn, Wisconsin.
Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom. Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then wound up writing by happy accident. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and is an amateur pig farmer. He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist, and tours with his band the Long Beds (currently recording their third album for Amble Down Records). He has recorded three live humor albums including Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues, is currently finishing his first young adult novel, and can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.
Perry’s essays and nonfiction have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Backpacker, Outside, Runner’s World, Salon.com, and he is a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine. His writing assignments have taken him to the top of Mt. Rainier with Iraq War veterans, into the same room as the frozen head of Ted Williams, across the United States with truckers and country music singers, and—once—buck naked into a spray-tan booth.
In the essay collection Off Main Street, Perry wrote of how his nursing education prepared him to become a writer by training him in human assessment, and he credits singer-songwriters like Steve Earle and John Prine with helping him understand that art need not wear fancy clothes. Above all, he gives credit to his parents, of whom he says, “Anything good is because of them, everything else is simply not their fault.” His mother taught him to read and filled the house with books; his father taught him how to clean calf pens, of which Perry has written, “a childhood spent slinging manure – the metaphorical basis for a writing career.”
Perry has recently been involved in several musical collaborations, including as lyricist for Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer, and as co-writer (with Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon) of the liner notes for the John Prine tribute album “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows.” Perry also collaborated with Vernon and Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne on a project that began when Vernon approached Perry and said, “Say, you’re a nurse…” The results were bloody, but then that was the point.
Of all his experiences, Perry says the single most meaningful thing he has ever done is serving 12 years beside his neighbors on the New Auburn Area Fire Department.
Mike says:
If I had to sum up my ‘career’ in one word, it would be gratitude. I get to write and tell stories all around the country, then come home to be with my family and hang out at the local feed mill complaining about the price of feeder hogs. It’s a good life and I’m lucky to have it.
Perry’s bestselling memoirs include Population 485, Truck: A Love Story, Coop, and Visiting Tom. Raised on a small Midwestern dairy farm, Perry put himself through nursing school while working on a ranch in Wyoming, then wound up writing by happy accident. He lives with his wife and two daughters in rural Wisconsin, where he serves on the local volunteer fire and rescue service and is an amateur pig farmer. He hosts the nationally-syndicated “Tent Show Radio,” performs widely as a humorist, and tours with his band the Long Beds (currently recording their third album for Amble Down Records). He has recorded three live humor albums including Never Stand Behind A Sneezing Cow and The Clodhopper Monologues, is currently finishing his first young adult novel, and can be found online at www.sneezingcow.com.
Perry’s essays and nonfiction have appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Backpacker, Outside, Runner’s World, Salon.com, and he is a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine. His writing assignments have taken him to the top of Mt. Rainier with Iraq War veterans, into the same room as the frozen head of Ted Williams, across the United States with truckers and country music singers, and—once—buck naked into a spray-tan booth.
In the essay collection Off Main Street, Perry wrote of how his nursing education prepared him to become a writer by training him in human assessment, and he credits singer-songwriters like Steve Earle and John Prine with helping him understand that art need not wear fancy clothes. Above all, he gives credit to his parents, of whom he says, “Anything good is because of them, everything else is simply not their fault.” His mother taught him to read and filled the house with books; his father taught him how to clean calf pens, of which Perry has written, “a childhood spent slinging manure – the metaphorical basis for a writing career.”
Perry has recently been involved in several musical collaborations, including as lyricist for Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Geoffrey Keezer, and as co-writer (with Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon) of the liner notes for the John Prine tribute album “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows.” Perry also collaborated with Vernon and Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne on a project that began when Vernon approached Perry and said, “Say, you’re a nurse…” The results were bloody, but then that was the point.
Of all his experiences, Perry says the single most meaningful thing he has ever done is serving 12 years beside his neighbors on the New Auburn Area Fire Department.
Mike says:
If I had to sum up my ‘career’ in one word, it would be gratitude. I get to write and tell stories all around the country, then come home to be with my family and hang out at the local feed mill complaining about the price of feeder hogs. It’s a good life and I’m lucky to have it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 6, 2017
Just wow. Sure, some of these short 'essays' riff on topics Perry has covered elsewhere, but they're still funny and/or poignant every time. And they are short - if you have trouble with shorts, think of them as 'anecdotes' or maybe simply 'reflections.'
September 22, 2015
"Bottom line is, I'm the kind of guy who's happy to attend the opera, but I should like to be allowed to wear steel-toed boots with my evening suit."
- Michael Perry, 'From the Top..."
Garrison Keillor makes me proud of my Minnesota roots, but my favorite home-spun Midwestern storyteller is across the border. Michael Perry has written a few of my faves, including 'Truck: A Love Story' and 'Population 485'. Chicken farmer, first responder, author, and humorist, his essays strike close to home and pack more laughs per page than anything I read. I appreciate 'high culture' and big-city sensibilities just fine, but writers close to home hit me closest to home. Even Keillor's New York experiment showed that a Prairie Home Companion could only work on the prairie, he's back in St. Paul where he belonged, all along. 'From the Top...' is a wide ranging collection of brief monologues written for the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, the 'Carnegie Hall of tent shows' that Perry hosts near Bayfield, Wisconsin. A collection of neighborly musings on chickens and fatherhood and pork bellies and families and dozens of other topics, but really an anti-intellectual's intellectual musings on love and life and purpose and meaning. A fun read that might inspire a roadtrip. Hope to see ya under the big blue tent at the foot of Mount Ashwabay some summer evening.
- Michael Perry, 'From the Top..."
Garrison Keillor makes me proud of my Minnesota roots, but my favorite home-spun Midwestern storyteller is across the border. Michael Perry has written a few of my faves, including 'Truck: A Love Story' and 'Population 485'. Chicken farmer, first responder, author, and humorist, his essays strike close to home and pack more laughs per page than anything I read. I appreciate 'high culture' and big-city sensibilities just fine, but writers close to home hit me closest to home. Even Keillor's New York experiment showed that a Prairie Home Companion could only work on the prairie, he's back in St. Paul where he belonged, all along. 'From the Top...' is a wide ranging collection of brief monologues written for the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, the 'Carnegie Hall of tent shows' that Perry hosts near Bayfield, Wisconsin. A collection of neighborly musings on chickens and fatherhood and pork bellies and families and dozens of other topics, but really an anti-intellectual's intellectual musings on love and life and purpose and meaning. A fun read that might inspire a roadtrip. Hope to see ya under the big blue tent at the foot of Mount Ashwabay some summer evening.
January 19, 2014
If this author were single, and I was single, I'd probably stalk him. Fell in love with Michael Perry all over again. Will be buying extra copies of this to gift.
March 13, 2023
A pretty good book but it started off really slowly. I had to pick it up a couple of times in order to get going with it. For some reason the beginning just doesn't grab you all that much, but when the stories/essays get going, they're pretty wonderful. There are actually laugh out loud moments here as well and a lot of life truths of the things we go through in this life journey we're all on. If you have ever had any experience being on a farm or working one these essays will be even more spot on. Even if you're a city person listening will be an enjoyable experience and make you yearn for a little time in the country barring any roosters going at things full throttle.
March 20, 2021
This one was quite fun and interesting.
January 31, 2014
From The Top
By Michael Perry
I recently had the pleasure of hearing Mike speak at the Mable Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie and was so enthralled by his performance that I couldn’t wait to read this. Part of the ticket price included a copy of his collection, “From The Top.” It’s an assortment of short essays that he mostly pre-recorded at his farm in Fall Creek, which were later played during intermission at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.
“One of the great freedoms of the Tent Show Radio format is that I am allowed to ramble on about whatever comes to mind: oddly shod loggers, my last cup of coffee, love and lost fingers, useful cheaters, gratitude, and guys who get guzzled. Also, timeless infinity. And Victoria’s Secret. In the same essay.”
There’s something different going on this time; in this anthology. Mike seems to be reaching into places that are very personal and true and full of emotion. He weaves not only his original charm and grace into these small windows of thought, but there’s a bearing of his soul I found really tender. He’s basically a big, huge mush-ball and I think that most of us are as well, underneath all the Midwestern-ness.
Some of the vignettes are funny, others are simply awkward and yet all seem to ring true. Most of them have a quality of touching a place we often, as a culture, miss or skip over. Like the sound of rain on the tent’s canvas and what that simple sound evokes.
“Rain on a flat rock sounds different than rain on a round rock. Rain on green leaves sounds different than rain on fallen leaves. Rain on your picnic table sounds different than rain blown sideways against a window. Rain on an umbrella sounds different than rain striking the bottom of an upturned canoe.”
See what I mean? This collection will have you laughing one moment and all teary-eyed the next. The guy has a way of observing the world around him a single scene at a time. One of the many things I found refreshing is that he’s not afraid to feel life. Not afraid to admit that sometimes things just happen that hit him right smack dab in the heart. Instead of moving away from the hard stuff; he steps forward.
Mike has the rare gift of sharing what he sees around him in a way that is both telling and new. He finds the nuance in everyday events and spins them into a story-rich tapestry. A true weaver of the human experience and not one to be shy using unusual words I often have to Google. I like that. Some of his choices are inventions. It’s all in the name of storytelling.
“…I don’t know what she caught, but by mid-morning we decided only one word really describe it, and that word was phlegm-tastic.”
This is a book to be enjoyed like chocolate; one story at a time.
By Michael Perry
I recently had the pleasure of hearing Mike speak at the Mable Tainter Center for the Arts in Menomonie and was so enthralled by his performance that I couldn’t wait to read this. Part of the ticket price included a copy of his collection, “From The Top.” It’s an assortment of short essays that he mostly pre-recorded at his farm in Fall Creek, which were later played during intermission at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua.
“One of the great freedoms of the Tent Show Radio format is that I am allowed to ramble on about whatever comes to mind: oddly shod loggers, my last cup of coffee, love and lost fingers, useful cheaters, gratitude, and guys who get guzzled. Also, timeless infinity. And Victoria’s Secret. In the same essay.”
There’s something different going on this time; in this anthology. Mike seems to be reaching into places that are very personal and true and full of emotion. He weaves not only his original charm and grace into these small windows of thought, but there’s a bearing of his soul I found really tender. He’s basically a big, huge mush-ball and I think that most of us are as well, underneath all the Midwestern-ness.
Some of the vignettes are funny, others are simply awkward and yet all seem to ring true. Most of them have a quality of touching a place we often, as a culture, miss or skip over. Like the sound of rain on the tent’s canvas and what that simple sound evokes.
“Rain on a flat rock sounds different than rain on a round rock. Rain on green leaves sounds different than rain on fallen leaves. Rain on your picnic table sounds different than rain blown sideways against a window. Rain on an umbrella sounds different than rain striking the bottom of an upturned canoe.”
See what I mean? This collection will have you laughing one moment and all teary-eyed the next. The guy has a way of observing the world around him a single scene at a time. One of the many things I found refreshing is that he’s not afraid to feel life. Not afraid to admit that sometimes things just happen that hit him right smack dab in the heart. Instead of moving away from the hard stuff; he steps forward.
Mike has the rare gift of sharing what he sees around him in a way that is both telling and new. He finds the nuance in everyday events and spins them into a story-rich tapestry. A true weaver of the human experience and not one to be shy using unusual words I often have to Google. I like that. Some of his choices are inventions. It’s all in the name of storytelling.
“…I don’t know what she caught, but by mid-morning we decided only one word really describe it, and that word was phlegm-tastic.”
This is a book to be enjoyed like chocolate; one story at a time.
July 28, 2020
Always enjoy Michael Perry's nonfiction—thoughtful, mostly fun and light, grateful. And it always makes me a bit wistful, wanting something better for this nice guy who's brushed up quite a bit in his life against the truth of Who should be getting that gratitude, but who hasn't quite connected with it. Well, as long as he keeps writing great prose, I'll keep reading it and keep being prompted to pray for him.
Narrated by the author, so juuuuuuust right in that department. First audiobook I've heard with a Ferris Beullerish bit after the end credits. That's a trend I wouldn't mind catching on.
Narrated by the author, so juuuuuuust right in that department. First audiobook I've heard with a Ferris Beullerish bit after the end credits. That's a trend I wouldn't mind catching on.
March 28, 2020
I’ve been reading this one essay at a time, spreading the joy out over a longer time, but I finished it in a rush because I needed the comfort right now. It’s comforting to read about back home during uncertainty, and Michael Perry’s voice always makes me smile and brings me comfort and welcome insight.
January 28, 2018
Another 5-star book for me. This collection will make you laugh out loud - his humor is usually of the self-deprecating variety, never the "let's make fun of someone else" variety. And without preaching, Perry's words will probably make you want to do a little naval gazing. Perry's work always packs a positive punch, and this collection offers a shining example. Micheal Perry's "Brief transmissions" is wonderful.
December 23, 2013
From The Top is a tidy collection of tales and monologues that remind us its ok to slow down a bit and enjoy the life going on around us. Maybe even advisable to do so. There is a little something for everyone here; for my part I have a little warmer spot for my lovely wife, and for her damned chickens...
November 29, 2016
Perhaps not as enjoyable as Population 485 or Truck, it is still good. Short (very short - about 2 pages each) essays on various topics. Best read a small bite at a time. One essay here or there. Not meant for one gulp reading.
June 7, 2017
Michael Perry’s “From the Top: Brief Transmissions from Tent Show Radio” we get a whimsical look into the life of a multifaceted personality whose many talents include being an emcee, author, EMT/ registered nurse, father, husband and farmer. Written as a collection of tales and monologues which were played at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua Tent Michael explores a gambit of human emotions in a variety of topics from fatherhood, chickens and dumpster therapy to wedding rings and a dose of the strep.
A master of contrasts he skilfully compares his non-drinking and non-smoking in “Teetotal” with his addiction to coffee in “Re-Decaffeinated". From waxing poetical about human commitment, he easily slides from a tale about the loss of fingers to losing his wedding ring in “Ring Off, Ring On”. Mixing the warmth of family, and his personal experiences with tales that are humorous or emotionally insightful Michael Perry ‘s collection is not only refreshing but very real.
I thoroughly enjoyed the folksy writing style of “From the Top: Brief Transmissions from Tent Show Radio” and will look for other books by an author who can touch both the “funny bone and the heart.”
A master of contrasts he skilfully compares his non-drinking and non-smoking in “Teetotal” with his addiction to coffee in “Re-Decaffeinated". From waxing poetical about human commitment, he easily slides from a tale about the loss of fingers to losing his wedding ring in “Ring Off, Ring On”. Mixing the warmth of family, and his personal experiences with tales that are humorous or emotionally insightful Michael Perry ‘s collection is not only refreshing but very real.
I thoroughly enjoyed the folksy writing style of “From the Top: Brief Transmissions from Tent Show Radio” and will look for other books by an author who can touch both the “funny bone and the heart.”
January 14, 2021
Just finished my third and last audiobook available through my library system by Michael Perry, and I thought it was great. These are short stories he told during intermission at the Big Top Chautauqua in Wisconsin (which I have tried to attend previously, but couldn't fit it in to my travels...but will now!)
Always good, sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful. Thought it was great.
Always good, sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful. Thought it was great.
May 10, 2021
One of the few books I have ever re-read, and will continue to re-read. This is the book which introduced me to Michael Perry - it's funny, honest (sometimes even sobering), real, and comforting. Each time I read a passage, I fall in love with life, Wisconsin, and being a small-town girl all over again. This collection of Perry's essays and transmissions is truly a treasure.
August 13, 2018
Michael Perry is consistently wonderful and this is no exception. And, since it's a series of short pieces, I was able to enjoy it for a long time, dropping in to read a couple of essays now and then while reading other books.
April 9, 2018
Brief essays on life that were first presented at Big Top Chautauqua in Northern WI.
March 11, 2019
Interesting short essays, many with humorous clever twists.
April 9, 2019
Maybe I need to read this after his other books.
April 27, 2019
This is the third book I’ve read by Michael Perry. It was a bit different than the first two but I still enjoyed it.
November 14, 2019
A great lunch hour book.
May 8, 2021
I enjoyed these short anecdotes. They reminded me of his newspaper editorials, which is how I first found out about this author.
January 8, 2024
Easy book to read. Can be read in small chunks or an hour of reading.
January 20, 2024
Comforting, short essays, all very familiar in tone, style, and content to his regular readers.
August 11, 2016
I won a copy of From the Top: Brief Transmissions from Tent Show Radio from a firstreads giveaway, and I think I knew what to expect from this book when I saw the picture of the author on the back. Michael Perry is wearing a t-shirt and knit cap while holding a pair of fancy chickens. He's a farmer, an emcee, a comedian, and an author. This book is a collection of his monologues from the "Tent Radio Show," a program syndicated on NPR.
Michael Perry's monologues are folksy, entertaining, and short, on a range of topics as diverse as farming (he's a small-time farmer by his own admission), Crocs (the shoes, and never referred to by name), Music, and Christmas Trees to name a few. I finished this book quickly, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was more familiar with the program (I don't think WAMU carries it). This is more of a book for listeners, but it's still got some appeal for the rest of us. File this one under "musings".
Michael Perry's monologues are folksy, entertaining, and short, on a range of topics as diverse as farming (he's a small-time farmer by his own admission), Crocs (the shoes, and never referred to by name), Music, and Christmas Trees to name a few. I finished this book quickly, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was more familiar with the program (I don't think WAMU carries it). This is more of a book for listeners, but it's still got some appeal for the rest of us. File this one under "musings".
May 1, 2017
Oh, Goodreads....
We really need the "4 and a half" star rating!
(And then we'd want "4.78 or some ridiculous thing...)
I loved this little book of essays.
It's one of those "keep in the glove box in the car permanently" books. A book that I'll read once a year, like the James Herriot or Patrick McManus books that are all worn out and lovingly tattered. Michael Perry has such a real, generous, funny, thoughtful voice and....this is my favorite part....uses big, juicy, dictionary words intermingled with folksy vernacular. He's respectful in all the right places, humorous when the story could get too heavy, relatable in every way to a 40 something person who has just figured out they're halfway finished with their life but just getting started, too. A completely delightful read, and one that I'll be sharing with friends and family.
Once again, Goodreads giveaways delivered a winner, and I'm happy to give it a 4.89 review!
We really need the "4 and a half" star rating!
(And then we'd want "4.78 or some ridiculous thing...)
I loved this little book of essays.
It's one of those "keep in the glove box in the car permanently" books. A book that I'll read once a year, like the James Herriot or Patrick McManus books that are all worn out and lovingly tattered. Michael Perry has such a real, generous, funny, thoughtful voice and....this is my favorite part....uses big, juicy, dictionary words intermingled with folksy vernacular. He's respectful in all the right places, humorous when the story could get too heavy, relatable in every way to a 40 something person who has just figured out they're halfway finished with their life but just getting started, too. A completely delightful read, and one that I'll be sharing with friends and family.
Once again, Goodreads giveaways delivered a winner, and I'm happy to give it a 4.89 review!
May 20, 2016
3.5 stars. Michael Perry steps behind the microphone and fills the empty space with his words of wisdom during intermission at the Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua shows in Bayfield, Wisconsin. These monologues "must be brief enough to fit the six-minute sandwich between two thick slices of music." Though he has written down these cute, introspective, wise, witty and not-so-witty stories I think they would've made a greater impact in audio version (or the real thing!).
I personally have seen some performances Under the Big Top Chautauqua and loved the experience! Would highly recommend a visit to The Big Top. (As a side note, the performances are not all music.)
But read this little gem all in one sitting or 6 minutes at a time.
I personally have seen some performances Under the Big Top Chautauqua and loved the experience! Would highly recommend a visit to The Big Top. (As a side note, the performances are not all music.)
But read this little gem all in one sitting or 6 minutes at a time.
December 30, 2013
This is a delightful compilation of radio talks by Michael Perry, the host of Tent Show Radio in northern Wisconsin. The talks are very short, about two or three pages each and are humorous looks at life in rural America. But don't be fooled. These are very 21st Century observations of what it's like to be a father, a husband, a farmer, a shopper, a fixer of things gone wrong, and much more. Whether you live in the country or the city, you'll relate to these stories.
June 30, 2015
After vacationing several times in the Bayfield, WI area, and going to a show once at the Big Top Chautauqua, I thought it would be fun to read this book. I'm not sure it would have been as much fun without my having been there. I read it on the Kindle on my phone, and the short, folksy essay format made it great for reading whenever I had a few spare minutes waiting somewhere.
March 31, 2015
Michael Perry is always a quick and enjoyable read. This was fun because it was really just short musings. It was perfect for a long train ride where I often stopped and started. It also makes me quietly homesick for Wisconsin and the US midwest, but in a beautiful and nostalgic way that only Michael Perry and Garrison Keillor can elicit.
Read
March 4, 2014Michael Perry's brief humorous essays never fail to please, especially for readers like myself who enjoy stories from the rural Midwest.
Please note that I do not use the star rating system, so this review should not be interpreted as a zero.
Please note that I do not use the star rating system, so this review should not be interpreted as a zero.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews