Essays. When nothing seems to fit my mood, nonfiction usually works. I love essays, and Michael Perry’s Population:485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time was just what I needed. And, I think someone here recommended his book Truck: A Love Story at one time or another. I’m looking forward to his other collections.

Michael Perry is from New Auburn, Wisconsin, population, 485. He went to nursing school, took EMT classes, and after over a decade away, returned home. “The trick is reattaching”, becoming part of the community again. He found that in the volunteer fire department. Perry, who makes his living as a writer, says, “A guy like me ends up on the fire department for two reasons: (a) I have a pulse, and (b) I’m frequently home during the day.” He might not have a lot in common with some of the members, but when they’re working as a team, they have that sense of serving the community in common. Although, Perry’s mother and two brothers are members of the volunteer fire department, so he does have family in common.

Perry’s book is a beautiful collection of essays. It begins and ends with tragedy. As a fireman, there are always shadows and memories of tragedy and death. But, in a small community, most of the deaths are people known by the department. Or, their family members are people seen every day. There’s an awareness that even hangs over Perry, and he talks about death and his feelings about it in one chapter.

But, Population:485 isn’t all about tragedy. It’s about the history of the town, the characters who make up the fire department, the way they remember mistakes made, and make light of those later in the year. No one lives down a mistake, so it might as well become humorous. It’s about a writer who says, “As of this writing, he is the only member of the New Auburn Area Fire Department to have missed the monthly meeting because of a poetry reading.”

Really, Michael Perry’s book is about finding your way home, and making it home again. It’s about finding community. It’s a book about loss and death, recognizing life right now. And, it’s written by a poet who can express his thoughts and feelings better than many of his can. It’s just a peek into a small town struggling to stay alive, but struggling to contain its heart, the people.

Michael Perry’s website is http://www.sneezingcow.com

Population: 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time by Michael Perry. HarperCollins, 2002.. 234p.

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