051: Montaigne in a Deer Stand: A Roughneck Contemplative on Philosophy, Bon Iver, and Marriage with Michael Perry (Author of Montaigne in Barn Boots)

by Swanson

Montaigne in a Deer Stand: A Roughneck Contemplative on Philosophy, Bon Iver, and Marriage with Michael Perry (Author of Montaigne in Barn Boots)

“I recently tested an electrified pig fencer by grabbing it with my bare hands. As the fibrillations dispersed, I regarded the unit—now pulsing in the grass some fifteen feet distant, where it landed after I spastically flung it—dumbly, then resolved to take the rest of the afternoon off and curl up with the late Michel de Montaigne’s essay, “Of the Inconsistency of Our Actions.”

– Michael Perry (opening lines from Montaigne in Barn Boots)

Michael Perry is a roughneck contemplative. A term that I am hoping he will half smirk at in self-recognition from his deer stand. We got together to talk about his latest book, Montaigne in Barn Boots: An Amateur Ambles Through Philosophy, a book that mind you, made me deeply reflect on my own life and laugh out loud while reading in crowded public spaces. A combination that doesn’t happen as often as I would like. So I wondered, what would a conversation with Michael Perry be like? Perry falls into the category of conversation partner that I admire, one who can belay between foolish laughter to gut-punch vulnerability in the span of a couple minutes.

As a music lover, for me to hear the connection between Mike Perry, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Justin Vernon and Phil Cook made me giddy. To learn that Justin Vernon and Phil Cook were once a part of Perry’s band was more than my ears could take. And this is just the tip of the conversation. Mike and I delve into how a kidney stone got him interested in the philosophy of Michel de Montaigne, why one might hesitate when they write an entire chapter about shame, the known and unknown seasons of marriage, and multitude of moments where Perry makes me snicker like a schoolboy. So pick up this book, Montaigne in Barn Boots, if you also like to philosophically bob and weave between laughter, tears and sighs of recognition. Or perhaps just like the term, roughneck contemplative.

You can learn more about Mike at sneezingcow.com (yep, you read that right) or follow him on Twitter (@Sneezing Cow) or Instagram (@Sneezing Cow).

 

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EPISODE SHOW NOTES

Books & Albums by Michael Perry

Resources Mentioned

People

  • Michael Perry and the Long Beds
  • Phil Cook
  • Justin Vernon
  • Bon Iver
  • Blind Boys of Alabama
  • LouisL’Amour
  • Ashon Crawley
  • Lucretius
  • Seneca the Elder
  • Darcy Frey
  • Balzac

Highlights

  • Let’s start with your customized winterized crocs, can you share the need for this footwear?
  • I hadn’t realized that you were a musician until a couple months ago. How does your band, Michael Perry and the Long Beds, pair with your writing life?
  • Is there a moment from that studio session with the Blind Boys of Alabama that encapsulates that sense of gratitude?
  • You write from such an authentic place, can you speak to that as an artist?
  • If someone were going to teach a class on the formation of Michael Perry, what 3 books that formed you would definitely be on that syllabus?
  • Can you share with all of us how a kidney stone introduced you to the work Michel de Montaigne
  • Was there any particular Montaigne essay that particularly spoke to you?
  • The juxtaposition of your viewpoint on marriage and Montaigne’s was comical, practical and touching. I’ve heard it said that each marriage is it’s own country, with it’s own language and cultural norms. Were there any particular stories of Montaigne’s marriage that surprised you?
  • What drink would you pair with this conversation on Montaigne?

 

Photo credit: sneezingcow.com