Michael Perry’s “Coop” on WPR’s “Chapter A Day”

Michael Perry’s Coop on WPR’s “Chapter A Day”

Please note: Readings are archived for one week following the broadcast day of the last chapter due to publisher
copyright restrictions.

“I think of Coop as an attempt to honor my parents. There’s a lot of silly stuff in there about grown-up goofy me trying to raise pigs and chickens and babies, sure, but woven throughout is the story of how my city-raised parents–the two most humble and charitable people I have ever known–struck out to raise a family on a small northwestern Wisconsin farm. Over time that family would grow to include legions of children, many of them with special needs and challenges. Ours was a childhood spent milking cows and slinging manure and shearing sheep and skidding logs, but also a childhood spent free-ranging the surrounding swamps and woodlands, reveling in the last of the true “old-timers,” and beginning a journey of faith and doubt that continues to this day. Through it all, I went to bed every night knowing every one of us was loved. It’s always an honor to have one of my books read on “Chapter A Day,” but I am especially pleased that in this case the story revolves around the Mom and Dad who raised me. Me, and countless other children, often more than a beat-up old Volkswagen van could hold.

“Chapter A Day” Details

• Starting Wednesday, September 23 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Jim Fleming will read Michael Perry’s Coop for a half hour each weekday on Wisconsin Public Radio.
• The show airs live on the radio on the following shows at the times below:
• WPR Music: 7:00 pm (CT)
• WPR News: 9:30 pm (CT)

Where to listen

• Your local station can be found here: https://www.wpr.org/find-your-station. The reading will also air on WNMU FM 90 in Marquette, MI.
• If you miss a chapter on the radio, you can listen to it here: https://www.wpr.org/shows/chapter-day