In Drought Time: Scenes from Rural and Small Town Life

Poetry. IN DROUGHT TIME presents the story of small town and rural life through art and poetry. With the swift change in land use and the growth of villages into cities across the Midwest and beyond, IN DROUGHT TIME attempts to capture a way of life that is in flux and perhaps soon to be lost forever. Nationally known painters and writers contribute to a unique portrait of people and place not often addressed in literary anthologies. This is a book not just for poetry and art lovers, but for anyone who has dreamed about life beyond the urban sprawl and for the many who have already fled the city for life in the country or in a small town. IN DROUGHT TIME is not just a celebration of the beauty and peace of a pastoral life but also addresses the darker side of this exodus: the loss of family farms, isolation, small town prejudice, and the homogenization of middle class life.

Douglas M. Smith is a past award winner of the Current Magazine and Chelsea Poetry Contests and has been writing and publishing his poetry for over twenty years. He is currently finishing up work on a novel about Detroit and hopes to have a collection of his own poetry published soon. Melody Vassoff is an award winning poet whose writing has been featured in several poetry anthologies and is currently working on a collection of her own poetry. Melody has worked as a bookseller for several years and is currently working at being a literary translator. Karen Woollams designed and laid out the book. She is largely a self-taught graphic artist who enjoys creating and designing newsletters, flyers, websites, and an occasional book. She lives in and loves the Chelsea countryside with her family, including husband and fellow editor, Doug Smith.