Overview

This collection of poems, essays, and short stories draws from the creative and expressive minds of longtime Johnston County residents and newcomers alike, as well as persons scattered across the nation who cling to their local roots. Some writings are about carrying on traditions, and some are about simply carrying on through life's crooks and turns. Readers get some unique tastes of rural and small-town life, such as Bill Joe Austin and his music-making, kids playing store, tobacco-barning, and new residents finding a place they can call home (that is, after learning to swat mosquitoes and understand Southern dialect). There are poems that provoke an array of thought and emotion, a sweet potato biscuit recipe to make the mouth water, and a former Smithfield mayor's comedic spin on local politics that is pure entertainment.