The practices and prejudices a of small Indiana town are laid bare in "Joe's Smoke & News", literary short fiction by small press stalwart Doug Draime. What begins, for narrator Danny Durrell, as a shiftless, adolescent utopia, soon becomes a quiet rumination on the vast human cost of selfish opportunism—be it that of a few young misfits, a blind smoke-shop owner, a cross-eyed cop, or the town drunk. Unblinking and painted in masterstrokes of restraint, mendicant bookworks is proud to offer more fine literary short fiction from some of today's very best unknowns.About the Author:Doug Draime has been a presence in the 'underground' and independent press since 1968. He was awarded small PEN grants in 1987 and 1991 and has been nominated for several Pushcart Prizes in the last few years. He lives in the southern Oregon foothills with his wife and family.