The exceptional collection of poems that draw upon the experience, craft, and insights of Douglas M. Smith of Chelsea, Michigan, a writer who has spent more than thirty years in the field of social work.
The Orchard Street Press
P.O. Box 280; Gates Mills, Ohio 44040; 330-264-7733
Orchard721agmail.com , orchpress.com
Spring, 2019
The Orchard Street Press is pleased to announce the publication of Social Work and Other Myths, a new collection from Douglas M. Smith of Chelsea, Michigan.
While Social Work and Other Myths is an excellent book of poetry, it is much more than that; it is an important statement about the realities of social work and the people it serves. These clear, accessible poems emerge from the writer's long experience as a social worker and community organizer; Mr. Smith has worked with low income households, the afflicted, and the homeless for more than forty years. His carefully crafted work reflects that experience and conveys his hard-won insights.
In "Food Pantry Blues," Smith writes:
I sort through old photographs of rainy city streets
looking for the homeless man who used to visit me
on drizzly mornings, cooing like a dove and reciting
his lonely manifesto--
days rise like thirsty angel food cakes
full of sugar and air, by nightfall deflate
into dry tasteless crumbs even the ants won't eat
Writers, critics, and the social work community have already taken notice of Social Work and Other Myths. Some of their comments are noted on the attached flyer.
Social Work and Other Myths would make a great addition to a social work professional's personal library, and it would certainly enrich a college library's collection on the subject. Beyond that, in the breadth and depth of its vision, its clarity of language and image, and its very personal perspective, it would also be an excellent auxiliary text in any number of social work classes.
Individual copies of Social Work and Other Myths, a perfect-bound paperback, are available for $16 from The Orchard Street Press; P.O. Box 280; Gates Mills, Ohio 44040. The cost to bookstores is $10 per copy. A flyer and order form are included with this announcement. If you have questions or would like additional information about ordering Social Work and Other Myths, please call Orchard Street at 330-264-7733.