The small town is a haven in an unruly world. There is much reassurance in the familiar. Shirley at the post office knows everybody's name. Bingo is every Wednesday night at the Legion. The community pulls together unquestioningly for funerals, fires and parades. A small town sets the parameters for personal successes and takes the blame for failures.

Hot Town and other stories is a book about people who exchange their high expectations for belonging. Small town people are loyal and resilient, with histories steeped in both tradition and subversion. They tolerate disappointment well, while a betrayal is never forgotten. Memory is the foundation of the small town, accurate or not. And memory runs deep, deeper than the abandoned gravel pit north of the tracks.

• Cover
• Advance praise for Janet Trull’s debut collection
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Hot Town
• Days of Our Lives
• Yellow Camaro
• After the Wedding
• Embracing Decay
• The Happy Prince
• The Chip Truck
• My Life and Times
• Polio Camp
• Wind Chimes
• Rural Route
• Garbage Day
• You Asked for It
• Grim Things
• Blue Finger
• The Exhibition
• Spoonbills
• Corn Roast