Author Frank Smith December 4

Author Frank Smith December 4 at Camden Public Library

Maine author Frank O. Smith will be reading from his new novel “Dream Singer” at the Camden Public Library on Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 pm. “Dream Singer” was a finalist for the Bellwether Prize, created by best-selling novelist Barbara Kingsolver, “in support of a literature of social change.” Smith, who teaches writing at the Maine College of Art, will also share “the five critical elements of successful storycraft.”

“Dream Singer,” set in the 1970s, is the story of Elijah McCloud, a Native American elder who lives as a recluse in the mountains of the west. As a boy, he was recognized to have the gift of dream singing, the ability to see what is to come through dreams. But using it selfishly, he lost it and became estranged from his family, his Modoc tribal heritage. A seemingly chance crossing of paths with a thirteen-year-old runaway who has witnessed a murder in a rail yard turns Elijah’s path in a completely new direction. The grandeur of the West and Native People’s ancient ties to the land are central in this story of betrayal of love and a quest for redemption. Listening keenly to rekindled dreams and the natural world becomes a matter of life and death. And ultimately – hope.

Says best-selling author Pat Conroy of Dream Singer: “Elijah McCloud is a great character in American literature. Smith writes lyrically of his world, the American West, what once was and still is. Part love story, tragedy, and mystery, Dream Singer is a free-rolling journey of the heart.”

Frank O Smith is a writer, ghostwriter, and writing coach. He is also a regular contribution to the “Maine Sunday Telegram” Book page. He lives with his wife on the coast of Maine.

“Dream Singer” is published by Artisan Island Press, a small, literary press created by four investors. A “middle way” between commercial and self-publishing, the press’ editorial board selectively chooses projects for its creative team to collaborate on. It provides writers with editorial services, including story development editing, copyediting, custom cover art, and interior design to ensure quality standards. Artisan Island Press is proud to be a part of the emergence of curated publishing, and a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association.