Small Towns, Big Shoes

After a difficult period of loss, illness, and recovery, Michael Mauldin needed a reason to return to the road. He found one in the names scattered across the American map: Paris, Moscow, London, Cairo, Hollywood, and dozens of other small towns carrying names much larger than themselves. Over the next ten months, Mauldin completed thirteen trips through fifteen states, traveling back roads and photographing whatever drew his attention along the way. The photographs reveal quiet streets, faded buildings, working landscapes, roadside curiosities, signs, storefronts, and moments of unexpected humor and beauty. The trips became more than a photographic project. The act of traveling, looking, and photographing provided a sense of purpose and became part of the healing process itself. Small Towns, Big Shoes is a photographic exploration of overlooked America and a personal record of loss, movement, discovery, and beginning to heal, one small town at a time.