About Shari

The Front Porch Version

My name is Shari Dragovich. I am a freelance writer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Roanoke, Virginia. My work can be found in regional and state-wide publications across the Southeast. I write about food, community, and the beauty found in particular places—especially places overlooked or taken for granted.

I grew up on a hog and crop farm in South Central Illinois. I married my high school sweetheart and have called five parts of the country ‘home’ before settling here in the mountain south. I am a mother to five nearly adult children.

My midwestern farming roots have been formidable in shaping my understanding of my surroundings. It has also shaped the subject matter of my writing. I was raised in a place where stewardship and communion with the land and others is critical for survival. Every day I witnessed my parents live and work as good stewards. My understanding of the “good life” is participating in things bigger than myself. I also believe what is good, true, and beautiful is often found in the most ordinary stuff of life.

Writing helps me participate. And acts as a restorative to my chaos.