In Springdale Town

by Robert Freeman Wexler

Reconciliation, longing, and ambiguity combine in one astounding Springdale. Is it a mundane New England town on a picturesque river, or the nexus of the paradoxical? Springdale appears to be a quiet village, unblemished by shopping mall or mega-store. The town sits in a fertile valley, surrounded by countryside rich in natural wonder. Summers, tourists attend the area's many arts and music festivals, and hikers crowd the trails. In the fall, reds and yellows of turning leaves decorate the landscape, and in winter, mountain resorts fill with avid skiers. But some say Springdale exists only on the contoured highways of our collective imagination. Others point to references dating back to Colonial Boston, to multiple versions of a ballad telling a story of remorse and disgrace. Here are three 1. Maps cannot be trusted; 2. All History is awash with fraud and hoax; 3. Springdale is an absence of identity. For two people, a lawyer named Patrick Travis and a television actor named Richard Shelling, Springdale is home and anti-home, a place of comfort and a distortion of everyday life. They are strangers to each other, yet connected. Their lives will intersect with a force that shatters both.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2002

About the author

For some writers, prose is a means of constructing an analogue of reality. For Robert Freeman Wexler, fiction is a means of de-constructing reality. Yet his stories have such a strong sense of linguistic integrity, it’s hard to believe that he isn’t reporting his experiences from a parallel universe. His fiction inhabits the place where the real world turns into oatmeal, where unexpected juxtapositions cause uncontrollable anxiety.

His books include novella, IN SPRINGDALE TOWN, from 2003, which was reprinted in THE BEST SHORT NOVELS OF 2004 (Science Fiction Book Club) and again in MODERN GREATS OF SCIENCE FICTION (iBooks). First novel, CIRCUS OF THE GRAND DESIGN (2004), THE PAINTING AND THE CITY (2009 and reprinted 2021), and short story collection UNDISCOVERED TERRITORIES (2021). New novel THE SILVERBERG BUSINESS is due out in spring 2022.

Reviews

[Stephani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short little weird fiction book. Really enjoyable. I love these kinds of books where I have no idea what is going on, but they feel like they could be taking place in real life, but one step weird. Really captures the loneliness and isolation of a small town and meeting people/making friends.

[CinnamonHopes · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a relatively short story, this book really punched above it's weight class! Springdale, the eponymous town of song, and inspiration for a tv show, has it's share of strange events and occurrences. When 2 similar-looking men come to town, this get even more strange. Is it a murder? Was he mad? Does one disappear forever? This book keeps you engaged and guessing!