The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

by Michael Finkel

Night fell fast. Frogs cleared their throats; cicadas whirred like table saws. A woodpecker hammered for grubs. At last came the call of the loons, the theme song of the North Woods, pealing like a laugh or cry, depending on your mood. A car crunched over a dirt road, a dog barked. For a while people could be heard talking, though their words were too muffled to make out. Knight lived so close to others that he couldn’t even sneeze aloud. There’s fine cell-phone reception at his site. Civilization was right there, hot showers and creature comforts just steps away.