The Woods of North San Juan

There is serenity in solipsism. One can find a point to one’s pointlessness there. Richard Burke has been using it to put serenity and purpose back into his shattered life. But perhaps he has been using it too well. For if the theory is true and there is no reality but one’s own mind, what happens to the boundary between life and death?

The beauty of California’s Gold Rush country and a tragic personal loss are what led Richard to leave L.A. and buy the old Moodry estate in North San Juan. But the estate is unquestionably a haunted, unearthly place. Hidden deep in the woods, the decaying mansion and its Victorian entities are driving the last trace of order out of Richard’s world. He turns to his real estate agent for help and soon begins to depend on her to restore his strength and reason. She restores order to his world, and common sense, and love. Yet the old ruin continues to draw his attention. Out in the woods is a profound metaphysical puzzle that he is determined to solve. But the puzzle only grows more complex. In a tiny spot in the Sierras, amid the beauty of summer, amid the bright days and the ponderosa pines, Richard is creating an enormous spiritual dilemma for himself, for his friends, and for those in the world beyond.

T. E. Fromhold lives alone on a few barren acres in the Arizona desert. T, as his family calls him, has severe solipsism syndrome and has written a book about it in the form of an amusing supernatural tale. Despite the syndrome, or because of it, T is a very clever metaphysical philosopher. The Woods of North San Juan just might turn you into a solipsist. This may not be something you want, but you’ll have a lot of fun during the transformation.