ABSTRACT
Forsythia County is relatively homogeneous, made up primarily of White, southern Baptists and other evangelical Protestant religions. In 2005–2006, approximately thirty-two thousand people lived in the county, with thirty-five hundred residing in Mapleton, the county seat. Most voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 and consider themselves conservative Republicans who support the war in Iraq and favor an aggressive unilateral foreign policy to maintain the United States’ role as the world’s superpower. In 2003–2004, Art and the author built a log cabin on a mountain ridge about nine miles outside of the town of Mapleton. Art and the author are among the youngest people on the road and, along with the local folks, are among the few people still employed. The professorial skills that Art and the author bring aren’t too practical in terms of surviving in the mountains.
