Radio Free Vermont: A Fable of Resistance

Vern Barclay is an accidental radical. A native of Vermont, he has watched his beloved state slowly transform from a small, neighborly, rural culture to one that values big-box stores, stadiums with retractable roofs, and, horror of horrors, big-name cheap beer. Now in his 70s, facing the end of his career on local talk radio, Vern goes into hiding, branded a terrorist after a subversive stunt at a Walmart goes wild. Vern and his friends spread their message of resistance first through his podcast Radio Free Vermont and then through minor acts of pro-Vermont environmentalism and mischief. Resistance begins to reach toward revolution as Vern struggles with the ethics of his decisions and worries if he might be leading his friends to a new utopia or to jail. Set in the immediate future, complete with references to current politics, the plot feels possible, even probable. Vern and his compatriots are engaging and realistic.