TheBridgesofMadisonCounty.docx
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TheBridgesofMadisonCounty.docx
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TheBridgesofMadisonCounty
TheBridgesofMadisonCounty
anovel
RobertJamesWaller
READMEFIRST!
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TheBeginning
Therearesongsthatcomefreefromtheblue-eyedgrass,fromthedustofathousandcountryroads.Thisisoneofthem.Inlateafternoon,intheautumnof1989,I'matmydesk,lookingatablinkingcursoronthecomputerscreenbeforeme,andthetelephonerings.
OntheotherendofthewireisaformerIowannamedMichaelJohnson.HelivesinFloridanow.AfriendfromIowahassenthimoneofmybooks.MichaelJohnsonhasreadit;hissister,Carolyn,hasreadit;andtheyhaveastoryinwhichtheythinkImightbeinterested.Heiscircumspect,refusingtosayanythingaboutthestory,exceptthatheandCarolynarewillingtotraveltoIowatotalkwithmeaboutit.
Thattheyarepreparedtomakesuchaneffortintriguesme,inspiteofmyskepticismaboutsuchoffers.SoIagreetomeetwiththeminDesMoinesthefollowingweek.AtaHolidayInnneartheairport,theintroductionsaremade,awkwardnessgraduallydeclines,andthetwoofthemsitacrossfromme,eveningcomingdownoutside,lightsnowfalling.
Theyextractapromise:
IfIdecidenottowritethestory,ImustagreenevertodisclosewhattranspiredinMadisonCounty,Iowa,in1965orotherrelatedeventsthatfollowedoverthenexttwenty-fouryears.Allright,that'sreasonable.Afterall,it'stheirstory,notmine.
SoIlisten.Ilistenhard,andIaskhardquestions.Andtheytalk.Onandontheytalk.Carolyncriesopenlyattimes,Michaelstrugglesnotto.Theyshowmedocumentsandmagazineclippingsandasetofjournalswrittenbytheirmother,Francesca.
Roomservicecomesandgoes.Extracoffeeisordered.Astheytalk,Ibegintoseetheimages.Firstyoumusthavetheimages,thencomethewords.AndIbegintohearthewords,begintoseethemonpagesofwriting.Sometimejustaftermidnight,Iagreetowritethestory---oratleastattemptit.
Theirdecisiontomakethisinformationpublicwasadifficultoneforthem.Thecircumstancesaredelicate,involvingtheirmotherand,moretangentially,theirfather.MichaelandCarolynrecognizedthatcomingforthwiththestorymightresultintawdrygossipandunkinddebasementofwhatevermemoriespeoplehaveofRichardandFrancescaJohnson.
Yetinaworldwherepersonalcommitmentinallofitsformsseemstobeshatteringandlovehasbecomeamatterofconvenience,theybothfeltthisremarkabletalewasworththetelling.Ibelievedthen,andIbelieveevenmorestronglynow,theywerecorrectintheirassessment.Inthecourseofmyresearchandwriting,IaskedtomeetwithMichaelandCarolynthreemoretimes.Oneachoccasion,andwithoutcomplaint,theytraveledtoIowa.Suchwastheireagernesstomakesurethestorywastoldaccurately.Sometimeswemerelytalked;sometimesweslowlydrovetheroadsofMadisonCountywhiletheypointedoutplaceshavingasignificantroleinthestory.
InadditiontothehelpprovidedbyMichaelanalCarolyn,thestoryasItellithereisbasedoninformationcontainedinthejournalsofFrancescaJohnson;researchconductedinthenorthwesternUnitedStates,particularlySeattleandBellingham,Washington;researchcarriedoutquietlyinMadisonCounty,Iowa;informationgleanedfromthephotographicessaysofRobertKincaid;assistanceprovidedbymagazineeditors;detailsuppliedbymanufacturersofphotographicfilmsandequipment;andlongdiscussionswithseveralwonderfulelderlypeopleinthecountyhomeatBarnesville,Ohio,whorememberedKincaidfromhisboyhooddaysInspiteoftheinvestigativeeffort,gapsremain.Ihaveaddedalittleofmyownimaginationinthoseinstances,butonlywhenIcouldmakereasonedjudgmentsflowingfromtheintimatefamiliaritywithFrancescaJohnsonandRobertKincaidIgainedthroughmyresearch.IamconfidentthatIhavecomeveryclosetowhatactuallyhappened.
OnemajorgapinvolvestheexactdetailsofatripmadeacrossthenorthernUnitedStatesbyKincaid.Weknewhemadethisjourney,basedonanumberofphotographsthatsubsequentlywerepublished,abriefmentionofitbyFrancescaJohnsoninherjournals,andhandwrittennotesheleftwithamagazineeditor.Usingthesesourcesasmyguide,IretracedwhatIbelievewasthepathhetookfromBellinghamtoMadisonCountyinAugustof1965.DrivingtowardMadisonCountyattheendofmytravels,IfeltIhad,inmanyways,becomeRobertKincaid.
Still,attemptingtocapturetheessenceofKincaidwasthemostchallengingpartofmyresearchandwriting.Heisanelusivefigure.Attimesheseemsratherordinary.Atothertimesethereal,perhapsevenspectral.Inhisworkhewasaconsummateprofessional.Yethesawhimselfasapeculiarkindofmaleanimalbecomingobsoleteinaworldgivenovertoincreasingamountsoforganization.Heoncetalkedaboutthe"mercilesswail"oftimeinhishead,andFrancescaJohnsoncharacterizedhimasliving"instrange,hauntedplaces,farbackalongthestemsofDarwin'slogic."
Twootherintriguingquestionsarestillunanswered.First,wehavebeenunabletodeterminewhatbecameofKincaid'sphotographicfiles.Giventhenatureofhiswork,theremusthavebeenthousands,probablyhundredsofthousands,ofphotographs.Theseneverhavebeenrecovered.Ourbestguess---andthiswouldbeconsistentwiththewayhesawhimselfandhisplaceintheworld---isthathedestroyedthempriortohisdeath.
Thesecondquestiondealswithhislifefrom1975to1982.Verylittleinformationisavailable.WeknowheearnedasparselivingasaportraitphotographerinSeattleforseveralyearsandcontinuedtophotographthePugetSoundarea.Otherthanthat,wehavenothing.OneinterestingnoteisthatalllettersmailedtohimbytheSocialSecurityAdministrationandVeteransAdministrationweremarked"ReturntoSender"inhishandwritingandsentback.
Preparingandwritingthisbookhasalteredmyworldview,transformedthewayIthink,and,mostofall,reducedmylevelofcynicismaboutwhatispossibleinthearenaofhumanrelationships.
ComingtoknowFrancescaJohnsonandRobertKincaidasIhavethroughmyresearch,IfindtheboundariesofsuchrelationshipscanbeextendedfartherthanIpreviouslythought.Perhapsyouwillhavethesameexperienceinreadingthisstory.
Thatwillnotbeeasy.Inanincreasinglycallousworld,weallexistwithourowncarapacesofscabbed-oversensibilities.Wheregreatpassionleavesoffandmawkishnessbegins,I'mnotsure.ButourtendencytoscoffatthepossibilityoftheformerandtolabelgenuineandprofoundfeelingsasmaudlinmakesitdifficulttoentertherealmofgentlenessrequiredtounderstandthestoryofFrancescaJohnsonandRobertKincaid.IknowIhadtoovercomethattendencyinitiallybeforeIcouldbeginwriting.
If,however,youapproachwhatfollowswithawillingsuspensionofdisbelief,asColeridgeputit,IamconfidentyouwillexperiencewhatIhaveexperienced.Intheindifferentspacesofyourheart,youmayevenfind,asFrancescaJohnsondid,roomtodanceagain.
Summer1991
TheBridgesofMadisonCounty
RobertKincaid
OnthemorningofAugust8,1965,RobertKincaidlockedthedoortohissmalltwo-roomapartmentonthethirddoorofaramblinghouseinBellingham,Washington.Hecarriedaknapsackfullofphotographyequipmentandasuitcasedownwoodenstairsandthroughahallwaytotheback,wherehisoldChevroletpickuptruckwasparkedinaspacereservedforresidentsofthebuilding.
Anotherknapsack,amedium-sizeicechest,twotripods,cartonsofCamelcigarettes,aThermos,andabagoffruitwerealreadyinside.Inthetruckboxwasaguitarcase.Kincaidarrangedtheknapsacksontheseatandputthecoolerandtripodsonthefloor.Heclimbedintothetruckboxandwedgedtheguitarcaseandsuitcaseintoacornerofthebox,bracingthemwithasparetirelyingonitssideandsecuringbothcasestothetirewithalengthofclotheslinerope.Underthewornspareheshovedablacktarpaulin.
Hesteppedinbehindthewheel,litaCamel,andwentthroughhismentalchecklist:
twohundredrollsofassortedfilm,mostlyslow-speedKodachrome;tripods;cooler;threecamerasandfivelenses;jeansandkhakislacks;shirts;wearingphotovest.Okay.Anythingelsehecouldbuyontheroadifhehadforgottenit.
KincaidworefadedLevi's,well-usedRedWingfieldboots,akhakishirt,andorangesuspenders.OnhiswideleatherbeltwasfastenedaSwissArmyknifeinitsowncase.
Helookedathiswatch:
eight-seventeen.Thetruckstartedonthesecondtry,andhebackedout,shiftedgears,andmovedslowlydownthealleyunderhazysun.ThroughthestreetsofBellinghamhewent,headingsouthonWashington11,runningalongthecoastofPugetSoundforafewmiles,thenfollowingthehighwayasitswungeastalittlebeforemeetingU.S.Route20.Turningintothesun,hebeganthelong,windingdrivethroughtheCascades.Helikedthiscountryandfeltunpressed,stoppingnowandthentomakenotesaboutinterestingpossibilitiesforfutureexpeditionsortoshootwhathecalled"memorysnapshots."Thepurposeofthesecursoryphotographswastoremindhimofplaceshemightwanttovisitagainandapproachmoreseriously.InlateafternoonheturnednorthatSpokane,pickingupU.S.Route2,whichwouldtakehimhalfwayacrossthenorthernUnitedStatestoDuluth,Minnesota.
Hewished
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