A Fortnight of Folly

Set high upon a windswept promontory, the newly‑opened Hotel Helicon gleams like a white bird against the sky, its fresh‑painted verandas and fragrant cedar stairways promising a lofty retreat for the literary elite. The proprietor, a self‑made millionaire of the gas trade, has devised a bold publicity stunt: he will host a select troupe of America’s most celebrated writers free of charge, hoping their presence will turn the remote lodge into a cultural beacon.

When the invited authors finally arrive, they discover a place that is as raw and bewildering as the rugged valley that surrounds it—springs bubbling with strange mineral hues, tangled vines, and a panorama that borders on the sublime. As they settle in, the clash between lofty expectations and the hotel’s unfinished, almost theatrical reality sparks witty observations, unexpected friendships, and a series of comic misadventures that reveal as much about the writers’ egos as about the eccentric host’s grand ambitions.