Unpacking the Mysteries of a Town Suspended in Silence

Imagine a place completely disconnected from everyday tech. Where you’re not supposed to use cell phones; where the peaceful solitude of forest hikes is never invaded by ringtones or one-way conversations. Where getting lost means unfolding a map because GPS won’t work?

When Stephen Kurczy embarked on his three-year journey to understand The Quiet Zone, he figured a community based in quiet would be idyllic. He hadn’t owned a cell phone for 10 years, so he’d fit right in … right?

Among the hippies, mountain men, and electrosensitives, he also uncovered a darker side of this Appalachian region — unsolved murders, Nazis, a government spy facility. Can you say conspiracy theories?

About Stephen Kurczy

From the Cambodia’s muddy jungles to the dense rain forests of Brazil, award-winning investigative journalist Stephen Kurczy, reported stories from around the globe for The Christian Science Monitor, The Economist, The New York Times, and other publications. The Quiet Zone is Stephen Kurczy’s debut nonfiction book.