I was inspired to write Song of Fools by an article I read about Oscar Hartzell. As I read about him, I wondered about the motivations of those Iowans, Missourians, Nebraskans, and Kansans who gladly sent him money. I determined that the type of faith that caused them to send him money is also the kind of faith that is found in bedrock religion. It transcends analysis and must simply be accepted, just as those poor Depression-era Americans believed in Oscar Hartzell and the Drake fortune. But what folly to listen to and heed the songs of fools. The other songs are those which Harold sings and directs the other boys to sing. These, too, in a way are songs of fools as we are all caught in this intricate web of life, seeking meaning as we somehow muddle through. May we ultimately discover the true music of life.

I was inspired to write Song of Fools by an article I read about Oscar Hartzell. As I read about him, I wondered about the motivations of those Iowans, Missourians, Nebraskans, and Kansans who gladly sent him money. I determined that the type of faith that caused them to send him money is also the kind of faith that is found in bedrock religion. It transcends analysis and must simply be accepted, just as those poor Depression-era Americans believed in Oscar Hartzell and the Drake fortune. But what folly to listen to and heed the songs of fools. The other songs are those which Harold sings and directs the other boys to sing. These, too, in a way are songs of fools as we are all caught in this intricate web of life, seeking meaning as we somehow muddle through. May we ultimately discover the true music of life.

I was inspired to write Song of Fools by an article I read about Oscar Hartzell. As I read about him, I wondered about the motivations of those Iowans, Missourians, Nebraskans, and Kansans who gladly sent him money. I determined that the type of faith that caused them to send him money is also the kind of faith that is found in bedrock religion. It transcends analysis and must simply be accepted, just as those poor Depression-era Americans believed in Oscar Hartzell and the Drake fortune. But what folly to listen to and heed the songs of fools. The other songs are those which Harold sings and directs the other boys to sing. These, too, in a way are songs of fools as we are all caught in this intricate web of life, seeking meaning as we somehow muddle through. May we ultimately discover the true music of life.