For the past two decades, singer/songwriter Dar Williams has toured the farthest reaches of the country. Along the way she noticed something: Some towns seemed to have perfect chemistry—great community events, thriving small businesses, and connected residents. Others lacked the X factor of prosperity and connectivity, and it showed. Williams set out to find out why, and What I Found in a Thousand Towns: A Traveling Musician’s Guide to Rebuilding America’s Communities—One Coffee Shop, Dog Run, & Coffee Shop at a Time (Basic Books, 2017) is her instruction manual, outlining the successes of towns from Moab to Beacon. The Cold Spring resident shared her observations via e-mail.