First published 1996
A large black bear in rural Maine discovers a briefcase containing a novel manuscript. After reading the work and finding it decent, he steals clothing from a nearby store and adopts the name Hal Jam from his preferred food brands. Hal travels to New York City to pursue literary success and becomes a publishing sensation. Publishing executives see him not as a wild animal who stole someone else's work, but as an authentic nature writer who could become the next great American novelist. Hal journeys across the country from New York to Los Angeles, navigating the commercial literary world while struggling with his animal nature. The story follows his adventures as he encounters money-driven publishers and media figures who remain oblivious to his true identity. Kotzwinkle creates a comic tale that examines the shallow, profit-focused publishing industry of the 1990s while exploring the tension between civilization and wildness through Hal's eyes.
Genres: fiction, animals, literary-fiction, adventure, contemporary, comedy
Vibes: thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, identity-crisis
Setting: Los Angeles, Maine, New York City
Period: 1990s
306 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday