THE HARVESTING OF HAYSTACKS KANE

Steve Schlam • Literary Fiction / Sports Fiction / Stream-of-Consciousness

Book Description

Haystacks Kane, whose real name is Herschel Cain, is a 607-pound professional wrestler and dedicated butterfly collector. Despite his imposing size, Haystacks possesses an innate kindness and gentle nature — traits ruthlessly exploited by unscrupulous promoters, conniving managers, and an ex-wife who continues to demand alimony. The world of professional wrestling he inhabits is filled with sordid characters and raucous crowds, all eager for violent, cheap thrills at his expense.

The story begins in the aftermath of a disastrous match against his archrival Valentino. Gravely injured and unable to speak, Haystacks lies motionless in his hospital bed — two beds lashed together to accommodate his size — drifting in and out of consciousness. What follows is a profound journey through memory, a masterful stream-of-consciousness narrative that oscillates between present and past, revealing the events and relationships that have shaped his life. Haystacks dreams of escaping to Greece, to the Valley of the Butterflies in Rhodes — Petaloudes — where he believes he can finally live as his true self, in peace and tranquility amid \"the sound of butterflies.\"

Channeling the spirit of Joyce and Faulkner into a singular American voice — by turns hilarious, devastating, and transcendent — THE HARVESTING OF HAYSTACKS KANE is a novel about liberation from the pain and suffering that define a life, and the search for a place where one can finally be free.

Pull Quotes

\"Echoes of Faulkner & Joyce… All the fireworks of James Joyce's Ulysses, its sleight of hand, and the streaming consciousness of Faulkner are at play… a unique roller coaster, and it's not one you want to get off.\"

Mark Jay Mirsky, author

\"Melodic, intimate and rich… especially impressed by the high pitch of language and its resonantly dramatic tone.\"

2024 Disquiet Literary Prize Fiction Panel

\"Thought-provoking and sweeps one in from the outset.\"

The Bath Novel Award Editorial Team

Recognition

• Longlisted for the Bath International Novel Award 2024
• Longlisted for the 2024 Disquiet Literary Prize for Fiction

Author Bio

Steve Schlam first gained entry to the City of Words through the doors of the public library in Brooklyn, New York, where he was born and spent much of his childhood. An actor as well as an author, he has performed on stages across the United States and in Mexico, and earned a Master's Degree in Creative Writing and English under the tutelage of Joseph Heller, renowned author of Catch-22. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Liora.

Book Details

Also by This Author

Debut novel.

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