Kathleen Hale Is a Crazy Stalker - (Hardcover)

About the Book

A captivating collection of essays that are unlike anything you've ever read before, exploring sexual assault, online obsession, motherhood, and the best way to kill a feral hog

Book Synopsis

In this provocative essay collection, the author "leans into her roles as both victim and predator [with] prose that's casual and cool and often funny" (The New York Times).

In six wide-ranging essays, Kathleen Hale traces some of the most treacherous fault lines in modern America--from sexual assault to Internet trolling, from environmental illness to our own animal nature. From hunting wild hogs in Florida to a standoff with an anonymous blogger, Hale takes no prisoners and fears no subject.

"First I Got Pregnant. Then I Decided to Kill the Mountain Lion" recounts the month Hale spent tracking a wild cat in the Hollywood Hills while pregnant. "Prey" tells the troubling story of her sexual assault as a freshman in college. Through these and other essays, Hale wields razor-sharp wit, deep empathy, and daring honesty, even in detailing some of the most difficult moments of her life.

Review Quotes

Praise for Kathleen Hale Is a Crazy Stalker:

"In this collection of tightly wound personal essays, all of which generate insight into the human condition by ruminating on the animal kingdom or the natural world, Hale invites readers to consider survival in a persistently savage world . . . As Hale demonstrates, the recognition of quotidian savagery can be an ironically humanizing experience: it leads to a clear-eyed affirmation of survival over despair . . . Her writing possesses a knack for understatement that makes it easy for the reader to follow her into uncomfortable territory. This is lucky, because there is little that is more uncomfortable than recognizing everyday ferocity. But that's just what Hale would have us do."--The Rumpus

"Human impulse, whether it's an obsession with reading hate mail to the point of an emotional breakdown or trying to understand our sometimes predatory nature, provides a guiding thread connecting each essay . . . In all of these essays, nothing is straightforward, but rather a swarming collection of thoughts, emotions, and humor, all skillfully constructed into a narrative. It's impossible to walk away from the collection without sensing a tinge of madness, yet at the same time sympathetically identifying with the author's voice . . . Like most great writers of nonfiction, [Hale] is acutely aware of her flaws; in the end, she finds herself the most ridiculous of all."--Zyzzyva

"Hale writes with an open and engaging style . . . The most powerful essay describes Hale's sexual assault and the two trials in which she testified against her attacker. Recommended for readers interested in creative nonfiction, especially the essay genre."--Library Journal

"The six essays that comprise Kathleen Hale Is a Crazy Stalker will leave readers--book bloggers or not--with plenty to consider. Hale shares glimpses of her psyche and experiences, often without tying experiences into a bow for public consumption. The collection isn't always an easy read, but it's a thought-provoking look at society and one woman's place within it."--BookPage

"Kathleen Hale is Jimmy Breslin, Renata Adler, and Hannah Montana rolled into one hilarious and daring writer."--John Mulaney

"Half journalism, half confession, Kathleen Hale's fantastic collection allows readers to visit the unique, brilliant and intense place that is her mind. Her cultural tourism is written with a sensitivity and self-awareness reminiscent of David Foster Wallace and Jon Ronson. Hale writes about people who are often overlooked and mocked by elite society and her charm is that the only person she finds ridiculous is herself."--Jesse Eisenberg, author of Bream Gives Me Hiccups

"Kathleen Hale's amazing new book surprises at every turn with a sane madness. In these six propulsive essays united by a common theme, the elephant stampedes with cause, the feral pig gets his deadly due, and Hale's humor, self-deprecation, and biting honesty guides us through the jungle that is her mind. Her genius is a nonstop read."--Sheila Nevins, former president of HBO Documentaries

"Kathleen Hale's writing is a tour de force. These soul-baring autobiographical essays read like the best kind of fiction but pack the unmistakable wallop of reality."--Pinckney Benedict, author of Miracle Boy and Other Stories

About the Author

Kathleen Hale is the author of two young adult novels and one essay collection. She has written for the Guardian, Hazlitt, and Vice, and is a writer and producer for Outer Banks on Netflix. She was born in Wisconsin and lives in Los Angeles.