A $15,000 literary prize announced by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation is going to a first novel about a bear that plays the alto saxophone.

View Comments

"The Bear Comes Home" is the work of 51-year-old Rafi Zabor, a jazz drummer and music writer who lives in New York."Encounters with living jazz legends, adventurous road trips and a shattered interspecies love affair capture the bear in a melodic story that is humanlike in both its tune and tenor," according to Thursday's announcement. The bear likes to quote Shakespeare and poet William Blake.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.