Baby, You're a Rich Man
A Novel
Still haunted by the past and his most recent failures, Kent lives in a capsule hotel, penniless, jobless, forgotten by a fickle public, abandoned by his wife, and at the mercy of a nasty methamphetamine habit. Kent has vanished from the spotlight. But Denis Ozman, shock comic and husband of Kent's former mistress, has not forgotten what Kent did to him. He's escaped from Japan's most notorious prison and is coming once more for Kent to seek the revenge that evaded him the first time. In an attempt to both hide Kent from Ozman and place his client back in the public eye, Kent's agent dreams up a publicity stunt: Kent will move to Cedars Temple, a Buddhist retreat in the mountains, where a film crew will document Kent's "spiritual journey to recovery." Kent is attended by the misguided but caring Midori and tutored in meditation by Oji-san, an unorthodox Buddhist monk. Nothing works as planned. What follows is a journey of mishap, paranoia, desperation, and self-discovery that leads to an inevitable and illuminating showdown as Kent attempts to right the wrongs of his past. Baby, You're a Rich Man offers a unique look into contemporary Japan and the ubiquitous struggle for a place to call home.
Still haunted by the past and his most recent failures, Kent lives in a capsule hotel, penniless, jobless, forgotten by a fickle public, abandoned by his wife, and at the mercy of a nasty methamphetamine habit. Kent has vanished from the spotlight. But Denis Ozman, shock comic and husband of Kent's former mistress, has not forgotten what Kent did to him. He's escaped from Japan's most notorious prison and is coming once more for Kent to seek the revenge that evaded him the first time. In an attempt to both hide Kent from Ozman and place his client back in the public eye, Kent's agent dreams up a publicity stunt: Kent will move to Cedars Temple, a Buddhist retreat in the mountains, where a film crew will document Kent's "spiritual journey to recovery." Kent is attended by the misguided but caring Midori and tutored in meditation by Oji-san, an unorthodox Buddhist monk. Nothing works as planned. What follows is a journey of mishap, paranoia, desperation, and self-discovery that leads to an inevitable and illuminating showdown as Kent attempts to right the wrongs of his past. Baby, You're a Rich Man offers a unique look into contemporary Japan and the ubiquitous struggle for a place to call home.