The Bear in a Muddy Tutu [Paperback]

Cole Alpaugh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 20, 2011

Lennon Bagg's daughter has been stolen away by his ex-wife, and he's just learned the newspaper he reports for is bankrupt. While on his final assignment, Bagg knocks a policeman unconscious to save the life of a runaway circus bear, and suddenly finds himself responsible for a band of stranded roustabouts who've pitched their tents on a small island along the New Jersey shore. Eight hundred miles away, a young girl searches for her dead father on the beaches of Bermuda. Dead people, after all, become birds--a theory she derived from her mother s explanation that when you die, you grow wings and fly away. A hapless cult leader and the sulking newspaper reporter hatch a plan to save the circus, which includes a plane ride into the Bermuda Triangle accompanied by a man who holds the record for being struck by lightning. And it's starting to cloud up ... In THE BEAR IN A MUDDY TUTU, hope is something vigorously avoided because it usually means someone is about to be run over by a speeding car.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"From the first page to the last, Cole Alpaugh had my attention. His zany and colorful characters and style of writing put me in mind of one of my favorite authors, John Irving. I suspect that I have found my next new favorite author."

--Michelle Hessling, Publisher, The Wayne Independent

"Pick up The Bear in a Muddy Tutu if you enjoy taking a literary journey that is twisted, peopled by characters who are social misfits, caught up in events that range from bizarrely tragic to merely sad. Reminded me in a way of A Confederacy of Dunces."

--Molly Rodgers, Library Director, Wayne County Public Library

"Reading The Bear in a Muddy Tutu is like running away with the circus. You won't regret the emotional ride or the fantastic people you meet, but you might regret not getting to stay longer."

--Regan Leigh, writer/blogger

"A deftly written story driven by raw and vivid characters and rich with evocative language and colorful descriptions. With every page another layer is peeled back as this fascinating, magical tale unfolds--sad or humorous, but always thoughtful. Alpaugh's writing does not rely on cheap tricks or predictable plot points, but slowly pulls you in and compels you to stick around for a while. Rest assured, in The Bear in a Muddy Tutu, you will constantly be surprised by what happens next."

--Rhiannon Ellis, author of Bonded In Brazil

About the Author

Cole Alpaugh's newspaper career began in the early 80s, starting with small daily papers in Maryland and Massachusetts, where his stories won national awards. His most recent job was at a large daily in Central New Jersey, where his "true life" essays included award-winning pieces on a traveling rodeo and an in-depth story on an emergency room doctor that was nominated by Gannett News Service for a 1991 Pulitzer Prize. Cole also did work for two Manhattan-based news agencies, covering conflicts in Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Thailand and Cambodia. His work has appeared in dozens of magazines, as well as most newspapers in America. Cole is currently a freelance photographer and writer living in Northeast Pennsylvania, where he also coaches his daughter's soccer team.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Camel Press (February 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1603818251
• ISBN-13: 978-1603818254
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,176,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cole Alpaugh's newspaper career began in the early 80s, starting with small daily papers in Maryland and Massachusetts, where his stories won national awards. His most recent job was at a large daily in Central New Jersey, where his "true life" essays included award-winning pieces on a traveling rodeo and an in-depth story on an emergency room doctor that was nominated by Gannett News Service for a 1991 Pulitzer Prize. Cole also did work for two Manhattan-based news agencies, covering conflicts in Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Thailand and Cambodia. His work has appeared in dozens of magazines, as well as most newspapers in America. Cole is currently a freelance photographer and writer living in Northeast Pennsylvania, where he also coaches his daughter's soccer kick-arounds. You can find Cole online at ColeAlpaugh.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant read, but no J. Irving October 30, 2012

By Bill E.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a sucker for a review that compares an author to John Irving and, let's face it, also for a bear in a tutu. I think I read two reviews for The Bear in a Muddy Tutu that claimed Cole Alpaugh writes much like Irving. He certainly tries and he's penned a fun book to read with Bear. But know this, only John Irving writes like John Irving. Alpaugh lacks the character development that Irving brings to his writing and Alpaugh's scenarios in Bear are shallow. The bear is the most likeable character in the book. If you've seen the movie What's Eating Gilbert Grape and read at least two of Irving's novels, you've pretty much covered Bear. It takes about two hours to read and if you don't have anything productive to do with those two hours, you'll be fine reading this book.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A true and slightly biased review. ;) February 19, 2011

By Regan

Format:Paperback

I actually reviewed Cole's book early on for my blog.
(Disclaimer: I am his writing partner and friend, so yes I may be biased. Then again, I would only want the best for a writing partner.)

Here are some of the comments I made on my blog. The entire review is too long to paste here.

- I loved Cole's writing voice from day one and I knew immediately that he'd be published. And soon. Just ask him. I was annoyingly optimistic and pushy.

- Reading The Bear in a Muddy Tutu is like running away with the circus. You won't regret the emotional ride or the fantastic people you meet, but you might regret not getting to stay longer. (This comment was used by his publishing house.)

- There is an undertone of sadness during the happy scenes and a sense of joy even beneath the most tear-jerking parts of the book. I don't mean to say his writing is contradictory. It's layered. And it's beautiful.

- He's very sensory in his descriptions. This is great for someone like myself who is extremely visual.

- The Bear in a Muddy Tutu has a realistic edge, with magical elements and raw descriptions. Nothing is held back and trust is established immediately.

So basically... I loved it. It won't disappoint. ;)

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Birds, Bears, and Butterflies April 10, 2011

By Shannon L. Yarbrough VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Cole Alpaugh's book, The Bear in a Muddy Tutu, immediately had my full attention as it began with the story of Buddy Wayne Hooduk, an odd character of sorts who has just abandoned his needy mother and is intent on convincing people that he is God. With stolen guidebook in hand, How To Become a Cult Leader in 50 Easy Steps, Buddy sets out to find his flock. Odd circumstances cause Buddy to take charge of a run-down traveling circus where an oddball loser like Buddy doesn't seem so out of place.

It is here in the book that the reader is introduced to a variety of characters and you quickly learn that this book just isn't about Buddy. In fact, pretty soon Buddy is out of the center circus ring and we find ourselves following the story lines of several other more interesting characters from a drunken ranger obsessed with killing bugs to a lonely reporter who has lost his daughter thanks to his ex-wife running away with the little girl.

And since you are following a circus, there's all sorts of Midway characters and Side Show freaks coming and going from the storyline that, while not the center of the plot, are just as alluring. A sexy contortionist, a man who has survived lightning strikes a dozen times, the flat man, and the human cannonball to name a few.

My favorite character had to be Gracie the Dancing Bear - an old toothless bear in a pink tutu who becomes separated from the circus during a bizarre accident. Alpaugh treats Gracie's point of view no differently than when he is writing about the other characters. It's as if this is a story he's engagingly told out loud for years possibly to his children. In fact, Gracie becomes a living metaphor for a story Lennon Bagg, the reporter, used to tell to his daughter Morgan at bedtime each night about a bear who wanted a circus magician to turn her into a bird.

Although the reader's attention is focused on Buddy and whether or not he can convince the circus that he is indeed God and whether or not they will build a altar to him, the underlying focus of the book will take you by surprise. It is in fact the story of Lennon and his daughter. The author bares his soul as we witness the desperate loneliness of Lennon who has been searching for Morgan for over a year.

And then we are treated to chapters told from Morgan's point of view as she is stowed away in Bermuda after her mother told her Daddy was dead. Obsessed with birds and convinced her father has turned into one, Morgan becomes the punchline of her classmates' jokes as she searches the island and talks to birds about her father. And sometimes the birds talk back!

I was a third of the way through the book and still had no idea where the sotry was taking me. Buddy and the circus attempt to set up permanent residence on an old island, while Lennon finds Gracie and tries to reunite her with the circus. And yet, by the last page, the reader is treated to an ending that is as satisfying as cold lemonade and cotton candy.

Alpaugh pens a world of fascinating characters, not to mention their bizarre unforgettable names, reminding us that it is our individuality and uniqueness that makes each of us special in our own way. If we look past our differences, we can see people for who they really are and we can appreciate the little things that make each of us tick.

The fate of each character plays on our hearts as Alpaugh takes us deeper and deeper into each persona. I felt like I knew these characters inside and out, and while the story might lack action at times, the author pushes the story forward with a multitude of point-of-views. If you are looking for a "big top" read with lots of heart and laughs, and characters you can sit down with to listen to their story for a spell, magic, whimsy, and dancing bears, then look no further than Cole Alpaugh's The Bear in a Muddy Tutu.