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Here’s a conspiracy theory for you: Adrian Jones Pearson, author of the obscure novel Cow Country, which was quietly released in April, may actually be author Thomas Pynchon.

Harpers‘ Art Winslow has a theory: “Is it possible that the literary sensibility — person — that produced a clutch of novels under the name Thomas Pynchon has had a fat new novel out since April, under a different name, only to encounter a virtual vacuum of notice? That relative anonymity may have been expected, or might even have been among its aspirations, to prove a point?”

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The book was published by Cow Eye Press, which has published no other books. Not to mention, there hasn’t been much press for the book, and the single interview in existence with the author is in a faux publication called, wait for it…the Cow Eye Express. The plot thickens.

My highly subjective but very strong impression is that the two authors are closer than kissing cousins, they are joined at the hip

In that very interview, Pearson said something that piqued Winslow’s interest and led him to his perhaps not so crazy theory: “I’ve always had a severe distaste for all the mindless biographical drivel that serves to prop up this or that writer. So much effort goes into credentialing the creator that we lose sight of the creation itself, with the consequence being that we tend to read authors instead of their works. In fact, we’d probably prefer to read a crap book by well-known writer than a great book by a writer who may happen to be obscure.”

On that note, Pearson claims to publish each novel he writes under a different pseudonym, knowing it will lead him to an “utterly disjointed and fruitless literary career.”

Winslow analyzed the book’s plot devices and patterns, adding, “My highly subjective but very strong impression is that the two authors are closer than kissing cousins, they are joined at the hip.”

Pynchon’s publishers have denied any connection between the authors.