Law School Student Releases First Novel

Second-year Harvard Law School student James G. Berman '90 has just released his first novel, Uninvited, following in the footsteps of fellow HLS alumnus--and author of Presumed Innocent--Scott Turow.

Turow, who received his J.D. in 1978, wrote his first novel, One-L, during his years at the Law School. Berman's novel was just released nationwide by Warner Books and will be in bookstores on May 1.

Uninvited tells the story of Tony, a young man who becomes obsessed with Patricia, his friend since childhood. When Patricia and her family are murdered, Tony is blamed.

The novel focuses on Tony's remembrances of his childhood with Patricia, and his conversations with his lawyer while in jail.

Berman wrote Uninvited between 1991 and 1993. During this time he taught junior high school English on Long Island for a year and then worked for a lawyer. He finished the novel before he began law school.

Working with his students helped to inspire his novel, Berman noted.

"I was interested in the many different lives that adolescents lead," he said.

In Uninvited, Tony first becomes obsessed with Patricia when he is in the seventh grade, one of the grades Berman taught.

Berman, with the help of his agent Barbara Zitwer, sold the novel for a six-figure sum to Larry Kirshbaum, the president of Warner Books, at the Frankfurt Book fair in Germany, according to a press release.

For the past week, Berman has been traveling on the east coast for a series of book signings and publicity interviews, he said. His most recent trip will land him at the Coop in Har- interviews, he said. His most recent trip willland him at the Coop in Harvard Square thisafternoon from 4-5 p.m.

"It's completely nerve-wracking," Berman said."Since this is my first book, I guess it's thenovelty that keeps me going."

"It is remarkable that he's done it all," saidMelinda R. Mullin, vicepresident of One Potata,the firm which handles publicity for the novel."We are very picky about the fiction we work on,because there is a lot of mediocre fiction outthere, but this really stands out."

"The book really had all the elements we needto help make it stand out on the marketplace," hesaid. "We felt like he was really on the cuttingedge on what he was writing about."

Mullin said that Berman has just, turned in acopy of his second novel, Misbegotten, tohis agent and is already planning his third

"It's completely nerve-wracking," Berman said."Since this is my first book, I guess it's thenovelty that keeps me going."

"It is remarkable that he's done it all," saidMelinda R. Mullin, vicepresident of One Potata,the firm which handles publicity for the novel."We are very picky about the fiction we work on,because there is a lot of mediocre fiction outthere, but this really stands out."

"The book really had all the elements we needto help make it stand out on the marketplace," hesaid. "We felt like he was really on the cuttingedge on what he was writing about."

Mullin said that Berman has just, turned in acopy of his second novel, Misbegotten, tohis agent and is already planning his third