Abstract
Part dark satire, part surreal Gothic folktale, The Last Ham is a story about populist politics run amok in the age of illusion. Weeks before Easter in the sleepy town of Bedford, a macabre death coincides with the arrival of a stranger from the city. The resulting events that unfold, fueled by anticipation for the Church’s annual picnic auction, will change the community forever. At the center of it all is the infamous Kersey Ham — enigma, icon, idol and sacrilege — and a man called Dale Westin, a salesman, shaman and champion of his own destiny, who knows what the people crave.