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Online Author Talk With Jason Mott

Identity, Love and Being a Black Fiction Writer in America

Hear New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott discuss his recent novel "Hell of a Book." This magnificent work of fiction is deeply honest, at times electrically funny, and it goes to the heart of racism, police violence and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole. Adults. Register to get a link. A recording will also be available for later viewing.

You’re invited to join us as we talk to New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott about his recent novel "Hell of a Book." This magnificent work of fiction is deeply honest, at times electrically funny, and it goes to the heart of racism, police violence and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole.

In "Hell of a Book," a Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel, but that storyline is the scaffolding of something much larger and more urgent. Mott’s novel also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour.

As these characters’ stories build and converge, they astonish the reader. This heartbreaking and magical book is about family, love, art and money, but also America’s reckoning with a tragic police shooting playing over and over again on the news. And with what it can mean to be Black in America.

Unforgettably told, with an electrifying plot and characters who burn into your mind, "Hell of a Book" is the novel Mott has been writing in his head for the last ten years. And, in its final twists, it truly becomes its title.

Adults. Register to receive a link for viewing this online event.

About the Author: Jason Mott is the author of two poetry collections and four novels. His first novel, "The Returned," was adapted for television and aired on ABC under the title "Resurrection." Since then, his novels have received various accolades and acclaim. His most recent novel, "Hell of a Book," won the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for fiction, was a Carnegie Medals for Excellence long list nominee, and won the 2021 National Book Award for fiction. Mott lives in hermitude in Southeastern North Carolina.

This event is part of DBRL's Online Author Series, supported by David Lile honorarium funds. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the author series site.

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