In a Nutshell
Jason Mott is an American novelist and poet, born and raised in North Carolina. He holds a BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His debut novel, The Returned, became a New York Times bestseller and was adapted into the ABC series Resurrection. His fourth novel, Hell of a Book, won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction, among other prestigious awards. Mott is also a poet, with collections like We Call This Thing Between Us Love and …hide behind me…
Why read his latest book People Like Us
It’s metafictional and emotionally charged. The novel features two Black writers coping with fame, identity, and gun violence.
It’s critically acclaimed. Readers and reviewers praise its blend of humor, emotional depth, and imaginative storytelling… sea monsters, time travel, peacocks, and dreamlike sequences intertwined with deeply human experiences.
It’s timely and powerful. Reviewers liken it to works by Ralph Ellison, Colson Whitehead, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Why You’ll Want to Meet Him at Verse and Vino
He’s an award-winning storyteller. From winning the National Book Award to blending poetry and fiction, he offers a rare look into the creative mind of a celebrated contemporary author.
He’s got a great backstory. From working in customer service to becoming an “overnight sensation” (10 years in the making) his personal story is as compelling as his novels.
He’s a local. He hails from Bolton, North Carolina, a small, rural town where he fell in love with libraries and mythology as a kid and he’s still living — and teaching — in the community he grew up in. In a conversation with Wiley Cash (a Verse & Vino alum) he said “North Carolina is such a part of who I am.”
Fun Fact About Jason
He once described himself as a “hipster comic book nerd before it was cool”, and during his MFA studies he wrote sonnets about superheroes — yes, sonnets about capes and superpowers.
Extra, extra
He recently received a 2024 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in creative writing, a prestigious award that supports his literary pursuits.
People Like Us isn’t just a story—it’s a bold, genre-bending exploration of identity, grief, fame, and belonging that’s resonating widely this summer….
And it was almost a memoir.
