Jess Walter #0

Jess “The Zero” Walter, 5’10”, was the back-up point guard (sometimes way-back) for his varsity high school team, East Valley of Spokane.  For ten years, was a board member for Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world. Jess once scored 25 points in a junior varsity game after all but two of his teammates had fouled out. He also broke his collarbone … playing golf.  In addition to being a court warrior, Jess is the author of five novels, most recently The Financial Lives of the Poets, and one work of nonfiction.  His books have been translated into 22 languages,  He is a past winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award and was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize in spot news journalism, the LA Times Book Prize and the PEN USA Literary prize in both fiction and nonfiction.  His stories have appeared in ESPN Magazine, McSweeney's, Fugue, Willow Springs, and many other journals.  His new novel, The Beautiful Ruins, will be published by Harper in spring, 2012.