>>> NOW TO MY LATEST READ WITH
JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK.
IT IS CALLED "A HELL OF A BOOK."
>> ITS A STORE RIY ABOUT RACE A
IDENTITY.
ITS WRITTEN BY "NEW YORK TIMES"
BEST SELLING AUTHOR JASON MOTT
WHO IS AT HOME IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
>> HEY, JASON.
LETS ALSO SAY HELLO TO OUR BOOK
CLUB MEMBERS ALL ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
FIRST, WE ARE SO HAPPY TO TALK
WITH JASON.
FIRST OF ALL, THIS WAS MY
SISTERS FAVORITE BOOK OF THE
YEAR.
LETS JUST START WITH THAT.
WHEN YOU WROTE YOUR FIRST BOOK,
"THE RETURNS,""RETURNED," YOU WE
ANSWERING CALLS IN A CALL CENTER
TO BEING A BEST SELLING
NOVELIST.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> I WENT FROM THIS JOB I HATED
TO THIS JOB I LOVED ALL OF A
SUDDEN.
IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL, THOUGH.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THIS BOOK.
ITS CALLED "HELL OF A BOOK."
IT WAS BASED ON YOUR BOOK TOUR.
WAS IT A COMEDY?
>> THE FIRST DRAFT WAS A COMEDY.
IT WAS VERY MUCH ABOUT ME HAVING
THESE WACKY ADVENTURES ON BOOK
TOURS AND THEN IT EVOLVES INTO A
CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE AND
IDENTITY AND THE AMERICAN
LANDSCAPE, SO TO SPEAK.
>> YOUVE SAID THAT "HELL OF A
BOOK" IS LIKE A LOVE STORY TO
YOUR YOUNGER SELF.
IN WHAT WAYS?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF PERIODS
WHERE YOU LEARN WHO YOU ARE.
THE BOOK WAS ME TRYING TO SORT
THROUGH A LOT OF THOSE THINGS,
THE YOUNGER PERSON I USED TO BE.
ITS TAKEN ME 40 SOME YEARS TO
OWN WHO I AM.
"HELL OF A BOOK" WAS MEANT TO
SPEAK TO THAT PAST VERSION OF
MYSELF.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THIS YOUNG
CHARACTER?
>> A COUPLE OF YOUNG CHARACTERS.
THERES A CHARACTER OF SOOT
WHOS A 10-YEAR-OLD BOY LIVING
IN THE SOUTH.
THERES ALSO A CHARACTER CALLED
THE KID WHOS ALREADY 10 YEARS
OLD.
ARE THOSE CHARACTERS THE SAME?
THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME DEBATE
ABOUT THAT.
SOOT IS 10 YEARS OLD.
HIS FATHER GOES THROUGH A HARSH
INTERACTION WITH POLICE.
IT COMES TO DEFINE SOOTS
EXISTENCE.
>> THIS BOOK IS FUNNY ON ONE
PAGE, HEARTBREAKING IN OOD.ANOTH
I LOVE WATCHING OUR READERS
SHAKING THEIR HEADS.
THEY ARE ALL.
STAY RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE OUR
BOOK CLUB MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU, JASON.
>>> WE ARE BACK WITH JASON MOTT
WHOSE LATEST BOOK IS CALLED
"HELL OF A BOOK."
IT REALLY IS, JASON.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF FANS.
LETS GET TO THE FIRST QUESTION.
THEYRE HOLDING UP THE BOOK
PROUDLY.
THE FIRST IS FROM CASSIE
COPELAND.
>> AS A MOTHER, I GOT REALLY
EMOTIONAL ABOUT SOOTS PARENTS
HAVING TO TELL HIM ABOUT RACISM.
WAS IT EMOTIONAL FOR YOU TO
WRITE ABOUT?
>> YES.
THIS IS PROBABLY MY MOST
EMOTIONAL BOOK IVE WRITTEN.
THATS WHY THERES SO MUCH
COMEDY IN IT.
THE COMEDY BECAME A BIT OF A
PROTECTOR FOR MY EMOTIONAL AND
MENTAL WELL-BEING.
>> THIS NEXT QUESTION IS FROM
JESSICA IN MISSOURI.
WHATS YOUR QUESTION FOR JASON?
.
>> HI.
WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE TAKE-AWAY
THAT YOU WANT YOUR READERS TO
GATHER FROM THIS BOOK?
>> I THINK THE NUMBER ONE
TAKE-AWAY I WOULD LIKE FOR
PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY IS JUST THAT
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS THE
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE CAN BE VERY
DIFFERENT.
ITS A VERY COMPLEX CONVERSATION
THAT PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO
ENTER INTO.
IM HOPING THAT "HELL OF A BOOK"
PROVIDES PEOPLE WAYS TO ENTER
THAT CONVERSATION AND KIND OF
FURTHER THIS THING.
>> DID THIS BOOK OPEN YOUR EYES
IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS?
IT DID FOR ME.
I HAD SO MANY IMPORTANT
CONVERSATIONS AROUND IT.
IF YOU ENJOYED READING HELL OF A
BOOK, FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU
HAVENT PURCHASED IT, I DONT
KNOW WHAT YOURE WAITING FOR.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK.
IF YOU HAVE READ IT AND LOVED
IT, JASON HAS ANOTHER BOOK
RECOMMEND ATION
RECOMMENDATION.
>> I SELECTED A BOOK CALLED
"MONSTERS" BY BARRY WINDSOR
SMITH.
ITS A GRAPHIC NOVEL AND ITS
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
IT DISCUSSES RACE AND WARTIME
AMERICA.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU CAN FIND "HELL OF A BOOK" AT
TODAY.COM/SHOP.
YOU CAN FIND ME AND JASON ON
READ WITH JENNA INSTAGRAM LIVE
STARTING AT 11:15 EASTERN.
BRING ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE TONS OF QUESTIONS.
>> EXCELLENT.
I LOVE IT.
>> THIS BOOK, SO BEAUTIFUL AND
THOUGHT PROVOKINGE INGPROVOKING.
WE ARE GOING TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW