Award-winning author addresses ATEC library

Novelist Jess Walter speaks Wednesday morning

MOSES LAKE - Columbia Basin residents have the opportunity to hear a celebrated author on their home turf Wednesday morning.

Spokane novelist Jess Walter speaks Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. in the library, room 1801, in Big Bend Community College's ATEC Building.

The event is free and open to the public.

Community college English instructor Matt Sullivan said he first became aware of Walter after the novelist began generating interest with his book, "The Zero," a finalist for the 2006 National Book Award.

"That's how I discovered him, like a lot of times when you discover writers by reading reviews or by when they get publicity around their work and he obviously got a lot of publicity for that, because I think only one out of five novels is selected for the National Book Award," Sullivan explained.

As Sullivan read, he became quite interested in Walter's work.

"The kind of questions his work was asking and just his work in general, the way he's writing these kind of crime novels or novels that fit into the mystery genre, but he's doing so much more than a typical mystery in terms of writing style, interesting characters, humor and his themes, his ideas," Sullivan said. "He's just doing a lot more, kind of more interesting, more challenging, more complex."

So Sullivan contacted Walter and was "excited" when he agreed to speak at the community college.

Walter's other books include the 1995 nonfiction "Every Knee Shall Bow," rereleased in 2002 as "Ruby Ridge," 2001's "Over Tumbled Graves," 2003's "Land of the Blind" and 2005's "Citizen Vince," winner of the 2005 Edgar Award for best novel.

"I guess I'm coming to Big Bend because they asked me," Walter said via e-mail.

Walter said he has been to Moses Lake many times.

"Though like most Spokanites, I usually just see it from the freeway on my way to Seattle," he said.

He usually takes several speaking engagements per month in order to get out and talk to readers, he said, noting he especially likes speaking at colleges and to writers.

"When I was in college I went to hear every writer that came to Spokane or Cheney and it was great for me, at the time, to hear that, while they all have a different idea of craft and intent, most of the published authors I listened to shared some qualities: mainly their love of language and story and the puzzle of getting these sentences and stories down on the page," Walter said.

He planned to read a short story or section from one of his novels, talk about the writing process and writers who have moved him, and then answer questions.

Sullivan said author presentations are typically intended for the creative writing class, but open to the community.

"We hold it during the creative writing class so the students in that class can meet a real author, ask questions and see that they are real people who talk, talk, eat and all the rest of it," he said with a chuckle. "We gear it toward that, but also encourage the public to come and be a part of it too. So it really is a mixed audience. It's focused on the creative writing class mainly for the timing and the place, so we can give them direct access to it: We require that they go."

He hopes the audience leaves Walter's presentation with exposure to and appreciation for his work.

Hearing an author read his or her own work provides a fuller experience than reading the same words on a page, Sullivan noted.

"You get a sense of their personality as well as what they're doing on the text," he said. "Meeting, listening and discussing work with an author can inform and illuminate the reading experience."

For more information, call Sullivan at 509-793-2367.