The National Book Award winner brings his sequel to Beaufort as David and Lorrie Anderson mark 10 years in the book biz.
By Teresa Bruce
The last time author Jason Mott picked Beaufort’s NeverMore Books for a signing, co-sponsored by the Pat Conroy Literary Center, bookstore owners David and Lorrie Anderson predicted his Hell Of A Book would win the National Book Award. They were right. So it’s no wonder the celebrated Southern author insisted that his next book tour return to the Port Republic Street bookstore on September 5th.
Could a repeat win be in store? Mott’s not going to jinx it, telling
Lowcountry Weekly he’s “not sure if I believe in good luck talismans, but I do believe in the awesomeness of NeverMore!”
Reviews of Mott’s sequel People Like Us suggest it will fly off shelves, calling it a “genre-bending tour-de-force” and “haunting, vivid literary fiction at its finest.”
JasonMott, photo by Mallory Cash
Goodreads writes: “People Like Us is wickedly funny and achingly sad all at once. It is an utter triumph bursting with larger-than-life characters who deliver a very real take on our world.” And while it’s a natural evolution from his last book, readers new to Mott will pick up the story line with ease. And Hell of a Book fans will find reminders of why it appealed to so many audiences for so many reasons.
People Like Us continues to tackle race, gun violence and loss, but could just as easily be described as hopeful and wise – in the way only a hometown friend can break bad news with a much-needed hand up, or heartfelt hug. Music fans might call it a jazz performance, full of lyrical passages and triumphant rhythm. This time the protagonist, an accomplished writer confused with other famous Black authors, finds himself in two places at once – deciding whether to live with the brutal truth of his own country or to make new family from the nostalgic comfort of distance. Many a Beaufort newcomer from another part of the world will relate to this type of reckoning even if they’ve never experienced gun violence or racial profiling. Here’s a passage from when the hero goes on book tour in Italy.
NeverMore Books, photo by Gary Geboy
“He grabs my luggage and leads me across a bustling Italian street to what I can only describe as the strangest car I’ve ever seen. First off, it’s old. And I’m talking Roosevelt Old. Too old for seat belts and high rates of passenger survival. Whole thing’s shaped like a snail if that snail could pull its top back.”
David & Lorrie Anderson, photo by Gary Geboy
Mott’s unpretentious, outsider tone is a perfect match for NeverMore Books. Though the store’s owners keep a low profile, the People Like Us meet-and-greet on September 5th also marks their tenth anniversary as Beaufort’s least ordinary business. David Anderson started collecting first editions and rare books as a kid working in his parents’ Lincoln, Nebraska furniture store. Estate sale books they bought as props for selling shelving units mysteriously disappeared, hoarded away by the now grown-up NeverMore founder until he had a 2,000 book personal collection to launch the bookstore. He still reads 3 books at a time, though not “borrowed” from unsuspecting parents. Lorrie Anderson developed her passion for books by practically taking up residence in her Camden, South Carolina library as a child. Just like Mott, as it turns out, whose favorite memories of growing up in eastern North Carolina include long interludes at the local library. If he felt “weird” back then, he channeled it into the greatest joy his character Soot finds on tour:
“Soot just signs the book and offers the kid a smile and he hopes it’s
enough. The kid takes the book and he offers Soot a handshake and when they’re shaking hands the kid just says four little worlds. “Thanks for being weird.”
Mott says he’s eager to return to Beaufort for a real-life, First Friday book signing at Nevermore, where visitors find hand-written notes tucked between shelves like “unattended children will be given to the goblin king.”
“Weird is the right way to describe NeverMore and that’s exactly why I love it,” Mott says. “It’s not trying to be any other store. It’s purely itself and that’s exceptionally rare. And of course, David and Lorrie are simply wonderful. Every time I visit, David will bring out some book I’ve been searching for – without me ever having to tell him I was searching for it.”
Named in homage to Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting refrain, NeverMore
Anderson reads Mott, photo by Gary Geboy
Books leans into its gothic intrigue with curated shelves that reflect both classic sensibilities and unconventional tastes. From signed first editions to children’s literature, biographies, and art books, the store’s selection is as thoughtful as it is eclectic. And it’s a New York Times reporting bookstore, which means physically purchasing People Like Us from NeverMore Books gets Mott statistically closer to “The Big One” he writes about.
The Andersons think he’s already big time – calling him “the most genuine and approachable genius we’ve ever met.” Mott is the latest in a long line of celebrity authors in the NeverMore mutual fan club –from the late Pat Conroy to Delia Owens and Valerie Sayers. But it’s the reviews from readers that will keep the doors open for the next ten years:
- ⭐️“Best bookstore, ever!” — happyfeet51
“The selection of books is amazing, the intriguing decor makes you want to step inside and browse, and the owners can tell you just about anything you want to know.”
First Friday at Nevermore Books (910 Port Republic Street), with author Jason Mott, happens Friday, September 5th from 5-7pm, and copies of People Like Us are available in advance or at the signing. For a full list of Mott’s tour dates, visit www.jasonmottauthor.com
Teresa Bruce is local writer and friend of NeverMore Books.
