Jason Mott

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Mayor’s Book Club | Jason Mott in conversation with Evan Narcisse

When:
Wednesday,
April
15,
2026 |
7 p.m.
Where:
Austin Central Library

Join us in welcoming author Jason Mott whose novel People Like Us is this year’s Mayor’s Book Club selection.

People Like Us follows two Black writers searching for peace and belonging in a world riven by gun violence. The compelling story follows two unnamed authors— both Black Americans—as they navigate their careers and personal lives in a complex, often dark world. One is on an international book tour and tries to find belonging, the other is grappling with being a voice of hope for a community devastated by tragedy.

Mott will be joined in conversation with Austin author Evan Narcisse.

Book signing to follow with books availabe to purchase on site from Black Pearl Books.

About Jason Mott

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jason Mott lives in southeastern North Carolina. He has a BFA in Fiction and an MFA in Poetry from UNC Wilmington. His debut, The Returned, was adapted by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and aired on ABC as Resurrection. His fourth novel, Hell of a Book, won the 2021 National Book Award for Fiction. His poetry and fiction have appeared in various literary journals.

Praise for “People Like Us”

“A captivating fever dream of a novel about memory, belonging, and what it’s like to live as a Black writer in America today. Not all fever dreams are funny, but this one actually is.” —Stephen Colbert, The Late Show, A Late Show Book Club pick.

About Evan Narcisse
Austin-based Evan Narcisse is a comic boook writer, journalist, and video game narrative designer.

Jena Stude

Interim Treasurer

Jena Stude is Vice President of Development at Good + West Residential. Prior to joining Good + West in 2021, Jena was an Investment Manager at Blueprint Local, a real estate private equity firm, overseeing direct real estate investments in Texas. Before Blueprint Local, Jena was an Associate Director at the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO) from 2013-2019. Jena previously held similar positions at Ascension Health, a large non-profit hospital system based in St. Louis, Missouri and the University of Arizona Investment Office. Jena holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.S. in Finance from the University of Arizona.

Frank Livaudais

Board Vice President

Frank Livaudais is also Vice President of Enterprise Engineering for Cloudflare, an internet security company in downtown Austin. An avid runner and reader, he has run more than 250 marathons (including races in all 50 U.S. states, six countries, and four continents). Frank tries to read 100+ books a year. He lives in Austin with his wife Shelley, son Christopher and one fairly naughty vizsla.

Tom Oney

Board President

Tom Oney is Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of External Affairs for the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). He oversees LCRA’s Human Resources team and all of LCRA’s public-facing and advocacy functions, including Communications, Community Resources, Environmental Affairs, Public Affairs, and Regulatory Affairs. Tom also advocates before the Texas Legislature on behalf of LCRA and led LCRA’s public policy team during the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 Texas legislative sessions.

Tom was born and raised in Waco, Texas, and received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from Baylor University in 1996. He received his Juris Doctor cum laude from Tulane University School of Law in 1999. Tom currently represents LCRA on the board of directors of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas and serves as president of the board of directors of both the Austin Library Foundation and Green Doors, an award-winning non-profit benefiting homeless people in Central Texas.