SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane author Jess Walter is receiving high praise from former U.S. President Barack Obama.
Obama named Walter’s 2013 collection of short stories, titled “We Live in Water: Stories,” as one of his favorite books of 2019. He added that Walter’s book, along with others listed, helped make his 2019 “a little brighter.”
Obama also recently announced his favorite movies and TV shows of 2019 on his Twitter account.
The collection of short fiction is set in Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Las Vegas and the woods of Idaho, among other locations.
Walter responded to Obama’s pick on his personal Twitter account, writing, “Also a big fan of your work, sir. Wow, such an honor.”
Walter is the author of six novels, one book of short stories and a nonfiction book. He has been named a finalist for the National Book Award and a winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, along with several other nominations for his fiction works.
Walter began his writing career in 1987 as a reporter at The Spokesman-Review, where he was a finalist for the 1992 Pulitzer Prize as part of a team covering the shootout and standoff at Ruby Ridge in North Idaho.
He lives with his wife Anne and their three children in Spokane.
