PODCAST: News, Fiction and Empathy: a Conversation With Jess Walter

Visiting writer Jess Walter on his experience in journalism, modern media, the power of fiction, the importance of empathy and more.

By Riley Martinez | November 30, 2023 5:00pm
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Spokane fiction writer Jess Walter
Media Credit: Natalie Gordon / The Beacon

As a student, the chance to interview an accomplished American author is a rare, precious moment. And that makes it worth recording. Jess Walter is a bestselling fiction writer from Spokane, Washington with seven novels and two short story collections. But, he’s also written a nonfiction book, “Every Knee Shall Bow” (1995), based on the 11-day standoff between government officials and the Weaver family at Ruby Ridge, Idaho in 1992 — an event he covered as a reporter for the Spokesman Review. And that’s where our conversation begins.

Riley Martinez is Copy Editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at martinri@up.edu.

Natalie Gordon contributed to this story. She can be reached at gordonn26@up.edu.

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