Jesse Ball

Jesse Ball is a highly acclaimed author, best known for his bestselling novel, "Census." Born in 1978 in New York, Ball grew up in a middle-class family in the small town of Port Jefferson. His father worked in Medicaid, while his mother was a librarian. From a young age, Ball developed a love for reading, which no doubt contributed to his future career as a writer.

Ball's younger brother was born with Down's Syndrome and attended a special school away from home. This experience had a profound impact on Ball and has influenced his writing. After completing high school, Ball attended Vassar College.

Ball is widely regarded as one of the most talented authors of his generation, with a writing style that has been compared to that of Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges. His reputation as a respected author was solidified after his novel "Samedi the Deafness" became a bestseller. In 2009, he published another outstanding novel, "The Way Through Doors," which also became a bestseller.

Ball is the author of fourteen books, including his most recent novel, "How To Set a Fire and Why." His works have been published to acclaim in many parts of the world and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the Paris Review's Plimpton Prize and fellowships from the NEA and the Heinz foundation. Ball currently resides in Chicago and teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His writing is part of the tradition of authors such as Borges, Abe, Kafka, Walser, Kristof, Erpenbeck, Bernhard, Gogol, and Schulz.