Much of Jess Mowry's life is still a mystery, even though he has attracted the attention of Hollywood and the literary community. One published account of his life says that he was born in Oakland, California, but the publishers of his novel Way Past Cool, Farrar Straus Giroux, claim he was born in Mississippi. In any case, both sources list his birth on March 27, 1960.

Mowry grew up in Oakland, where he was raised by his father.

Educated only through the eighth grade, he spent much of his teenage life on the streets of Oakland, even working briefly as a bodyguard for a drug dealer. As an adult, he has worked as a garbage hauler and yard cleaner. A strong concern for the welfare of youngsters led him to volunteer to work with children's organizations, bringing with him the experience of once being a youth...