" Head Fake is about how laughter can save us." —Chris Rock, comedian, actor "An absorbing, uplifting tale of finding light and self-worth in adversity's darkest depths." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)   Mikey makes everything a joke, even the clinical depression he's struggled with for years. After a run of failed jobs, he becomes the unlikely basketball coach at a high school for high-risk offenders who are experiencing mental illness. The position becomes suddenly available after the team tried to strangle their last coach.   Every instinct tells Mikey to get as far away from this school as possible. Coaching these kids, who have been arrested for who-knows-what, would be difficult for a normie . For Mikey, it could cause another breakdown and force him right back to living on the street. But he knows that if he has any chance to make his twenty-sixth birthday, he needs to keep this job, even if the school board wants him fired, and the students would rather fight each other than play ball.   This poignant, hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortable novel proves that even the most damaged of us can emerge victorious. Longlisted for the 2025 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2024 "An absorbing, uplifting tale of finding light and self-worth in adversity's darkest depths." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) " Head Fake is about how laughter can save us." -Chris Rock, comedian, actor "Scott Gordon writes with profound candor, wit, and empathy about people on the edge, people who could just really use a few wins." - Chris Bachelder, author of four novels, including National Book Award finalist, The Throwback Special " Head Fake is a wonderful read on so many levels." -Nick Nurse, 2020 NBA Coach of the Year "This story will gut you, and change your perception of those we deem outcasts forever." - Eve Porinchak , bestselling author of One Cut "...just the right flavor of insight and fun to keep readers enjoying and thinking." -D. Donovan , Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review "Head Fake is nothing but net." - Mark Stevens , author of The Fireballer "Scott's ability to merge character development without slowing plot is simply amazing. I love this book!"- Rodney Barnes, Writer, Winning Time : Rise of the Lakers Dynasty , The Boondocks , American Gods "Head Fake is a masterful debut." -Gary Lennon , writer and Executive Producer of Euphoria and Power "The author's deep compassion for his cast of underdogs and misfits is infectious..." - IndieReader "Of course, this story's not about basketball. It's about not giving up. On anybody. Not even yourself." -Staci Greason , author, All the Girls in Town "Bring on the National Book Award." -David Wolthoff , Producer of Concussion "I strongly recommend it!" - Los Angeles Book Review "5 stars!" - Chicago Book Review What inspired you to write this book?   I worked as a Youth Advocate for juvenile offenders with mental illness for about seven years, a profoundly rewarding experience. The county was in desperate need of males to work with the boys, some of whom were violent offenders. I had zero experience with children, but I hoped to make a difference for some of these boys.   After a week of training, I picked up my first client, a fifteen-year-old boy with bipolar disorder and a history of violence. Upon entering my old Nissan, he slammed the door and glared at me. "I could make you disappear," he threatened, holding my gaze. He was clearly testing me. I knew if I showed any sign of fear, it would be impossible to earn his trust. I clapped my hands together and proclaimed, "Wonderful. I love magicians." My response caught him off guard, and he cracked a smile. I had found my way in. Humor. I knew that if I could make these kids laugh, I could reach them.   I ended up with a full case load and some of the hardest cases in the county. Head Fake is inspired by the courage of the kids I worked with, who taught me much more about life than I ever could've taught them.   When did you first consider yourself a writer?   In my young twenties, I moved to NYC to write the great American novel. And I did. It was about a young writer who moves to NYC to write the great American novel. Upon its completion, I considered myself a writer, even if nobody else did. I still have it in a filing cabinet in my garage.   What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?   I'm a discovery writer. I don't outline, at least not in the first draft. The second draft is where structure and theme begin to elbow their way into the writing. Scott Gordon's fiction has appeared in the Green Hills Literary Lantern (GHLL), Modern Times Magazine, Pennsylvania Literary Journal, The Satirist, and Mobius Magazine. In addition to writing fiction, he has written and directed films and television series, including A History of Black Achievement in America, Great American Authors, and more. Scott spent years working as a Y