Walter Ellis Mosley Part 6 of 15 Black Authors
How different are you from me?
It all depends on what our hearts can see.
There is no place that judge’s not.
Even the heart, the softest spot
We all have inequities that we hope to someday change.
Pieces of our mind we hope to rearrange
No excuses, no wrongful defense
No jury decisions keeping us in suspense
Love can indeed cure and conquer hate.
You don’t get to choose. You must disseminate
Not discriminate
Because only love.
Walter Mosley is the author of 49 books and counting. He is the winner of numerous awards, including a Grammy, an O. Henry Award, and several NAACP awards. Some of us may have been introduced to Mosley through his character Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlings, played by Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of Devil in a Blue Dress. Still, others may have first recognized this amazingly talented writer through Laurence Fishburne and his on-screen portrayal of Socrates Fortlow in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. However, Mosley made it into your library; it was a definite treat to your literary psyche.
Writing two books a year in genres ranging from mystery to erotica, Mosley proves that changing careers mid-life was the best thing that he could have ever done. The son of a Jewish mother and African-American father, Mosley grew up in Los Angeles and was encouraged to read European classics, which undoubtedly led him to some of his other favorites, such as Langston Hughes and Chester Himes.
Mosely earned a degree in Political Science from Johnson State College. Mosley would go on to work for Mobile Oil as a computer programmer until taking a writing course at the City College of Harlem, where he discovered his true passion for writing.
Mosley has had several of his books optioned for both the big and small screen. His novel, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, was optioned by HBO and has been in production and is set to star Samuel Jackson. Mosley also has two stage plays, “The Fall of Heaven” and “Lift.”
If you asked Walter Mosley about his writing technique, he would tell you that he writes every day and that when he finishes one novel, he starts on the next. That is how you write two books per year and touch on genres that will keep your name on the tongues of generations to come. Mosley’s latest work, “Charcoal Joe,” can be purchased on his website at http://www.waltermosley.com/books/.
I hope that we will continue to enjoy the works of Mr. Mosley for years to come. Thank you for your lasting contribution.
The Writer
References: Walter Mosley on “And Sometimes I Wonder About You” at the 2015 National Book Festival. (2015, September 06). Retrieved December 31, 2020, from https://youtu.be/379K4x9TMfc
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