Walter Mosley an influential African American History contributor

Born on January 12, 1952, in Los Angeles, California. Mosley is considered one of today’s leading novelists, especially in the genre of mysteries. He grew up as the only child of an African American father and a Jewish mother—a diverse background that often surfaces in his work. Mosley graduated from Johnston State College in 1977. After college, he worked a number of jobs and moved to New York City in the early 1980s. Around this time, Mosley worked as a computer programmer. But after a few years he quit to study writing at City College of New York (CCNY). With the help of a teacher’s literary agent, Mosley sold his first book, Devil in a Blue Dress (1990). Set in the post-World War II Los Angeles’ Watts neighborhood, the mystery earned strong reviews and was the first in the series of Easy Rawlins novels. Rawlins is an African American soldier who returns from the war, works as a private detective, and often wrestles with issues of race and morality. Several more Easy Rawlins mysteries soon followed: A Red Death (1991), White Butterfly (1992), Black Betty (1994), and A Little Yellow Dog (1995). Cinnamon Kiss (2005) is the most recent title in this series. Mosley created other series as well. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned (1997) and Walkin’ the Dog (1999) follow Socrates Fortlow, an ex-con released from prison after serving more than 20 years for rape and murder. Fearless Jones, another Mosley character, appears in a 2001 novel by the same name and 2003’s Fear Itself. Besides his fiction series, Mosley has explored several other genres, including science fiction with Blue Light (1998) and The Wave (2006). He has also written for young adults, resulting in the critically acclaimed 47. This imaginative work tells the story of a slave boy who seeks to gain his freedom. Mosley is exploring opportunities beyond the printed page. Many of Mosley’s books have been turned into movies. His first novel was made into the 1995 film Devil in the Blue Dress starring Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins. There have reports that a film of the Easy Rawlins novel, Little Scarlet, in the works with Mosley serving as the project’s screenwriter. During his long career, Mosley has received numerous awards, including an O’Henry Award in 1996 and a Grammy Award in 2002 for the album best liner notes for Richard Pryor . . . And It’s Deep, Too! He also received an honorary doctorate degree from City College in New York. Mosley now lives in New York with his family.