by Walter Mosley
started 8/9/07 finished 8/12/07
In 1996 I was volunteering with the National Black Arts Festival in their literary department. I had just been laid off from my job and qualified for the maximum amount of unemployment. Since the summer Olympics was coming in less than a month, I knew it would be impossible to find a job with the city overrun with European tourists….so I didn’t even try. One of my many duties (and non-paid workers have lots more duties than the paid ones) was to set up the rooms for the lectures, booksignings and film showings. Fortunately, I didn’t have to work the evening events (my paid superiors did that so they could stay up late and drink and then sleep in the next morning while I run across the Peachtree Road Race to get the festival bookstore open…but I digress), and I had a pass to get into some events for free. So one evening I had to choose between a lecture with Walter Mosley or a performance and discussion with Gwendolyn Brooks and Sweet Honey in the Rock. The ladies won out. After setting up the room for Mr. Mosley, I let him know that I had read his latest book and could he please tell me if Mouse was really dead. He told me that if I stayed for the lecture he would tell me. I explained that I couldn’t, it was Gwendolyn Brooks and Sweet Honey in the Rock! He stood firm and I had to wait a few years for the next book to answer my question.
After reading Blonde Faith (due to be published in October), the latest installment in the Easy Rawlins series, I need to speak with Mr. Mosley again. “Sir, is _______________ really dead?”
Oh, and I loved the book.
I am sad to say that I have not read any Walter Mosley. I have many on my book shelves. I am going to pull the first off right now and begin.
If you get started on the Easy Rawlins’ series now (with Devil in a Blue Dress) I will make sure that they don’t take your Black Peoples Membership card away at the next meeting.
Do you get any points for seeing the movie?
No points for seeing the movie and you have to clean Jesse Jackson’s office.