Walter Mosley (b. 1952) has written some extraordinary crime novels about life in Los Angeles. His hard-boiled detective, Easy Rawlins (played by Denzel Washington in the 1995 adaptation, Devil in a Blue Dress), is his most popular character. Even Bill Clinton mentioned Mosley as one of his favorite writers.
As much as I love his mysteries, I especially appreciate the passion and insight of Mosely’s essays and political writings that describe the pain and irrationality that racism infuses into personal relationships in America. As a black American, I find that his stories resonate very intensely in me and remind me of my own personal experiences.
