Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley is the author of more than fifty critically acclaimed books, including the major bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins. His work includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. The Awkward Black Man (Grove Press) collects seventeen of Walter Mosley’s short stories presenting distinct characters as they struggle to move through the world. These heroes are awkward, nerdy, self-defeating, self-involved, and, on the whole, odd. Mosley overturns the stereotypes that corral black male characters and paints a subtle, powerful portrait of each of these individuals. It includes a man insecure about his weight, who allows himself to be taken advantage of in return for a little human comfort; a man working as a mailroom clerk and his pet fly; and “Almost Alyce,” a tale of failed loves, family loss, alcoholism, and a Zen approach to the art of begging. In a starred review Booklist said Mosley has created “a beautiful collection about Black men who are, indeed, awkward in their poignant humanity… Mosley’s is an essential American voice and his portraits of Black men will have profound resonance.”