Walter Mosley Books

The only reason I bought this book is because Walter Mosley's name was attached to it. Mosley is one of America's most valuable treasures, and I jump at any opportunity to experience his words. However, while his essay is excellent, the other authors more than hold their own.

I don't know who the intended audience is for this book, but I think it should be required reading for everyone. From age 15 through 90. Liberal, conservative, egalitarian, libertarian, agnostic, spiritual, what have you.

I cannot put my respect for this book into words. I am saddened with the realization that this book will go unnoticed by many because of a number of reasons. This book deserves much more recognition than it has received to date.

This is a very serious piece of writing. So often, African-Americans look to others for help in "handling our business." Here are 13 essays from people of thought and action that have decided to lay out some ways we can handle it ourselves!

The real beauty of this book is the accessibility of what is written. No offense to Cornel West and other Black Intellectuals (they have voices that must also be heard and heeded!), but this book is written in such a way that even the casual reader will be touched and moved to action. There is no lack of depth here but rather a casual familiarity as well as a sense of urgency that will immediately draw the reader in.

Further, there are a variety of voices presented here. From Spike Lee to Randall Robinson to Walter Mosley, these essayists cover a tremendous amount of ground and touch all of us along the way. There is something here that speaks to the many facets of the African American experience.

Buy this book - I dare you not to be inspired by it!

Why are we intrigued by all of Spike Lee's Movies no matter how bad or good, or Easy Rowlin's character in Walter Mosley's Devil In A Blue Dress? Is it the casting of characters, the mystery of the black experience or the marvel of these geniuses who seem more talented then life itself at times. they are the folks who encourage to hold on to life, catch a dream, and believe that success doesn't have to be a thought but a realization. This book contains the very folks who may or may not seem like geniuses to everyone, but just the mere power of their actions has transformed a generation through movies, literature, sports, fashion, journalism, and Humanitarianism. I always sink into these anthology compilations because I am curious to find out the reasoning behind some of the great Black African Americans featured in anthologies like this. It may be true that to be a success is to know success, but for those who don't have that convenience...why not read about it?

This is some of the heaviest reading I have chosen in a long time. While I must say I did not agree with several of the viewpoints of the collective writers, the writing was done with conviction and the ideas were thought-provoking. I recommend this book to any students of African American history, Journalism or Economics. I thought a better title for this work would have been Collective Black Genius.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Too many times the Black community is treated as if we all believe only one idea or follow one way of doing things. "Black Genius" brings out the qualities our many talented Kings and Queens by providing personal narratives with solutions to many concerns that effect the Black Community daily. I highly recommend this book. If you are concerned about issues in the Black community you wont be dissapointed.

I was very happy with the product and it arrived in a timely manner. Thank You

Usually I review nonfiction business and career books in the "Bud's Books column on my ezine. However, I just read a great novel by Walter Mosley, and I felt compelled to feature it in the latest edition and to post it here.

The Tempest Tales is the story of Tempest Landry. As the story begins, Tempest is mistaken for another man and shot and killed by the police. When he gets to the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter sentences him to hell for his sins. However, Tempest takes exception with Saint Peter's definition of sin. He refuses to go to hell and explains that his "sins" are merely things he had to do - for his family, friends and love - and to survive.
Tempest gets sent back to earth - with an angel, whose job is to convince him to accept his sins and his judgment of eternal damnation.

This is when it gets interesting. Tempest and the angel spar over the notion of right and wrong. Tempest does his best to convince the angel that acts, in and of themselves, are neither good not sinful. They must be viewed in context. The angel is very perplexed by the notion of shades of gray. Things are black and white in his world.

I like this book for a couple of reasons. First, like all Walter Mosley books, it is well written. Second, it makes an important point about human relations. No one should presume to judge another human being until he or she has stood in the other person's shoes.

In my new book, "Straight Talk for Success", I point out that successful people, among other things, are interpersonally competent. If you want to become interpersonally competent, you need to develop empathy for your fellow human beings.

Things that may seem strange to you, might be perfectly logical from another's perspective. In The Tempest Tales, Walter Mosley takes you for in interesting and enjoyable ride as he goes about proving this point.

If you're the kind of person who doesn't read fiction thinking that it is a waste of time, pick up and read a copy of The Tempest Tales. You'll see that helpful career and life success messages can, and often do, come in novels.

and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup."

Psalms: 11:6

Walter Mosley's latest book, "The Tempest Tales", is "[d]edicated to the memory of Langston Hughes". The story, in form and content, pays homage to Jesse B Semple, the great character created by Langston Hughes in his Simple Stories. The Early Simple Stories (Collected Works of Langston Hughes) and The Later Simple Stories (Collected Works of Langston Hughes)

Set in Harlem, Tempest Landry is gunned down `accidentally' by the police for a robbery he did not commit. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. As the story opens we see him standing in a terminally long line, waiting for St. Peter to pass judgment. Tempest is a bit upset, to say the least, when St. Peter advises Tempest that his sins outweigh his good deeds and he is condemned to damnation. But Tempest does not go quietly. He refuses to accept the judgment and this causes no end of consternation in heaven. No soul has ever refused to accept St. Peter's judgment and Tempest soon finds out that he cannot be compelled to damnation without his consent. The rules, such as they are, require that Tempest accept the judgment that has been passed on him. St. Peter decides to send Tempest back down to earth along with a guardian angel who is is tasked with the job of convincing Tempest to accept St. Peter's judgment. Tempest (now in another soul's body) and the guardian angel end up back in Harlem. The rest of the story focuses on the relationship between Tempest and the guardian angel.

Mosley does a great job presenting Tempest as a man tasked with defending his life. St. Peter and the guardian angel live with a moral compass that it fixed, sure, and not subject to earthly claims of relative good an evil. In heavenly terms, good and bad are moral absolutes and not subject to bargaining or mitigation. But Tempest, basically on trial for his immortal soul, does a magnificent job of arguing, or trying to explain, to his angel that life on earth, particularly life for a black man in Harlem, creates enough magnetic or social `interference' to render that moral compass less than an absolute guide to sin or salvation. What Mosley does here, and to great effect, is to look at a man's life from an earthly perspective, where decisions are not nor perhaps cannot always be made in terms of absolute good and evil. Mosley manages to do this without slipping into the sort of moral relativism that makes excuses for any bad choices made by people here on earth. He does not advocate absolute relativism as a superior concept to moral precepts of right and wrong. My impress was that Mosley suggests that when we take the measure of a man's life that we look beyond a mere ledger of rights and wrongs.

"Tempest Tales" would not have worked if Mosley had not created such fine characters. Tempest, his angel and the characters that people "Tempest Tales" are painted with depth and nuance. Mosley is a fine, entertaining writer and "Tempest Tales" was yet another Mosley story that I found hard to put down. As noted earlier, "Tempest Tales" is something of homage to Langston Hughes. Its Harlem setting and the type of characters that populate the book really do evoke the wonderful stories of Hughes. Mosley, however, does not slavishly imitate Hughes the way an Elvis impersonator might don a white jump suit and do a third-rate note-by-note, gyration-by-gyration impersonation of the old Elvis. Rather, Mosley has created characters and created dialogue that are unique to Mosley and not pale imitations of Simple and his friends. That seems to me to be the best sort of homage. Highly recommended. L. Fleisig

I love Walter Mosley's novels. This one was good, but not quite what I expected. I think I thought it would be more of a Devil and Daniel Webster-type story, but it was much deeper. It brought up a lot of questions concerning sin, race, sex, and social status. I wish the story had been longer, so that the reader could have gotten to know the characters better. I just felt like something was missing.

This is my third Mosley book (I've read both of his science fiction books) I throughly enjoyed this book!!! On the surface you would believe it is just a cute story about a dead man not willing to go to Hell even though St. Peter commands that he go, but as you think about what you are reading you begin to see that it is more about the injustices of Racism, poverty and the overall political scene in America from a Black man's point of view. My only criticism (and it is a stretch by far) is that is is such a small book that I read in 2 days and now I'm left wanting more. One could take the position that the ending leaves much to be desired, but for me I think the ending is purposely left opened ended because there (I hope) will be more Tempest tales.
Walter Mosely is the type of Author that all writers should aspire to write like. He writes with intelligence, purpose and fun all rolled into one. I loved this book!!!!!

I have a new addiction. I am hung up on the African writer Kola Boof. I guess because I am a black woman, I relate so much more to the urgency and wisdom in Boof's political views mixed with her command of our ancestor's cultures and her defiant love for blackness itself, until I was not as impressed with Walter Mosley's new book as my husband was, but still, I thought "LIFE OUT OF CONTEXT" was very good. I don't regret buying it.

To the contrary, I think this book is much better than some other friends have said it was.

Mosely, who is biracial, speaks of a world view for colored peoples and is concerned with all races. He doesn't resonate with me as powerfully as Kola Boof does, because I still don't think we have saved black people yet let alone the whole earth, but this book shows how intelligent he is and that his heart is in the right place. I agreed totally with his idea of a Black political party. It's long overdue.

If you want to read a true masterpiece that every black human being should wrap their brains around, however, then you should read Kola Boof's autobiography "Diary of a Lost Girl". She has an essay in that book called "The Authentic Black Man" that only an African woman could have written.

My husband and I live by it!

Mosley has done it again. Life Out of Context is a book that not only will allow you to see things differently but forces you to. THe content is straight to the point and the way he lays it out there you have no choice but to read fast and then go back. I read this book in the book sotre for days and then realized I was done. It is a piece that will change the way you put your thoughts together, it has made he see the light.

Does it ramble in some places? Yes. Does it propose some things that kinda scare me? Yes. Does it come up with brilliant, new and wholly-thought-out ways to change the world? No. Now, let's ask ourselves what it was meant to do...

It was meant to walk a reader through the mental steps it takes to lift themselves out of seeing their entire lives in the context of only their own navels. It's not intended to show people exactly how to change the world. It's intended to show people how to think about themselves as agents of change...and changes that could happen TODAY. Sadly, that type of cover description doesn't sell books. So, I'm sure there will be people complaining about how it doesn't deliver on its promises. Well, welcome to the world of book-selling. Now, get over it.

Get over it and read this book. It's been a huge factor in my being able to finally see where I fit in as a citizen of this world...not just a participant in my life. Read it. Let it scare you and then pull back. Let it make you say, "DUH!" and then surprise you by the next sentence's depth and insight. If it were a man, I'd recommend you kiss him just so you can know what it's like. Yeah, it's that good. If you let it in.

I read Devil in a Blue Dress in one sitting. Obviously, writer Jonathan Kellerman did too, because he later wrote, "I read Devil in a Blue Dress in one sitting and didn't want it to end. An astonishing first novel." Fortunately for Mosley fans, there are more Easy Rawlins mysteries. Devil in a Blue Dress remains my favorite. It's set in 1948 in Los Angeles. Easy Rawlins is a war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. This is the role Denzel Washington plays so well in the movie. Devil is much more than a hard-boiled mystery. The book left me wanting to read more about Easy Rawlin's adventures.

When Roger Harris, editor of the Books section of the Star Ledger recomended all the Easy Rawlings novels, someone gave me the 3-book set as a present.

You want to get the three book set! The plots are complicated but there are no loose ends, the characters are strongly drawn, and Mr. Mosley has created a world you will want to return to after reading each novel.

Read them in chronological order, and enjoy!

another wonderful easy rawlins adventure. my alltime favorite slueth gives us more twist and turns on the way to a thrilling finish. walter mosley is the best mystery writer of our time!

Great detective story writers can rise to being solid novelists. Ross MacDonald was clearly in this category. With Gone Fishin', Walter Mosley has attained that distinction in a new way -- he has gone into a new fictional genre.

Although this novel has the usual crime overlay, it is really a novel about coming of age in the South as a black person before the days of integration. With few books available on this subject, I suspect that Mosley may have set the standard for other authors to meet.

For me, a lot of the charm of the Easy Rawlins stories is their historical setting in the more prejudiced days of the past. How does an intelligent, honorable black person deal with this? The stories are interesting for both what they say about society and for the great plots and character development.

This book, a prequel to the others in the series, does the same, but in a different setting -- far a way from Southern California.

I found it to be an excellent gothic novel, and encourage you to read it as such. If you open this book expecting another Easy Rawlins detective story, you may be disappointed. On the other hand, if you leave yourself open to what you find here, you will probably be rewarded. Moseley's fans need to live up to his talent, and follow him where his skills take him.

If you have not read the Walter Mosley books before, I suggest you start with this one. You'll make more sense out of the rest of the series. You'll also be less likely to be disturbed by the shift in genre. Anyone who enjoys this book will find the detective novels to be an easy follow on.

Tenemos cintas magneticas de este libro pero necesitamos el libro para leer y entender unas palabras.

Fortunate Son
By Walter Mosley

A Book Review
By Keisha Matthews

Fortunate Son, by Walter Mosley, is a gripping tale of a young boy who just can't seem to get a break in life. The author takes us through the life of Thomas Beerman, Tommy (later known as Lucky) and his encounters with people and fate. Tommy started his life with a hole in his lung and spent the first several months of his life in an isolation unit. His mother, Branwyn, is a kind, gentle, insightful woman who stays by Tommy's side reading and talking to him and praying for his recovery. She befriends a white doctor (Dr. Nolan) who falls in love with not just her, but her total essence, her entire being - mind, body and especially her spirit.
The doctor's influence convinces Branwyn to remove Tommy from the isolation unit so that he can benefit and thrive from her love - thus begins his life. Dr. Nolan invites Branwyn and Tommy into his home and into his life. Branwyn became mother to Dr. Nolan's son, Eric, who was also drastically affected by her calming spirit. Although Branwyn never accepts the doctor's pleas to marry him, Dr. Nolan, Branwyn, Tommy and Eric lived as a family, but faced a great deal of adversity.
The sudden death of Branwyn rips the makeshift family apart. Tommy inherits his mother's kind demeanor and gentle spirit and has no idea that her spirit will live on through him and affect everyone he comes in contact with. Although the boys are separated, they live life with their own share of challenges and fate eventually reunites them.
Walter Mosley's characters are multi-dimensional and have amazing depth. His ability to make the characters real enough for the reader to take part in the characters' introspection is mind boggling; enough so that the reader does a little soul searching of his/her own. The unfortunate events of the Fortunate Son causes one to ponder the idea of whether or not we suffer for the sins of our "fathers" and to what degree we must suffer. Not only that, but his words cause one to tackle the idea of destiny, fate and choice. The relationships in this book also make the reader consider the complexity, fragility, and elusiveness of relationships.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I did find myself affected by the many unfortunate circumstances the characters faced, but felt rewarded by the intrigue of the story itself. This book is a definite must read! Not only is it a must read, it is a fast one. At 313 pages, you will find it hard to put down!
Walter Mosley also wrote Devil in a Blue Dress, a book that was made into "A Spike Lee Joint" in which Denzel Washington played the main character.

the master has spoken. I have all your books. keep keeping on my brother. you are a joy.

As expected, this book from America's greatest writer is fun and funny. It's actually three books, put together in a facsimile edition by Oxford. The first books, _The Stolen White Elephant, etc._ is a collection of Clemens' humorous short stories and speeches. Though these do not get into the same serious criticism of society as _Huck Finn_ or _Connecticut Yankee_, they do have a biting tone and make the reader laugh. Despite the title, the only of these tales with any detectives is the title story. The second book, _Tom Sawyer, Detective_, follows Tom and Huck on a third adventure. Huck tells the story, and though the accent isn't done as thoroughly as in the prequel, the novel is funny and...well, funny! The last novel, _A Double-Barreled Detective Story_, makes fun of the whole detective genre.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who who missed Tom, Huck and Hank Morgan, and to anyone looking for a good laugh.