The Awkward Black Man, Walter Mosley
The Awkward Black Man, Walter Mosley
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The Awkward Black Man
Stories

Author: Walter Mosley

Narrator: Mirron Willis

Unabridged: 10 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/10/2020


Synopsis

Bestselling author Walter Mosley has proven himself a master of narrative tension, both with his extraordinary fiction and gripping writing for television. The Awkward Black Man collects seventeen of Mosley's most accomplished short stories to showcase the full range of his remarkable talent.

Mosley presents distinct characters as they struggle to move through the world in each of these stories—heroes who are awkward, nerdy, self-defeating, self-involved, and, on the whole, odd. He overturns the stereotypes that corral black male characters and paints a subtle, powerful portrait of each of these unique individuals. In "The Good News Is," a man's insecurity about his weight gives way to a serious illness and the intense loneliness that accompanies it. Deeply vulnerable, he allows himself to be taken advantage of in return for a little human comfort in a raw display of true need. "Pet Fly," previously published in the New Yorker, follows a man working as a mailroom clerk for a big company—a solitary job for which he is overqualified—and the unforeseen repercussions he endures when he attempts to forge a connection beyond the one he has with the fly buzzing around his apartment. And "Almost Alyce" chronicles failed loves, family loss, alcoholism, and a Zen approach to the art of begging that proves surprisingly effective.

About 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 has been translated into twenty-five languages and includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. In 2013, he was inducted into the New York State Writers Hall of Fame, and he is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award, a Grammy, PEN America's Lifetime Achievement Award, and an Edgar Award. He lives in New York City.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Candi

I’ve never read Walter Mosley before, though I’ve seen his name often enough over the last few years. I assumed he wrote mostly mystery novels, which is true. He has at least three popular detective fiction series to his credit. But after looking at his bio, I’ve discovered he’s also written some sc......more

Goodreads review by Andrew

I already knew I liked the way Walter Mosley puts words down on a page. I’d read a few of his novels and whilst I didn’t always love the story (actually, I really did like most of them) without fail I loved the way it was told. The man invents interesting characters and the dialogue is always snappy......more

Goodreads review by Lark

I've read enough Walter Mosley now that I trust him completely to lead me into the dark soul or the glorious heart or the brilliant mind of his characters, and this collection did not disappoint. The characters in these stories feel like living people who were waiting somewhere, whole and vivid, unt......more

Goodreads review by Lisa

I am neither black nor a man, yet I can find something to relate to in every one of these stories. Though race underlies many of the narratives, these experiences are not race dependent. Mosley's depiction of these awkward, lonely, sometimes vulnerable men is a-stereotypical, showing glimpses of bla......more