Pitt Hosts Renowned Novelist Walter Mosley Feb. 6

PITTSBURGH—Renowned author Walter Mosley—whose critically acclaimed debut novel Devil in a Blue Dress (Norton, 1990) was adapted into a 1995 film of the same name starring Denzel Washington—will deliver a reading at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, 650 Schenley Dr., Oakland. The free, public event is part of the University’s 2013-14 Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series. 

“Walter Mosley takes more risks and has more range and charm than most any writer in America today,” said Pitt English professor William Lychack. “The man writes like a demon—an incredibly generous and gifted demon—all the while making it look so easy, making it feel so enjoyable, and making the art of writing so important.”

In a literary career spanning nearly a quarter century, Mosley has published more than 40 books across numerous writing genres. Devil in a Blue Dress was the first of 12 books in Mosley’s commercially and critically successful Easy Rawlins mystery novel series. Among his many other notable novels are Little Green (Double Day, 2013), Fortunate Son (Little, Brown, 2006), and Blue Light (Little, Brown, 1998), which was named among The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 1998. 

Mosley’s short fiction has been published in such national publications as Esquire, The New Yorker, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Mosley’s works of nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times Magazine and The Nation, among other publications. 

In 2013, Mosley was inducted into the New York Writers Hall of Fame. His other awards and distinctions include the 2006 Carl Brandon Parrallax Award for the novel 47 (Little, Brown, 2005), a 1998 Anisfield Wolf Award, a 1996 O. Henry Award, and a 1996 Literary Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Mosley won a Grammy Award for Best Album Notes for the liner notes to Richard Pryor’s comedy compilation And It’s Deep Too! in 2001.

A native of Los Angeles, Mosley is the son of an African American father and an Eastern European Jewish mother. He attests that his unique racial and ethnic heritage provided him with a multifaceted understanding of race and culture that has greatly impacted his work. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Johnson State College in Vermont in 1977, and he has taught English at New York University. Mosley currently resides in New York City. 

The University of Pittsburgh Writing Program and University Store on Fifth cosponsor the 2013-14 Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series season. For more information, visit www.pghwriterseries.wordpress.com or contact 412-624-6508. 

###

1/31/14/cjhm