And do you have any more books that have already been written that you just haven’t published yet? You know, and they understand themselves in a certain kind of way that got redefined in America because they had to kill the Native Americans and enslave the Africans. Gypsies aren’t white, and Vikings aren’t white, and the Greeks aren’t white, and the Spaniards aren’t white. And then slowly, I mean, over time, I said, well, nobody’s white. And people say, well, how does it feel to be half white and half black? And I said my mother’s Jewish. My mother’s Jewish, of course, which makes me Jewish. MOSLEY: Well, you know, that people think about who they are from culture, not from supposed DNA or color or what continent, you know, somebody came from a long time ago ’cause then you could start talking about European people, you know. MARTIN: How would you like us to think about this? And, you know, in order to end race in America, all we have to do is recognize that the notion “a white person” doesn’t really exist on any term, and in any way. I mean, the truth is, is I’ve been giving this talk a lot lately that the big issue about race in America is that there really is no such thing as white people. And so race is kind of one of the many things that we get wrong, right? I would say. And you said all of these terms have their roots drenched in the lifeblood of racism.

And you said, you know, he’s identified variously as white, half white, half Hispanic or Hispanic. And you were reflecting on the way that George Zimmerman, the shooter, was described.

I was thinking about the essay that you wrote around the Trayvon Martin case. MARTIN: I think many people, you know, associate you as portraying the black experience through the perspective of your characters over time, in different eras, faced with different situations. MOSLEY: I’m very unhappy if two days go by and I haven’t written. MARTIN: Do you get antsy if you don’t write something? Do feel, like, uncomfortable? But I just write every morning for two to three hours, about 360 days a year or more. But the truth is, I don’t update it every time I write a book. I think I probably wrote more than two dozen books four years ago. Now it’s nearly four dozen, and I don’t think I’m the only one who wants to know how you manage to keep up this pace. And back then – this is true – and back then, I said you had more than two dozen books to your credit. MARTIN: You know, I was looking up my notes, and I realized I talked to you almost four years ago to the day. The Writer has cobbled together excerpts from interviews Walter has given over the years. In particular, he invented the character of Easy Rawlins, an African-American detective living in Watts, solving crimes, and reflecting on life in an America few get to know. Goddard College alum Walter Mosley has written more than 4 dozen books in his incredible career.

The devil in the blue dress book