The Talented Walter Mosley, Author

I am an avid reader, and one of my favorite authors is the gifted Walter Mosley.  Over the years I have followed, and fallen in love with, his leading characters, Easy Rawlins and Leonid McGill.  I've read each book in each series and eagerly await release of the next.  There are currently twelve in the Easy Rawlins series and four in the Leonid McGill series.  The most recent books are Little Green and All I Did Was Shoot My Man.  Both books were wonderful reads.  Mosley does a great job of bringing you up to date if you either didn't read or need a refresher from the previous books in the series, but I highly recommend reading all the books in order to get the full history and flavor of not only the lead but also supporting characters.  Besides, you're sure to enjoy them all.

Today, I stumbled upon an interview of Mr. Mosley on National Public Radio (NPR) and learned that he is being honored at the National Black Writers' Conference taking place at the City University of New York (CUNY) this week.  In my opinion the award is much deserved.  You can listen to the interview here:

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/26/294804065/walter-mosley-to-end-race-we-have-to-recognize-white-doesnt-exist

He reveals that he has just completed a new Easy Rawlins mystery and is working on the next Leonid McGill book.  Yay!  I can't wait.  He also talks about his soon to be released novel, Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore.  Different from what he's done in the past, but I'm willing to give it a shot.  He hasn't disappointed me yet.

Goree Island, Senegal

A few months ago I traveled to the country of Senegal in West Africa.  I was very excited about this trip to the Motherland, and looked forward to going to Goree Island and seeing La Maison des Esclaves or House of Slaves.  I remembered when President Obama traveled there and was photographed at the Door of No Return, which made me want to see it even more.  The Washington Post shared a video about his visit here.

We took a ferry over to the island on a beautiful sunny day.

I was surprised by the beauty of the island, given it's tragic history.  The buildings are painted in cheerful colors and have a charming character.

Seeing La Maison des Esclaves was very moving and almost surreal.  It is hard to imagine that human beings were held there, and in such an inhumane manner, ultimately passing through the Door of No Return, never to see their homeland again.

 

 

There is a huge marketplace on the island filled with all sorts of African artifacts.  The vendors are very persistent in their requests for you to visit their shops, which I found to be a bit overwhelming.  If you were in the market for artwork, however, there was no shortage of treasures from which to choose.

While dining at the restaurant on the island, a couple of pelicans kept us company.  I'd never seen one up close before and couldn't believe how large they were.  BTW, the food and service at the restaurant were very good.

All in all, my visit to Goree Island was an experience I will never forget, in a good way.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to the country.

So, I'm Back

I'm back.  It's been four years since I posted to this blog.  I've been concentrating all of my energies into my business, SKCreations, LLC, and the blog I've dedicated to it.  Lately, though, this blog has been calling out to me.  I've decided to respond.  I'll be posting here occasionally at first, then who knows?  I might get caught up and just go crazy with it.  It seems that all the creative juices flowing through me right now need multiple outlets.  Time will tell, but it feels good to be back.