Waltter Mosley is an accomplished American author, best known for his crime fiction and historical mystery novels. He was born on January 12, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up as an only child, using his imagination to fill his time and later translating that creativity into his writing career. Mosley's parents had an interesting background; his father, Leroy, was an African-American clerk in the U.S. Army, while his mother, Ella, was a personnel clerk of Russian-Jewish descent. In 1992, presidential candidate Bill Clinton named Mosley as one of his favorite authors, further cementing his status as a respected writer.
Mosley's work is widely recognized, and he has received numerous awards for his contributions to literature. He is the author of the best-selling historical mysteries featuring Easy Rawlins, a black private investigator and World War II veteran living in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Mosley's own upbringing in California and his parents' unique background have undoubtedly influenced his writing, providing him with a wealth of experiences and perspectives to draw from.
In addition to his Easy Rawlins series, Mosley has written a variety of other works, including literary fiction, science fiction, a young adult novel, and political monographs. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in numerous publications, such as the New York Times Magazine and the Nation. Mosley's many accolades include an O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He currently resides in New York City.