Contemporary Literature, 1970 to Present
Walter Mosley (1952– )
Best known for his Easy Rawlins crime series, which comprises nine novels and
two short-story collections; the series began with Devil in a Blue Dress in 1990
and ended with Blonde Faith in 2007. His three Fearless Jones novels are also
crime fiction, while the three Socrates Fortlow books combine crime with liter-
ary fiction. Notable among his other works are the novels RL’s Dream (1995)
and The Man in the Basement (2004)—an homage to Ralph Ellison’s novel
Invisible Man (1952)—and nonfiction pieces on topics ranging from writing
to peace.
Gloria Naylor (1950– )
Novelist whose first book, The Women of Brewster Place (1982), brought her
immediate acclaim and was made into a film in 1987. Her other works include
Linden Hills (1985), Mama Day (1988), Bailey’s Café (1992), and the anthology
Children of the Night: The Best Short Stories by Black Writers, 1967 to the Present
(1995).
Barbara Neely (1941– )
Novelist and short-story writer, author of the four-novel Blanche White
series of mysteries. Blanche on the Lam (1992) won the Agatha, Macavity, and
Anthony Awards, three of the four major prizes that recognize a first mystery
novel.
Suzan-Lori Parks (1963– )
Playwright, screenwriter, and essayist whose dramas include Devotees in the Gar-
den of Love (1991), The America Play (1995), and Father Comes Home from the Wars
(Parts 1, 8 & 9) (2009). In 2001 she received a MacArthur Foundation “genius”
grant.
Ishmael Reed (1938– )
Prolific fiction writer, poet, anthologist, and recipient of a MacArthur grant. He
is noted for his satire and unrelenting critique of contemporary intellectual life in
such novels as Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down (1969), Mumbo Jumbo (1972), and
The Last Days of Louisiana Red (1974).
Sonia Sanchez (1934– )
Poet, playwright, children’s author, and member of the Black Arts Movement.
Her most notable poetry collections include We a Baddddd People (1970); Love
Poems (1973); Homegirls and Handgrenades (1985), winner of the American Book
Award; and I’ve Been a Woman: New and Selected Poems (1995).
Sapphire (pseudonym of Ramona Lofton, 1950– )
Author of three volumes of poetry and the novel Push (1996), adapted as the film
Precious in 2009.
Danzy Senna (1970– )
Multiracial author of the novels Caucasia (1998) and Symptomatic (2003) and the
memoir Where Did You Sleep Last Night: A Personal History (2009).