Mexicans and black people started hating each
other. Back then... a Mexican and a negro [sic]
considered themselves the same... just another
couple of unlucky stiffs left holding the short end
of the stick” (177).
Devil in a Blue Dress emerges as an entertaining
novel that carries serious messages about identity,
ambition, friendship, and morality. Walter Mos-
ley achieved an outstanding first novel that won
awards and the praise of then President Bill Clin-
ton. Following Devil in a Blue Dress, Mosley went
on to present the development of Easy Rawlins as
a private detective and a private man in eight ad-
ditional works: A Red Death (1991), White Butter-
fly (1992), Black Betty (1994), A Little Yellow Dog
(1996), and Bad Boy Brawly Brown (2002), Six Easy
Pieces (2003), Little Scarlet (2004), and Cinnamon
Kiss (2005). His novel Gone Fishin’ (1997) is not a
detective novel but explores the teenage friendship
and experiences between Easy and Mouse before
the former moves to Los Angeles.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Walter Mosley. Devil in a Blue Dress. New York:
Pocket Books, 1990.
Melvin Donalson
Dickey, Eric Jerome (1962– )
Eric Jerome Dickey is the author of 10 novels, all of
which explore contemporary relationships among
African Americans. Originally from Tennessee,
Dickey is a graduate of Memphis State University
(now the University of Memphis) in computer sys-
tems technology. He has worked at Federal Express
and Rockwell (now Boeing) and as a substitute
teacher and a stand-up comedian. He is, however,
best known as an author, having established himself
as one of the most popular African-American male
authors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a
feat he has accomplished in just under 10 years.
His works include Sister, Sister (1996), Friends
and Lovers (1997), Milk in My Coffee (1998), Cheat-
ers (1999), and Naughty or Nice (2003). He has also
contributed short stories to the collections Got
to Be Real: Four Original Love Stories (2000) and
Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writing
(2002). In his works, Dickey’s primary concern is
the trials and travails that come with the search
for long-lasting love. His characters often struggle
in their relationships, their respective dramas and
crises serving as a testament to the real-life predic-
aments of many of Dickey’s readers. Although the
characters may express a desire for intimacy and
affection, monogamy is often an unattainable fan-
tasy for them, and the vast majority willfully seek
out and engage in extramarital dalliances. A quick
survey of Dickey’s titles (e.g., Cheaters and Liar’s
Game [2000]) bears this out.
Most of the novels are set in Los Angeles, the
city Dickey calls home. The focus is largely on
middle-class African Americans, conspicuous
consumption, and a healthy dose of brand name
dropping are mainstays in his novels. The world
Dickey depicts is undeniably one of young, up-
wardly mobile African Americans. While there
are cultural exchanges with whites, particularly in
Milk in My Coffee, which chronicles an interracial
romance, the novels are grounded in their depic-
tions of African Americans.
Perhaps Dickey’s work is most noteworthy be-
cause of his skill at “adopting” female voices. Read-
ers and reviewers are consistently impressed with
Dickey’s technique of crafting “believable” female
characters. Evidence of this is Dickey’s popularity
among reading groups organized by African-Amer-
ican women, as well as women’s reliable presence
at the author’s book signings. An additional reason
for his success might lie in the language he uses.
His characters engage in snappy dialogue replete
with profanities. Such language is authentic for
many of Dickey’s readers, rendering the characters
all the more believable and true to life.
All of Dickey’s novels have been best sellers, ap-
pearing on the Blackboard, Wall Street Journal, and
New York Times lists, among others. A 2004 New
York Times article noted that Dickey sells more
than 500,000 novels a year. Dickey’s success is
proof that contemporary African-American read-
ers are hungry for fictive renderings of aspects of
their daily lives, particularly their relationships.
Chris Bell140 Dickey, Eric Jerome