Search the Fresh Air Archive

Close Search

From the Archives: Hard-Boiled Writers Mosley and Grafton.

Writer Walter Mosley His first book, "Devil In A Blue Dress," (Norton) is a hard-boiled detective story starring a black gumshoe up against white prejudice. Mosley's mysteries are loosely based on stories his father told him about black culture the 1940's. His latest book is called "A Red Death" (Thorndike). (REBROADCAST FROM 6/8/90)

Mystery writer Sue Grafton. Her heroine, Kinsey Millhone, is a new breed of hard-boiled detective: competent and self-reliant, thirty-two years old, twice married with no kids, and currently single. The Kinsey Millhone mystery series began with "A is for Alibi" , and continues through the alphabet. Grafton's latest mystery is "I is for Innocent" (Fawcett). (REBROADCAST FROM 5/4/89)

17:09
Queue

Guests

Host

Related Topics

Other segments from the episode on November 12, 1993

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, November 12, 1993: Interviews with Mickey Spillane and Lawrence Block; Interviews with Walter Mosley and Sue Grafton; Review of the film "Carlito's Way."
Queue
23:00

From the Archives: Hard-Boiled Writers Spillane and Block.

Detective writer Mickey Spillane. One of the world's most popular writers of the hard-boiled private investigator genre. His most famous character is Mike Hammer. In 1989, Spillane wrote his first Mike Hammer story in 19 years. Spillane's latest book is called "Big Kill." Last year his book "My Gun is Quick" (Chivers North America), first published in 1950, was reprinted. (REBROADCAST FROM 11/22/89)

Interview

Transcript

Transcript currently not available.

Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

You May Also like

Queue
10:23

Mystery Writer Walter Mosley.

Writer Walter Mosley. His first book, "Devil In A Blue Dress," is a hard boiled detective story starring a black gumshoe up against white prejudice. It's published by Norton.

Interview
Queue
09:41

Sue Grafton's Mysteries in Alphabetical Order

Each of Grafton's detective novels begin with a letter of the alphabet. Her newest book is called "F" Is for Fugitive. She says that, in order to bring authenticity to her stories, she studied up on forensics, visited a morgue, and learned to fire a gun.

Interview
Queue
19:53

Mosley's 'Last Days' Restores Memory, But At A Cost

Novelist Walter Mosley explains how watching his mother's experience with dementia helped him craft his latest novel, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, which asks: Would you repair your failing memory if it meant your life span would also be significantly shortened?

Interview

Did you know you can create a shareable playlist?

Learn How
Advertisement

Recently on Fresh Air Available to Play on NPR

52:30

Daughter of Warhol star looks back on a bohemian childhood in the Chelsea Hotel

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

Queue

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

43:04

This fake 'Jury Duty' really put James Marsden's improv chops on trial

In the series Jury Duty, a solar contractor named Ronald Gladden has agreed to participate in what he believes is a documentary about the experience of being a juror--but what Ronald doesn't know is that the whole thing is fake.

Queue

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

08:26

This Romanian film about immigration and vanishing jobs hits close to home

R.M.N. is based on an actual 2020 event in Ditrău, Romania, where 1,800 villagers voted to expel three Sri Lankans who worked at their local bakery.

Queue

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

See All Recent Segments

There are more than 22,000 Fresh Air segments.

Let us help you find exactly what you want to hear.
Just play me something
Your Queue

Would you like to make a playlist based on your queue?

Generate & Share View/Edit Your Queue