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The Tempest Tales - Walter Mosley
Tipping his hat to Langston Hughes and his much loved character, Jesse B. Semple, Walter Mosley introduces Tempest Landry and The Tempest Tales.
Mistaken for another man, wily Tempest is "accidentally" shot by police. Sent to receive the judgment of heaven he discovers his sins, according to St. Peter, condemn him to hell. Tempest takes exception to the saint's definition of sin; he refuses to go to hell and explains that he. a poor Black man living in Harlem, did what he did for family, friends, and love.
St. Peter, whose judgment has never been challenged, understands the secret of damnation and heaven's celestial authority--mortals must willingly accept their sins.
Should Tempest continue his refusal. haven will collapse, thereby allowing hell and its keeper, the fallen angel Satan to reign supreme. The only solution: send this recalcitrant mortal back to earth with an accounting angel,whose all-important mission is to persuade Tempest to accept his sins and St. Peter's judgment.
Using the street smarts that served him so well in his previous life, Mosley's hero takes the accounting angel on a tour of mortal life that tests not only heaven's notions, but the poor angel's own resolve.
In this episodic battle with heaven and hell for his ultimate destiny, Tempest also takes the reader on a philosophic and humorous journey where free will is pitted against class and race--and the music of heaven is pitted against the blues. AVAILABLE MAY 2008.
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"The way I see it you wanna push me over the cliff and you mad at me that I grabbed on to your leg. It's just like America mad at the little guy for puttin' up a fight before he go down. But I ain't got no choice. I got to grab on. You know it ain't in my nature just to let somebody throw me into a hole, I might have to go but I will fight the whole way down." --Tempest Landry, Dedicated Harlemite Next month, we will release The Tempest Tales, our third book from the critically acclaimed, award-winning author, Walter Mosley. Our relationship with Walter has flourished since we first sat down to work on Gone Fishin’ in 1997. We published What Next in 2003, and now we proudly publish his latest book. Portions of The Tempest Tales appeared in Savoy magazine in 2001; however the full collection of tales has not been published until now. The novel progresses as a series of stories. Each story centers on Tempest Landry, the main character, dealing with his untimely death, the notion of free will, heaven, hell, and an everlasting debate with an angel sent to convince Tempest to accept his place in purgatory. In reading The Tempest Tales, I often felt like Tempest was someone I knew. He was my street smart friend who could use logic to get out of any jam. He was the cousin who looked out for those who were down on their luck. And he was the everyday man who just wanted justice for those who were wronged. Walter certainly gave me a character with whom I could smile, ponder, and root for. Essence magazine has chosen The Tempest Tales as the May recommended read, pick up a copy, read their review and 30-second preview. The National Book Club has also seleced it as the book for their annual convention to be held this September in Atlanta. You can also read reviews in Upscale (April) and O Magazine (May). Registered members on this website will receive a special offer when they purchase their copy (-ies) of The Tempest Tales directly from us. It is not too late to register and become a part of the Black Classic Press family. Educate, W. Paul Coates If you're not a registered member, take the opportunity to register and become a Black Classic Press member. By doing so, you gain access to special offers throughout the year, including advance notice on new releases, discounts, and information about what's going on in the world of Black books.
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