Technically, this is not a short story. It is an excerpt from Hurston's Novel "Moses: Man of the Mountain". The novel is Zora Neale Hurston's retelling of the story of Moses. I will say that after reading this excerpt, I want to read the full novel.

This story begins with the last plague that struck Egypt.

Throughout the story, Hurston links the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Black people gaining freedom by writing in a southern Black voice. Hurston makes this a Black story just by using dialect. The way she handles how the Israelites would have handled the sudden realization of freedom is perfect. I know these people and I can see them very clearly. The way the Israelites were quick to complain and give up, is right in line with how people react to sudden change. Even when the change is for their benefit.

Hurston is a master of saying so much in so few words. I am looking forward to reading the next short story "The Tablets of the Law" which is also an excerpt from the Novel.

Sept of 2021 was the last episode in this series. Started in May 2020.

Returning to finish/ Three more stories to go.

Go to ifoundthisgreatbook.com/zora for all of the previous discussions of Hurston’s short stories.

Alice Ruth Moore was born in 1875 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Part of the first generation of black people born after the abolishment of slavery. Her mother lived her early life in enslavement. Alice comes from a heritage of Black and Creole.

Alice is a woman more people should research and read. She achieved as a musician, teacher and later writer. Her poems, essays and short stories are part of the building blocks that formed the Harlem Renaissance.

In 1898 Alice eloped with Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Their marriage ended during to the abusive behavior of Paul. In 1902, Alice separated from Paul. Paul died in 1906. Alice latter married poet and civil rights activist Robert J. Nelson. Thus the reason why she is remembered as Alice Dunbar-Nelson.

Alice should be remembered for the works of literature she produced during a time when society and tradition were forces opposing her. Her talent and determination made a way for her to create works that have lasted over 100 years.

In “Summer Session” we have a short story that starts out as a story of two men fighting for the attentions of a woman and has a twist that turns it into a police thriller. All this in 5 pages. The story starts with an argument between Elise and Logan about if she was flirting with a taxi driver who stopped to help Elise navigate the congested streets. There is a tension created by Elise having conflicted feelings about Logan who is a school principal and has the power to affect her teaching career. Then there are new found feelings for the taxi driver who is referred to as “the Taxi Adonis”.

Passion grows, there is a physical confrontation between Logan and “the Taxi Adonis”, a city wide kidnapping alert, and a captivating twist.

This short story will make you want to read more of Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s works. Her ability to tell a captivating story is inspiring.

You can find this story in Paula L. Woods anthology of Black mystery, crime and suspense fiction of the 20th century, “Spooks, Spies, and Private Eyes”. This book is a good way to get an overview of the history of Black crime fiction writers by reading short stories and excerpts of their works.

A collection of short stories by Alice Dunbar-Nelson is available in ebook and paper back. You can also find collections of her poetry. She was also an accomplished writer of essays.

https://bookshop.org/a/6792/9781528719995

In this episode I discuss the second book in Angela Henry's Xavier Knight series, Knight's Shade.

I also discuss three new books I recently added to my directory of crime fiction by Black authors.

Finally, I discuss why the podcast has been on such a long pause and what are my plans for the podcast in the future.

You can find all the books discussed and more here:

https://www.ifoundthisgreatbook.com/podcast-episode/knights-shade-angela-henry/

For the second time, I have had the honor to interview award winning mystery author Tracy Clark. We talk about the first book in her new Detective Harriet Foster mystery series, "Hide".

Tracy provides some great insights into the creation of her new sleuth, Harriet Foster. Listen to this interview to find out why Ms. Clark gave her sleuth three incredible heavy burdens to carry while she attempts to hunt down a serial killer who is targeting red hair women with deep blue eyes. You will also discover why her sleuth, Harriet Foster, must be paired with the one person in the detective squad everyone tries to avoid. We learn why for Harriet it is this job or nothing. Tracy provides some great insights into how she gets into the mind of the serial killer.

And so much more.

Tracy Clark, author of "Hide"- Interviews - I Found This Great Book

You can find Tracy Clark on Twitter @tracypc6161 and her website: www.tracyclarkbooks.com

Fay Snowden's Website: Noir mystery writer | Faye Snowden

I had the immense pleasure to talk with mystery author Faye Snowden. Her latest book is "A Killing Rain" and features her sleuth, Raven Burns. "A Killing Rain" is the second book in the Raven Burns series of mysteries.

We Discuss

My final discussion of the novels by Jessie Redmon Fauset is with Tonia Ransom from The Nightlight Podcast. We dig deep into Fauset's novel "Comedy: American Style". This novel explores the desires of a family matriarch's commitment to passing for white and the effect it has on her children. Faucet presents the dynamics of passing from several different perspectives. Tonia's deep and personal views on the story are a delight to hear. We also delve into how Fauset presents the world of the Black middle and upper class of Philadelphia in the 1920s. Our conversation also explores the way Jessie depicts the lives of women during this period of history.

Tonia Ransom is the creator of the Nightlight podcast. The podcast is dedicated to showcasing horror fiction by Black authors. You will hear new and classic horror fiction by Black authors professionally read. If you have an interest in horror and always wanted to find stories in the genre that center Black people, this podcast is perfect for you. Tonia also features interviews with many of the authors of the works presented. In 2021, the podcast earned the IGNYTE award for Best Fiction Podcast. When Tonia is not producing an award-winning podcast, she is busy writing her own horror fiction.

You can explore the Nightlight podcast here. NIGHTLIGHT – A Black Horror Podcast (nightlightpod.com)

Also, you can listen to a previous interview I conducted with Tonia here.

A Conversation with Mystery Author Nicole Glover - I Found This Great Book

Nicole Glovers books "The Conductors" and "The Undertakers" are historical mystery set in post civil war Philidelphia. The sleuths Hetty and Benjy solve murder mysteries with magic.

• 03:00 – Nicole discusses her motivation for creating The Conductors.
• 04:13 – Nicole provides details on her research process. She provides some insightful information on the fact and myths of life during the Pre and Post Civil War period.
• 14:13 – We discuss the magic system created for The Conductors and The Undertakers.
• 19:33 – We discuss the relationship between Benjy and Hetty. Nicole gives insight on how she includes a romance story thread in her books.
• 24:51 – We explore how Hetty and Benjy work together as a team to solve the murder mystery.
• 27:39 – We talk about how Nocole Glover's Magic and Murder series uses post civil war Philidelphia as its setting. Especially the lesser-known Black community.
• 30:23 – We discuss the second book in the series, The Undertakers.
• 42:28 – Nicole gives us insight into her writing process.