The Awkward Black Man

Mosley (Trouble Is What I Do) delivers a vibrant collection of 17 luminous stories, many with a focus on downtrodden and troubled protagonists. In “The Good News Is,” a man plagued by weight issues starts losing weight. While his new confidence and appearance boost his love life, a diagnosis of abdominal cancer, the cause of his weight loss, puts a wrench in things. Almost as desperate is the Black mail room worker in “Pet Fly,” who decides to branch outside his comfort zone and romance the “white girl” at work, with disastrous results. Albert, the loser alcoholic hero of “Almost Alyce,” winds up on top after partnering with a shoplifter by distracting security. Frank, the doting husband in “Leading from the Affair,” is so unhinged and damaged from the betrayal of his unfaithful wife that he commissions two therapists to untangle his misery. A fresh commentary on diversity and racial equality comes courtesy of the serpentine closing tale, “An Unlikely Series of Conversations,” in which a bank teller aches for a new job, but decides that the one he has comes with perks he was unaware of. Each entry is a testament to Mosley’s enduring literary power. (Sept.)