From Newsgroup: rec.arts.mystery
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/books/barbara-neely-dead.html
Last paragraphs:
...Ms. Neely also published short stories, starting with rCLPassing the WordrCY in Essence magazine in 1981. She began writing full time, she once said, after winning money in a lawsuit when one of her stories was adapted into a play without her permission.
Inspired to pursue literature by the works of fellow black authors like Toni Morrison, Terry McMillan and Walter Mosley, best known for his Easy Rawlins detective novels, Ms. Neely later studied creative writing and received a masterrCOs degree from the University of Massachusetts.
rCLShe paved the way for us,rCY Kellye Garrett, another black female mystery writer, said in a phone interview. rCLThere was a time that publishers finally realized that books by and about black people would be read by the masses.
rCLThey were looking for a book by a black woman about a black woman,rCY Ms. Garrett added. rCLAs she said to me once, they figured: rCyWell, werCOve got Walter Mosley. ItrCOs almost like werCOve got Fred Astaire, letrCOs see if we can find Ginger Rogers."
Lenora.
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