Everybody should tell the truth at least once a day, Walter Mosley, novelist and social commentator, said Tuesday in his presentation, titled "Bearing Witness."
Mosley's speech, the second in this year's Provost's Lecture Series, pointed out the difficulties in telling the truth when communicating through writing and in everyday life.
"We lie everyday," he said. "It is very difficult to tell the truth."
Mosley, who has written both fiction and nonfiction but is most well-known for his series of mystery novels featuring black detective Easy Rawlins, said that sometimes it is easier to write fiction because it involves writing about things that don't necessarily force people to assert their convictions.
"Nonfiction always has an ax to grind," he said.
Mosley said that most people have a problem speaking up about their beliefs and remain quiet instead of speaking the truth.
"If you want to speak the truth, the first thing you have to do is open your mouth," he said.
Mosley offered advice on how to successfully tell the truth when writing. First, he said, it is too easy to blame others for problems such as racism. Writers should also limit their declarations in writing to what they know and realize that truth is an attempt to tell a story, not an absolute reality.
Mosley said he tries to show what it means to be a black man in America through his fiction novels. In his essays, he has explained ways that the perspective of blacks can contribute to political and social progress in the United States.
Mosley's novels include New York Times bestsellers "Bad Boy Brawly Brown" and "Black Betty." "Devil in a Blue Dress," the first of the Easy Rawlins series, was nominated for an Edgar award, the mystery genre's top honor, and made into a film starring Denzel Washington.
"I thought [the presentation] was wonderful," Carolyn MacKay, English professor, said. "The fine line between truth and fiction is very interesting."
Jacob Harris, who works at Bracken Library, found that Mosley's advice that "It can get to you sometimes, but don't let it get you," was especially true about life.
"I have read three of his books and thought it would be interesting to see what he had to say," he said.
Mosley's presentation, which was themed "Communicating through literature," is part of the provost's "Communicating through ..." lecture series, which is open to students, faculty and community members, Jean Amman, assistant to the provost, said.
Douglas Rushkoff, author and commentator for National Public Radio and "CBS Sunday Morning," is the next speaker in the series. His presentation, "Communicating through technology," is at 7:30 p.m. April 14 in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center's Cardinal Hall.
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