Author Archives: William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Unknown's avatar

About William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

William Eric Waters is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, essayist, educator, criminal-justice scholar, and nonprofit executive. Writing as William E. Waters, he is the author of the epic poem Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass and three poetry collections: Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats, The Black Feminine Mystique, and The Black Blood of Poetry. Under the pen name Easy Waters, he is the author of the novel Streets of Rage and the short-story collection Conundrums: Stories of Law & Justice. His work explores Black history, race, law, punishment, institutional power, accountability, redemption, and resilience.

In the Line of Duty — From Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

IN THE LINE OF DUTY The heroes are dead and nothing else matters Under a gray sky the women are dressed in black At the grave site hearing homilies paying homage to heroics Their sobs background music to pontificating politicians … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Writing Projects, Criminal Justice & Punishment | Tagged | Leave a comment

Blue Knight Riders — From Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

BLUE KNIGHT RIDERS They don’t wear white sheets Or burn crosses in the night, But there’s an unmistakable connection Between these blue and white knights. They kill innocent Black males For horrific crimes real and imagined, And because grand juries … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Writing Projects, Criminal Justice & Punishment | Tagged | Leave a comment

Also look for my new collection of poetry, “Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats,” in two to three weeks…

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats is a collection of poems, most based on actual cases, of police misconduct. The collection was a National Poetry Series Competition Finalist. In this collection, I experiment with various forms, e.g., sonnets, pantoums, triolets, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Writing Projects | Tagged | Leave a comment

My award-winning book, “Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass,” to be reissued in two to three weeks

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

My epic poem, “Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass: Remembrance of Things Past and Present,” was described by Norman Leer as “a powerful expression of black anger and despair. Waters clearly knows his history…. I’m impressed that Waters … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Writing Projects | Tagged | Leave a comment

Reentry is like…

Posted on January 27, 2012 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

A number of years ago I was on a panel with a number of criminal justice experts and formerly incarcerated people (criminal justice experts in their own right), and a formerly incarcerated woman was describing reentry. She said, “Reentry is … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Reentry & Community | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Reentry is about relationships

Posted on January 21, 2012 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In the last 15 years, “reentry” has become a buzzword in the criminal justice world. Reentry, however, has existed as long as we have had prisons and jails. Reentry is simply the point where people are released from prisons and … Continue reading →

Posted in Reentry & Community | Leave a comment

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Posted on January 16, 2012 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

My earliest political memory is of Dr. King’s assassination. I was 7 years old. I didn’t understand the enormity or impact of his death. All I knew, as a child, using the adults’ sentiments as a barometer, was that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Memory & Personal Essays, Justice Chronicles, Race, History & American Society | Leave a comment

In Memory of Reentry

Posted on January 15, 2012 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

My life, my job, has brought me in contact with both famous and infamous people. Not surprisingly, the infamous ones have been far more interesting than the famous. And perhaps this has more to do with the “take-aways,” what I … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice Chronicles, Reentry & Community | Leave a comment

Youth Shackled

Posted on December 28, 2011 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

At the Halsey Street train station in Brooklyn, four teenagers are shackled and seated on the hard wooden bench. Two police officers in plainclothes, who do not look like cops, stand near the youth. One is on his walkie-talkie. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Justice & Punishment, Justice Chronicles | Leave a comment

What is it with cops and donuts?

Posted on December 4, 2011 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The sun is shining brightly. Sitting in Dunkin Donuts this morning on a high stool, looking out the window where the sun is shining in onto Halsey Street, right off Broadway, in Brooklyn, USA, eating an everything bagel, slightly toasted, … Continue reading →

Posted in Criminal Justice & Punishment, Justice Chronicles | Leave a comment