William Eric Waters has published an epic poem, three poetry collections, a novel, and a short-story collection. His poetry appears under William E. Waters; his novel and short-story collection appear under the pen name Easy Waters. Together, these books explore Black history, race, law, punishment, memory, institutional power, family, accountability, redemption, and resilience.
Poetry — William E. Waters
Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass
An epic poem examining Black history, slavery and its aftermath, and historical memory. Co-winner of the 1998 Edwin Mellen Poetry Prize.
Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats
A poetry collection examining law-enforcement excesses, institutional power, race, and accountability. An earlier manuscript was a 2000 National Poetry Series finalist.
The Black Feminine Mystique
A poetry collection exploring Black womanhood across history, culture, mythology, family, beauty, identity, struggle, and achievement. Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award finalist.
The Black Blood of Poetry
A poetry collection extending Waters’s engagement with Black history, cultural memory, identity, injustice, survival, resilience, and Black literary tradition.
Fiction — Easy Waters
Streets of Rage
A coming-of-age novel exploring race, family, community, violence, friendship, identity, and young Black life in Brooklyn.
Conundrums: Stories of Law & Justice
A short-story collection examining law, imprisonment, institutional power, moral ambiguity, accountability, memory, redemption, and resilience.
The Work as a Whole
Across poetry and fiction, Waters returns to recurring questions: How do race and history shape American institutions? What does punishment do to people and communities? How should societies understand accountability and redemption? What remains possible after harm? And how can literature make visible what public language often obscures?
This Books section is designed as the authoritative guide to Waters’s creative books. Each individual page brings together the book’s identity, themes, publication history, distinctions, related Ezwwaters.com writing, and available editions.
William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters 