Category Archives: Uncategorized

A Statue for the Unknown Slave Woman?

Posted on July 5, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I was watching the news, and saw people at the Statue of Liberty, which was reopened today, the Fourth of July. Many people commented on this statue as a symbol of freedom. And it made me think of that other … Continue reading →

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What I learned from my mother about tolerance…and appreciation

Posted on June 18, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Growing up in Marcy Housing in Brooklyn, one of my neighbors was gay. Everyone in the building knew this. Everyone accepted this, because this is who he was. I won’t say that everyone in the projects accepted this, but most … Continue reading →

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Reentry is an Odyssey

Posted on June 10, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Odyssey, the epic poem by Homer and the second oldest extant work of Western literature, is a reentry story. It is a story about returning, of trying to get home, of how hard it is to return, of how … Continue reading →

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Spring Cleaning and Other Discoveries

Posted on June 3, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

During the Spring Cleaning that I mentioned in another blog, I did not mention that I discovered something else: two manuscripts I wrote in my 20s, when I was aspiring to be a novelist. The first, “Streets of Rage,” is … Continue reading →

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Memorial Day (2013) — Remembering My Daddy

Posted on May 27, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

It’s Memorial Day, when we remember the men and women who have and are serving in our armed services. Today, I remember my father. He served his country during World War II. He enlisted in the Army on October 31, … Continue reading →

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“My Lord, What a Morning”

Posted on May 24, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Hard at work on my third book of poetry, tentatively titled, “The Black Feminine Mystique.” It’s a collection of poetry for and about women of color, from myth to reality, from history to my story. Here is one of my … Continue reading →

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From my book, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass — one of my favorite passages

Posted on May 17, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

II On the auction blocks, male and female and even child, bronze bodies oiled and buffed, prepared to be sold like used furniture. Bare black breasts weighed with rough white hands, squeezed like fruit. Teeth exposed, dirty white fingers rubbed … Continue reading →

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“I’ll Always Love My Mama (Part 1)

Posted on May 12, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Today, Mother’s Day, if one turns on the radio one is bound to hear The Intruders’ “I’ll Always Love My Mama,” inspired by one of The Intruders’ (Kenny Gamble) Mama, Ruby. Although the song, released in 1973, didn’t make it … Continue reading →

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“Prison-Based Gerrymandering” and the 3/5ths Compromise

Posted on May 4, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

                The U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated individuals at the locations where they are incarcerated rather than at their prior addresses.  This has political as well as economic consequences.                  Most states’ state … Continue reading →

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About the book — Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats

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

Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats is a collection of poetry about law enforcement excesses. Most of the poems were inspired by actual cases from around the country. The author did not set out to compile a collection of these … Continue reading →

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