Reed Farrel Coleman 2007-10-17
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Reed Farrel Coleman, author of the Mo Prager series, joins Barbara Peters on the Poisoned Pen Podcast to reflect on his journey from a Brooklyn-born Jewish man with an Irish name to a celebrated crime writer. Coleman recounts how a chance night class in crime fiction at Brooklyn College transformed his life, leading him to quit a lucrative job in air freight to pursue writing. He shares the origins of his iconic character Mo Prager, whose roots in Coney Island and personal struggles mirror Coleman’s own experiences, including a traumatic high school tragedy that inspired his novel Redemption Street. The conversation delves into the influence of literary icons like Raymond Chandler and Lawrence Block, the importance of New York City as a living character in crime fiction, and the emotional weight of writing about identity, loss, and the past. Coleman also discusses his recent work, including the new Mo Prager novel Soul Patch, his short story collection Hard Boiled Brooklyn, and his upcoming standalone novel described as 'Fight Club with guns.' He reflects on his year as executive vice president of the Mystery Writers of America, the challenges of leading a legacy organization, and the power of voice in storytelling.
Your voice as a writer is your most powerful tool—Janet Evanovich’s insight that 'the most important thing in writing is the voice' is foundational.
The past isn't just memory—it's a living presence. Mo Prager’s life, like many of us, is shaped more by what happened than by what's happening now.
Writing begins with what you know—but sometimes, what you know is invisible. Coleman’s experience delivering oil made him a ghost in the neighborhoods he served, which became the seed for his short story 'Invisibility.'
Great crime fiction isn’t just about plot—it’s about place, voice, and emotional truth. Brooklyn, like Los Angeles in Chandler’s work, is a character in Coleman’s books.
Challenges like heavy editing, personal trauma, and industry resistance can shape a book’s legacy. Redemption Street was heavily edited but is now considered a fan favorite for its raw emotional honesty.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Origin of a Name and a Writer
Coleman shares the quirky origin of his Irish name despite being Jewish, tracing it back to his mother’s admiration for actor Reed Hadley during childbirth, and reveals how his father changed the family name from Cohen to avoid anti-Semitism after WWII.
From Poetry to Crime Fiction: A Life-Changing Class
Coleman recounts how a night class in crime fiction at Brooklyn College—taken out of convenience—transformed his view of the genre, revealing its poetic depth and launching his career as a crime writer.
The Birth of Mo Prager and the Power of Place
Coleman discusses how his first novel, Life Goes Sleeping, was born from a real-life friendship with an ex-NYPD detective from his old neighborhood, and how Brooklyn—especially Coney Island—functions as a living, breathing character in his Mo Prager series.
Redemption Street: A Book Born from Tragedy
“That's the book where Mo really struggles with his Judaism. Yes, he is. Really, in an open way. And it makes people very uncomfortable.”
The Weight of the Past and the Secret That Haunts Mo
“The great frustration in his life is that he feels he deserved the gold shield and didn’t get it on merit.”
“It's fight club with guns.”
“The great frustration in his life is that he feels he deserved the gold shield and didn’t get it on merit.”
“I think the most important thing in writing is the voice.”
Host
Guest
Reed Farrel Coleman
person
Mo Prager
other
Barbara Peters
person
Soul Patch
book
Redemption Street
book
Coney Island
place
Raymond Chandler
person
Tony Spinoza
other
Lawrence Block
person
Gun Bunnies
book
Lee Child 2007-05-13
Poisoned Pen Podcast • 58m • 4/4/2026
Larry Block 2007-08-02
Poisoned Pen Podcast • 51m • 4/4/2026
Laurie R King 2007-10-12
Poisoned Pen Podcast • 58m • 4/4/2026
Linda Fairstein 2007-06-28
Poisoned Pen Podcast • 55m • 4/4/2026
Lindsey Davis 2007-10-24
Poisoned Pen Podcast • 54m • 4/5/2026
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