Otto Janarian

About the Book

Otto Janarian: Talking While Black is a fictional account of the life experiences of Otto Janarian as told to Earl Martin and “you.” In chronicling some of Otto’s experiences, the author defines today’s racial animus as a continuation of the past. Despite the progress that has been made in that area, the author insists that police behavior has been one of the toughest to temper. Many racial issues, although not eliminated, have become subtle . . . less so with police interaction. Just as blacks are expected to condemn their own when guilty, the police must also rid their departments of the “bad apples.” The author emphasizes that not all people react to turmoil in the same manner. Even the mildest person may find the need to strike back.

About the Author

This is the author’s fourth book. The first two books, What Was . . . Was . . . Wasn’t It and An Obama Odyssey, are books of poetry. Otto Janarian, which follows Ghana: Diary of a Son’s Sankofa Return, is the author’s second book of prose. The author is a graduate of Wilberforce and Western Michigan Universities. He was born in the South, raised in the Midwest, and lived in both the western and eastern sections of the United States. Although he has traveled to London and parts of Germany, his preferred continent is Africa, where he has enjoyed his time in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa. Varied work experiences include steel mill labor, education, and the corporate world.