Work of the Day - February 24, 2007 - The Gospel of Moral Ends by Bayo Ojikutu

Another fine story from Chicago Noir (Edited by Neal Pollack) from Akashic Books, The Gospel of Moral Ends by Bayo Ojikutu is rapid fire burst of thoughts from a cab driver, Moral, sitting in the Mount Baptist Calvary church.  A church one may ask?  What does a church possibly have to do with the idea of noir - but rest assured, Ojikutu has not led readers astray.

While the setting of The Gospel of Moral Ends allows for Ojikutu one semi-easy portion of writing the story - the preaching of Reverend Jack, it's own jazzy scat-based flowing - Bayo also has the internal thought process of Moral, as well as a fairly lengthy speech from the local druglord, Teddy Mann, while he's in Moral's cab, to flashback to.  Each of these has their own voice, and it is these voices that carry the story.  A sample from the Teddy Mann section:

""Moral? Hah.  that's a good black man's name.  That's what I tried to tell my bumblefuckin cousin sitting htere all stiff-nutted staring at my lady;  a black man goes and gets into this game, right, and sets himself up proper, I told the fool.  Get hold of as much knowledge here, as much cash as a nigga can on this earth.  Not cause being a smart nigga means a goddamn thing, Moral, or cause calling your black ass rich is worth shit in the end.  Black man follows the path to treasure so he can get himself something beautiful in this life.  Get him something so fine he knows he's alive cause his limbs is stirring with fresh blood.  So fine, he beleives there's a god somewhere, one who is good cause he gives life this purpose.  A true god, not this quarterwit bullshit they got ill pimps like Reverend Jack preaching up high on the Mount above, that bastard."

It was sections like this one that makes me want to find copies of Ojikuto's novels 47th Black Street, and Free Burning!

For those who want to read the rest of Moral's story, buy Chicago Noir!