absolutely nothing to get alarmed about

Don't let Bruce Weber write my obituary:

Charles Wright, who wrote three autobiographical novels about black street life in New York City between 1963 and 1973 that seemed to herald the rise of an important literary talent but who vanished into alcoholism and despair and never published another book, died on Oct. 1 in Manhattan. He was 76 and lived in the East Village.

That hurts. You can get all three books in one volume here.