E. Lynn Harris
Encyclopedia
Everette "E." Lynn Harris
(June 20, 1955 – July 23, 2009) was an American author. Openly gay
, he was best known for his depictions of African American
men who were on the down-low and closeted
. He authored ten consecutive books to make The New York Times Best Seller list making him among the most successful African American or gay authors of his era.
, Harris grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas
and had homes in Houston, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia and Fayetteville, Arkansas
. In his writings, Harris maintained a poignant motif, occasionally emotive, that incorporated vernacular
and slang
from popular culture.
Harris became the first black male cheerleader
while attending the University of Arkansas
. He was also his college's chapter president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. After graduation, he became a computer salesman with IBM
for a time.
Harris was initially unable to land a book deal with a reputable publishing house for his first work, Invisible Life, so he self-published it through a vanity publisher
and sold copies from his car trunk. Since then, ten of his novels have achieved New York Times
bestseller status.
Alongside fiction, Harris had also penned a personal memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.
, and was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles
. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was heart disease.
, several friends and authors came together to perform a tribute tour in his honor. Eric Jerome Dickey
, RM Johnson
, Tracie Howard, Tina McElroy Ansa
, Clarence Nero, and Laura Gilmore hosted the release event on September 22, 2009 at Outwrite Book in Atlanta, Georgia
. Other events where hosted on September 25, 2009 in New York, NY; Dallas, Texas
, and other cities around the United States
by authors such as Dr. Bertice Berry
, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Victoria Christopher Murray, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Mary B. Morrison and more.
. It follows the jilted Yancey Harrington as she pursues success and stardom in L.A, and her wayward bisexual ex-fiance Basil Henderson, who has left thoughts of matrimony behind in favour of singledom.
(June 20, 1955 – July 23, 2009) was an American author. Openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, he was best known for his depictions of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
men who were on the down-low and closeted
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
. He authored ten consecutive books to make The New York Times Best Seller list making him among the most successful African American or gay authors of his era.
Biography
Born in Flint, MichiganFlint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, Harris grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
and had homes in Houston, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia and Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. In his writings, Harris maintained a poignant motif, occasionally emotive, that incorporated vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
and slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
from popular culture.
Harris became the first black male cheerleader
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
while attending the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. He was also his college's chapter president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. After graduation, he became a computer salesman with IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
for a time.
Harris was initially unable to land a book deal with a reputable publishing house for his first work, Invisible Life, so he self-published it through a vanity publisher
Vanity press
A vanity press or vanity publisher is a term describing a publishing house that publishes books at the author's expense. Publisher Johnathon Clifford claims to have coined the term in 1959. However, the term appears in mainstream U.S...
and sold copies from his car trunk. Since then, ten of his novels have achieved New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
bestseller status.
Alongside fiction, Harris had also penned a personal memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.
Death
Harris died on July 23, 2009 while in Los Angeles for a business meeting. He was found unconscious at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, and was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was heart disease.
Tribute Tour
As a tribute to Harris, upon the release of Mama DearestMama Dearest
A New York Times Bestselling novel by the late E. Lynn Harris. This was the last novel published by the author who died just months before its release.-Synopsis:...
, several friends and authors came together to perform a tribute tour in his honor. Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey is a New York Times best-selling American author best known for his novels about contemporary African-American life...
, RM Johnson
RM Johnson
RM Johnson is an Essence Magazine bestselling author with nine adult urban fiction and one young adult fiction novels under his belt. He is best known for his compelling stories of love, sex, and the varies different challenges the African American community have to face...
, Tracie Howard, Tina McElroy Ansa
Tina McElroy Ansa
Tina McElroy Ansa is an African American novelist, filmmaker, teacher, and journalist. Born Tina McElroy to Walter J. and Nellie McElroy in Macon, Georgia, where she grew up in the Pleasant Hill neighborhood...
, Clarence Nero, and Laura Gilmore hosted the release event on September 22, 2009 at Outwrite Book in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Other events where hosted on September 25, 2009 in New York, NY; Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and other cities around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by authors such as Dr. Bertice Berry
Bertice Berry
Dr. Bertice Berry is an American sociologist, author, lecturer, and educator.Berry grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. She graduated magna cum laude from Jacksonville University in Florida, and earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Kent State University in Ohio, at the age of 26.She later worked as an...
, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Victoria Christopher Murray, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Mary B. Morrison and more.
Any Way the Wind Blows
Harris' 2002 novel, Any Way the Wind Blows, is the sequel to his previous book, Not a Day Goes ByNot a Day Goes By
"Not a Day Goes By" is the title of a song written by Maribeth Derry and Steve Diamond, and recorded by American country music band Lonestar. It was released in January 2002 as the fourth and final single from their album, I'm Already There...
. It follows the jilted Yancey Harrington as she pursues success and stardom in L.A, and her wayward bisexual ex-fiance Basil Henderson, who has left thoughts of matrimony behind in favour of singledom.
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted: A Memoir
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted: A Memoir E. Lynn Harris' autobiographical reflection. It concerns the rise of a small town boy to a successful writer; detailing Harris' battle with depression and 'coming out' experience as a gay African American.A Love of My Own
A Love of My Own is Harris' 2003 novel, which won Blackboard's 'Novel of the Year Award'. It details a year in the lives of several characters living in New York. It is narrated alternately by Zola Norwood, editor of a Hip Hop magazine, and Raymond Tyler Jr., the magazine's CEO. It deals with both the trials and tribulations of the characters' love and work lives against the back drop of the cultural and political events of 2001 and 2002.External links
- Official Publisher Page
- AP Obituary in the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
- Audio Interview with E. Lynn Harris on Urban Reviews
- E. Lynn Harris on Amazon.com
- E. Lynn Harris Official Website