On July 24, 2009, E. Lynn Harris passed away at age 54. He's the author of 12 books in the African-American fiction genre. Of those 12 books, 10 of them were New York Times Bestsellers. Since his first book was published in 1994, Harris became known for breaking ground by writing about the fictional lives of gay and bisexual characters. Through the use of recurring characters such as Raymond and Basil in his books, he shed light on the inner conflicts that "down low" brothers experience trying to survive in a straight world.
On a personal note, E. Lynn Harris is greatly responsible for opening my eyes to the issues of the gay community and humanizing them when I was surrounded by anti-gay rhetoric (especially in the southern states of the U.S.).
I first started reading E. Lynn Harris' books as a young teen. I hid them from certain relatives because I suspected they wouldn't let me read them and that it would open up can-of-worms conversations. His skill at multi-dimensional character development motivated my inner activist to speak out on behalf of people and groups that experience discrimination, even if I'm not a member of the group. Before I'm black, female, a Democrat, a Bay Arean, etc, I'm a citizen of the world who believes in HUMAN RIGHTS for ALL HUMANS.
R.I.P. E. Lynn Harris. Thank you for opening my eyes to a world that I otherwise might never have entered and shining light on the necessity of safe sex. Your legacy is lasting.
Are you a fan of E. Lynn Harris? What did his work mean to you? Why is it easier to appreciate someone in death than in life? What does that say about the person? What does that say about US?
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