E. Lynn Harris Dead

[Pepper]

Best-selling author E. Lynn Harris died today at age 54. According to Essence, the writer's personal assistant declined to give details, but did confirm that Harris' health had declined. He was in the middle of a West Coast tour to promote his 11th novel, Basketball Jones, when he passed away.

Harris was best known for such successful novels as Invisible Life, Just As I Am, Too Good To Be True, Abide With Me, as well as his 2004 memoir What Becomes of The Brokenhearted. He specialized in writing about African-American gay culture, including the "down-low" phenomenon in the world of professional sports. (Basketball Jones is the story of an NBA star and his gay lover.) Born in Michigan and raised in Arkansas, Harris recently taught English at the University of Arkansas as a visiting professor.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/07/bestselling-author-e-lynn-harris-has-died.html

[julie*mango]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead

word??!!!!!!

* gone read one a him book dem *

[evanovitch]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead

was he suffering from compromised immune system?

[CeaBee]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead

them seh that he was in the middle of a tour which make u think that is something sudden (like a heart attack, stroke etc)

[evanovitch]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead

Celebrated, openly-gay author E. Lynn Harris died Friday while on a West Coast book tour, according to The Arkansas Times. He was 54.

The Times reported that Harris’ personal assistant confirmed that the author suffered an unspecified health event Friday morning, but offered no further details.

A friend of the author told BlackAmericaWeb.com that Harris <span style="font-weight: bold">suffered from diabetes</span>.

Harris became famous for his novels, which frequently depicted gay African-American men on the down low or in the closet. He won critical acclaim, however, for a memoir, &quot;What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.&quot;

Like many writers, Harris found it difficult to land a book deal early in his career and ended up self-publishing his first book, &quot;Invisible Life,&quot; and sold copies of it from the trunk of his career. Five of his novels later achieved New York Times bestseller status.

Arkansas Sports 360 provided the first formal report that Harris had died, and it was later confirmed by AOL Black Voices. Harris was an alumnus of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he was the school’s first black cheerleader. He later worked at the university as a coach and sponsor of the cheerleaders.

His latest book, &quot;Basketball Jones,&quot; is about the gay lover of an NBA star.

[Gen]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead

oh my

[nattydreadgirl]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead



RIP (((E.Lynn)))

[ColeS]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead

Yikes

Havent read any of his books, but know of his work.

Its always sad when people pass away but when an author dies, the wriiten word dies too.

Take care Mr Harris.

[Nylah]

Re: E. Lynn Harris Dead


this is sad. It is sometimes hard to know when to take how you are feeling as anything serious. If he had listened to his assistant right at the beginning he may still be with us.....hard to tell though.

Best-selling author E. Lynn Harris, 53, died yesterday after feeling ill two days prior, according to his personal assistant Laura Gilmore.

&quot;I spoke to him about 7 A.M. Atlanta time,&quot; says Laura. &quot;He needed some changes made to his schedule and I faxed them to him at the Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, but I didn't hear back from him which wasn't unlikely if he were busy.&quot;

Despite reports that Harris was completing a West Coast book tour for his latest novel, &quot;Basketball Jones,&quot; the author had actually completed his tour a month prior but was headed to Los Angeles on a train from Alburquerque, New Mexico, for an important business meeting with television producer Tracey Edmonds, according to Vanessa Gilmore, the Houston-based U.S. district judge and Laura's daughter.

&quot;Lynn didn't like flying,&quot; says Vanessa, who has been friends with Harris since 1977 when they met through a mutual friend. &quot;So he took the train.&quot;

On Wednesday, Harris traveled from Alburquerque to Los Angeles by train and fainted during his commute. When medics arrived he was given a clean bill of health and told that his vital signs were normal, and he continued his trek to Los Angeles, says Laura.

&quot;I begged him to go see a doctor, but he said he was fine,&quot; says says Judge Gilmore, who says Harris is like her brother to her and named him the godfather of her 8-year-old son Sean Harrison Gilmore. &quot;He was meeting with Tracey in the afternoon and texted me to tell me to wish him luck and I told him I wished him all the blessings God had in store for him. He joked that he would take every last one of them. I just didn't know that he'd be enjoying those blessings in heaven and not on earth.&quot;

According to his personal assistant, Harris suddenly became ill during a business meeting and required medical assistance, whether or not he was with Edmonds, creator of BET's &quot;College Hill,&quot; at the time is still unknown. Industry insiders say that Harris met with Edmonds and sold her the rights to his books, and while Laura couldn't confirm the details of that meeting, Vanessa said that Harris told their mutual friends that the meeting with Edmonds had gone well.

Only 21 hours ago, Harris wrote his last Facebook entry telling his fans: &quot;OK FB family send prayers up. I'm off to my meeting with one of Hollywood's most powerful ladies. Got the suit on and the new scent I purchase [sic] yesterday and I'm ready for my close up.&quot;

&quot;Unfortunately, they were unable to save him,&quot; says Laura wistfully. &quot;He was the kindest and most generous man and cared for so many people and will be truly missed.&quot;

An autopsy is scheduled to take place on Monday


www.essence.com