E. Lynn Harris, the author who wrote a series of books about closeted black men, including Invisible Life, died Thursday during a business trip. He was 54.
The success of Harris is intriguing: With some four million books in print, he was unquestionably one of America’s most successful authors. But while he wrote about black men hiding in the closet, his readership was composed significantly of black women.
We quite liked Teresa Wiltz’s send-off of the writer.
galefan2004
Wait, I thought all black men that were gay were all proud and out and that only white boys were closeted. Hmm! I wonder if the black community crucifies him for calling out the stupidity or if he gets a pass because he is black.
anonymous
I have heard rumors over the years that several of his books were ghost written. Not surprisingly blacks are sadden by this but feel no outrage over the murderer of a black gay man in DC who received a 6 month sentence for killing him while in the commission of a robbery.
Thank god for white gay men. Where would blacks be without them?
ChristopherJ
@galefan2004: What in the world? Your comment indicates you have little knowledge of his writing and why you would use this as an opportunity to go on a diatribe about black gay men is incomprehensible.
Jasmine
I grew up in a homophobic (multiracial) family. I credit Invisible Life with making me see — and end — that bigotry in myself. R.I.P. Mr. Harris.
For those of you taking this opportunity to attack blacks/black gays…seriously, get some class. That’s beyond low.
SouLKid
wow, just how low can some people stoop?A man is dead and y’all finding an opportunity to attack black people.Geez!
Dabq
Editors, why in the world did you post this on your site? Your readers don’t care about him or his work. All it will get posts wise is the typical black bashing’s that the majority of readers here thrive on, even a black gay man who has died, and, where is the post about Rupert Everett’s knocking of the dead Michael Jackson? I’m sure gale and the rest of them would love to stoop to his level as well!
Chitown Kev
@Dabq:
Heh, well I’ve seen more Rupert Everett bashing than Michael Jackson bashing on the (mostly white) gay blogs that I pretty much go to nowadays.
I mean, crirticize the author for the quality of his work if you want to do that (which I have but then I guess many would label me as a literary Shakespeare/Baldwin/Morrison/David Foster Wallace loving snob, which I am) but I agree too many posters here use any black face or black topic to bash all black people (straight and gay).
May E. Lynn Harris RIP. 54 is just way too young
RainaWeather
Can we be decent and not use a (gay) man’s death as an excuse to be racist?
RainaWeather
@anonymous: What blacks? I’ve never heard about this DC incident. Has Queerty reported on it and perhaps I missed it?
anonymous
@RainaWeather: It was breezed over at a black gay blog. Many of the comments expressed outrage but not ONE (commenter) mentioned any organized protest (as to be expected).
Supposedly, DC is the black gay mecca. However, with Howard U. in the heart of the city (the Howard U that produced many a black lawyer such as Thurgood Marshall) there obviously is no black gay organization outside the party circuit. If there were I am sure at least one of the members would have figured out a way to contact the only publication (practically) left in DC, the WashingtonBlade.com, to let them know that blacks do care about this outrage.
A picture of the only protest held in DC about the sentence is posted on the Wash Blade website. It was clearly taken at an angle to NOT show how sparse the crowd was but I counted 14 blacks in the picture. (Please be nice and not ask who made up the majority of the crowd).
Many are going to call my comment racist and not one damn do I give. The truth ALWAYS hurts. How wonderful it would be if someone stepped up to the plate and pointed out where I am a lie. I do not have eternity to wait.
If it is not related to sex, entertainment or sexy sports stars good luck in getting the black gay community to come out and support ANYTHING, including issues regarding their own health.
But let white people point out the thieves who have been busted for stealing from black organizations who figured their appointments made the organization their personal piggy bank and watch what they will do then. Don’t even think of telling these screamers of “their racists” who it was who felt pity on their lack of self caring and gave them the chance to do something for themselves and those thieves were all they could muster. The ones who do not steal and do have the community at heart have my 100% support and please forgive my rant at those who DO NOTHING.
How hard could it be to simply go to a protest to show strength and unity? Apparently very hard.
Again, thank god for white gay men. The same men who got organized when the AIDS crisis hit and decided not to remind blacks, when the (still ongoing epidemic amongst them) tide came in to their community about how they sat in the bars for nearly 10 years (with about 90% of those bars white owned) and claimed it was a “white boy” disease.
Please, though I know it will not happen, if you can not prove me a lie, don’t respond. It will only get all the more pathetic. The article is about a very successful writer of fiction who happened to be black. I do wish there were fiction in my comments.
Chitown Kev
@anonymous:
At the same black gay blog that you are thinking of, though, I think that there was outrage directed specifically at the black gay community party and church queens in DC. Had an incident like that happened in Chicago, the black gay community would have been all over it.
See I don’t live in DC, so how can I be organizing protests?
And why are you using this thread for this topic?
mikeandrewsdantescove
I could see how Down Low Brothers was brought to the television screen as a result of Mr. Harris’s success.
Mike
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/MikeAndrews1
anonymous
@Chitown Kev: Good for you. Now answer me this.
A few years back in Chitown 6 black gay men were killed at a party. The shooters busted thru the door and just started blasting.
My question is were they ever caught? I do remember two or three PEOPLE were on record expressing outrage but where was the organized protest and what happened to the investigation?
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
While it is is not great fiction, it is necessary characterizations which Hollywood should have leapt on instead of the Medea series which is blaxploitation and re-enforcing negative stereotypes. E Lynn Harris was a shy person yet entirely dedicated to his characters and his large fan base. He’s quite probably the largest selling Gay Author.
Chitown Kev
@anonymous:
There was some organized protest about it but as it turned it wasn’t a hate crime at all but rather some in-house bullshit with various members at that party from my understanding (I don’t live on that side of town).
No, the murders have not been caught as far as I am aware of and it is now a cold case, but then again there are many such cold cases (I don’t remember any similar protests for the black gay man that was beaten up in Chelsea recently, for example).
My issue with you is why are you applying a different standard in some some cases with those in the black gay community (though I agree with some of your points, esp. vis-a-vis AIDS)@dontblamemeivotedforhillary:
Harris couldn’t hold a candle to Baldwin which, to his credit, even he admitted.
Dabq
@Chitown Kev: I guess I just don’t see how some of the same ones here who are always screaming that they are treated bad by society will go off and disrespect the dead. Its as if none of these posters have had any sort of home training on how to be a decent human. They are so blinded by their own ignorance and intolerance, they don’t see they are no better than those who they denounce.
A black guy got beat down in Chelsea, that most free to be yourself place? Wow, had not heard that one.
Bill Perdue
@Chitown Kev: Very few writers of the last century or so could hold a candle to Baldwin.
Harris wrote for a newer audience and by all accounts had a powerful effect on them, helping create a higher consciousness for many. The difference, of course, is that people who get Baldwin are on their way to being revolutionists.
RIP. E. Lynn Harris.
Chitown Kev
@Bill Perdue:
Yeah, Baldwin is my standard and always has been.
Harris was a different type of writer and, yeah, after reading all of Baldwin (and I mean all of it) I couldn’t relate to Harris and the world he was writing about. I’ll fess up to being a snob in that respect
@Dabq: See, I can confine myself to being critical (and balanced) about Harris’ work (I like James Earl Hardy far more). I don’t get the necessity of all these other topic that people seem to want to inject in this thread other than racism.
Jason_M
Never heard of this guy, but I haven’t read a lot of fiction about gay life. Am listening to first book now via Audible and enjoying it. He’s not a great writer, but subject, characters are engaging and subject gripping.
Mike
Queerty is pathetic. Took 3 days to post this.
Detra
@galefan2004: Its not a white or black thing, Its about society not accepting your life style, so you feel the need to hide it.