One of my biggest inspirations as a writer of gay fiction - erotica or otherwise - was E. Lynn Harris ... so it was with real sadness and heartache that I read, this morning, of his passing away at the age of 54.While I sometimes wasn't the biggest fan of his writing style, Harris - to me - was a natural storyteller, creating characters and storylines that, as his novels went on, I only got more and more involved with. He brought to light the way bisexuality and homosexuality is dealt with - or, more to the point, NOT dealt with - by men in the black community ... but his novels, at their core, dealt with characters that ranged from the heartfelt and humane to the downright dramatic, also dealing with (in many cases) real-life situations that people cope with in their lives every day.
He was often harshly criticized for his writing abilities, something that stung him very much as an artist - but whatever you thought of his work, there's no doubt that Harris was also a wonderful human being, often giving back to his fans and always taking the time to encourage anyone from novice writers to African-American men on the down-low who sought his advice and encouragement. In other words, no matter who you talk to who knew or met the man, they would tell you E. Lynn Harris, at heart, was a gentle, kind and loving human being who made the time for everyone.
I never had the privilege of meeting him, but we did swap a couple of emails about a year back - something I'll always be grateful for, along with all the thanks I owe him for the years of inspiring me to write ... and to write about themes and issues that others might find "offensive" or controversial. It's really sad to learn he's gone, at the young age of 54 especially - but if a good heart is what sends you to heaven, E. Lynn's doing okay.
Kris
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