Farewell, E. Lynn Harris

In many ways, E. Lynn Harris was the breakout writer who moved African-American fiction from the “literature” shelves to the popular collection. He took on topics like homosexuality, class, and family secrets, finding the universality in those themes even as he expressed the conflict they bring to African-Americans.

He also placed his characters in a settings that were not always visible to mainstream white society – the successful, educated black men and women rarely seen in major media. And within that culture, he highlighted the difficulty of being black and gay, part of a minority that no one – black or white – acknowledged or accepted. Over the course of his career he was able to write more about his gay characters’ success and happiness in their lives.

Harris was also at the forefront of the business model that has dominated black publishing for two decades – the self-published author who handsold his books before finding a mainstream publisher. Capitalizing on the drive that made him successful in college and his daytime career selling computers for IBM, he sold his first novel, Invisible Life, out of the trunk of his car. By visiting community centers like beauty salons and book clubs to talk directly with his potential readers, he was able to build a loyal audience that wanted to hear about the brands and dramas that drove his characters. That direct connection and understanding of the emotional experiences of his readers scored him repeated trips to the New York Times bestsellers list. It also showed other African-American writers of all genres that they could tell their stories – and showed publishers that there is an audience for those stories.

Check the WRL Catalogue for E. Lynn Harris’ books.