Authors Terrance Dean, Stanley Bennett Clay and James Earl Hardy joined together to pen a tribute book in honor of E. Lynn Harris. Harris, credited for the emergence of black gay literature into mainstream, passed away July 2009 from a sudden heartache.

The tribute novel, titled Visible Lives: A Tribute To E. Lynn Harris, consists of three stories that celebrate the trailblazing author.

Visible Lives is set to release on May 25, 2010.

Click HERE to pre-order your copy.

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The world lost a literary great with the passing of author E. Lynn Harris, however, his work lives on and new works continue to be released to the public. Harris’ final novel, Mama Dearest will launch today (September 22) at the legendary gay bookstore, Outwrite Books in Atlanta, GA. There will be readings by Eric Jerome Dickey, Clarence Nero, RM Johnson, Tina McElroy Ansa, Tracie Howard, and Laura Gilmore. The event is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Several authors have also decided to honor the memory of Harris with a tribute tour. The tour will take place in over a dozen major cities across the U.S. on Friday, September 25, which they have claimed as “E. Lynn Harris Day.”

Get tribute dates and locations after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »

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Well, it just might happen.

Details are still being worked out to determine who owns the rights to E. Lynn Harris‘ 12-book catalogue and soon-to-be-released novels. Prior to his death, Harris was working on bringing several works to the big screen. Just hours before his sudden cardiac arrest, Harris met with producer Tracey Edmunds to discuss bringing “Invisible Life,” Harris’ first novel, to the big screen. A source close to Harris reports “Harris ‘basically blessed the project’ for the film adaptation of Invisible Life.”

It didn’t stop at a film adaptation either. Harris reserved the Lincoln Theater in Washington, D.C. for a 4-week run in 2010 for “Invisible Life (The Musical),” with intentions of a Broadway run to follow. The music was written by Ashford & Simpson and the script by August Wilson’s protege, Javon Johnson.

Aside from Invisible Life, Harris had other finished scripts including Read the rest of this entry »

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Author E. Lynn Harris’s personal assistant Laura Gilmore spoke with Essence.com and gave the details of Harris’s last day leading up to his death. Essence.com reports,

Last Tuesday, the former IBM executive boarded a train from Alburquerque, New Mexico, to Los Angeles for a meeting with CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Tracey Edmonds, allegedly to sell the rights to his books. During his travel, he fainted but medics aboard the train said his vital signs were okay.

Two days later while meeting with one of his students from his alma mater, University of Arkansas, where he served as an adjunct professor of English and sponsor and coach of the cheerleading squad, Harris took his final breath.

Lynn and his student were about to order some food when the student got up to turn on the TV and heard a loud thud, Harris’s Read the rest of this entry »

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After an autoposy was performed earlier this week, the Los Angeles county coroner has confirmed initial reports E. Lynn Harris died of heart disease.  The coroner further found Harris’ condition was complicated by high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries.  Harris, a NYT best-selling author credited for being a pioneer and mentor for a new generation of writers on matters of the African-American and LGBT experience, passed away on July 23 while on a west coast book tour for his latest novel, Basketball Jones.

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Terrance Dean, best-selling author of “Hiding in Hip Hop,” released a statement today paying homage to the life and impact of E. Lynn Harris, who passed away today from unknown causes. Dean stated, Read the rest of this entry »

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Openly gay best-selling author E. Lynn Harris has died today at age 54. At the time of his death, Harris was on a West Coast book tour for his new book, “Basketball Jones,” a novel about the gay lover of an NBA star. Harris first gained notoriety in the 90s with books such as Invisible Life, Just As I Am, and And This Too Shall Pass, which dealt with issues common in Black gay America. The exact cause of death has not been released. So far, Harris’ personal assistant is citing the cause of his passing as due to an unspecified health event.

Harris also served as a visiting professor at the University of Arkansas in its English department.

His contribution to American literature will sorely be missed.

R.I.P.

Update: As further details become known, it has been reported Harris was found unconscious at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, Thursday night (July 23) and was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.  Earlier reports that the cause of death was a heart attack has since been retracted.  Harris’ exact cause of death remains unknown.  A coroner’s autopsy will be performed on Monday or Tuesday.

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Jasmyne Cannick, award-winning journalist, political commentator and friend of BGG, made this year’s list of BET’s Who’s Who in the Black LGBT Community. This isn’t the first time Jasmyne has received global recognition from the Black community for her contributions. She was also previously selected as one of Essence magazine’s 25 Women Shaping the World. It’s safe to say, Cannick is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Other members from the community that made BET’s list include: Read the rest of this entry »

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