The Legacy of E. Lynn Harris

A week ago today, the literary world was shocked and saddened by the unexpected death of author E. Lynn Harris. He was on the West Coast in the middle of a book tour when he was found dead in his hotel room. In addition to being a best-selling author (10 of his 12 books made the New York Times bestseller list), he was an educator, activist and benefactor. He was also a trailblazer for this generation of African-American authors, particularly AA male authors such as Eric Jerome Dickey and Omar Tyree.

I will confess that I was never a fan of his work and I don’t plan to jump on the bandwagon now that he’s gone. However, I realize that I have learned a three very important lessons from him.

First, you have to work hard to achieve your dreams. Mr. Harris’ first novel was self-published and sold out of the trunk of his car. He chose to write stories close to his heart, regardless of the controversial (at the time) subject matter. His work found readers and eventually a publisher. But he never coasted on his success. He was always working on the next story or promoting the heck out of the one currently on shelves and his readers and fans loved him for it.

Second, when you achieve success, don’t forget those who put you there or want to get there too. As word of his death spread, fans from all over shared stories of how Mr. Harris would contact them personally and talk with them. Writers and authors shared how he would mentor or offer to help spread the word of their books. He went back to his alma mater and taught writing classes. He helped create scholarships for aspiring writers and lended his name to launch organizations and careers. He was an HIV/AIDS activist, doing his part by raising awareness, education and funds for a cure.

The last thing I learned from E. Lynn Harris, I learned because of his death: you have to take care of yourself. Mr. Harris died as a result of heart disease with diabetes being a contributing factor. It’s been reported that a few days before he died, he was ill and passed out, but refused to see a doctor or go to the hospital. Perhaps he was afraid that taking the time to be checked out would lead to an interruption in his tour and disappointing his fans. Perhaps he thought it could wait until he got home. Perhaps.

Would a trip to the hospital have saved his life? Perhaps. If a doctor’s visit would have sidelined him to help him get healthy, perhaps he would still be here.

I know his family, friends and fans would have gladly accepted a temporary disappointment instead of their permanent heartache.

My deepest sympathies to all those who knew and loved him. The lessons of E. Lynn Harris’ life and death will last as long as the words that he wrote.

Faith, Fiction and a Whole Lot More

This past weekend I participated in the Faith & Fiction Retreat in Orlando, Florida. It was a well-planned, well-executed event that I truly enjoyed, thanks to Tiffany & Brent Warren and the F&F staff.

I made plans to attend as soon as the conference info was released, but up until last week, my attendance was seriously in doubt. But God has a way of opening doors that I cannot see! Angela Benson needed to find a roommate to take her place since her mom was joining her at the conference. That meant I could afford the hotel costs! My uncle came up with the airplane ticket at the last minute and off I went!

After landing in Florida, the first person I met on the shuttle to the hotel was Rhonda McKnight. Though we’d never met in person, we’ve chatted online for months. Rhonda is so sweet and knowledgeable and we talked the whole trip to the hotel. She was so kind to introduce me to some of the other participants at the meet and greet. (Praying for you Rhonda!!!)

After checking into the Villas of Grand Cypress (which is an amazing and elegant resort), I headed for the Meet & Greet in our hospitality suite. There I reconnected with Daphine Glenn Robinson (my BWRC friend) and met my roommate, Linda Leigh Hargrove. Linda is a an author and such a down to earth, sweet person with a terrific sense of humor. (Okay, she thought I was funny, but that’s not saying much.) I also met Angela Benson (first time in person) and other authors and readers. Tiffany and her staff made us all feel so welcome, and we spent time getting to know each other and share in our love of reading and writing (among other things).

The next day, I overslept and nearly missed the first session. But the entire day was filled with wonderful discussions. Authors Angela Benson, Pat G-org Walker, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Tiffany Warren, Tia McCollors, along with Linda, Daphine and Rhonda were all excellent presenters with so much information to share. Our book discussions with Tiffany, ReShonda, Angela and Tia were so much fun.

Lunch and dinner allowed for us to just enjoy each other’s company in informal settings. All the authors were funny and kind and willing to share everything about the writing process and the industry itself. (The Author Mentoring Q & A  was my favorite session.) We had spoken word by Stella and Ashe, which was another highlight.

Sharing with the book club reps was also a treat, as we were able to introduce them to new works and they in turn shared how they choose new books and were able to tell us what they enjoyed about our writing.

The only hiccup was the book orders that did not come through. This was in no way the fault of Tiffany and Brent (who were so apologetic and upset themselves) but in the book chain they had worked with who failed to do their job properly. (It’s a national chain that I’m not going to call out, but if you want to know, email me.)

I left with a renewed sense of purpose and energy in my spirit to continue writing what and how I do. Now if I can just get my body to cooperate!

I’m going to post a more detailed account as soon as I can get my energy up!

Three the Hard Way

They say that celebrity deaths come in threes. Last week we got hit with three whoppers: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.

As I was contemplating all the news, hype and hoopla surrounding their deaths, I began thinking about something that they all had in common (besides the obvious): they all had bright shining stars and all had strange, sad ends to their lives.

In Ed McMahon’s case, he had debilitating health problems and was virtually broke. His house was being -foreclosed on; Donald Trump intervened and help him keep his home.

Farrah Fawcett started out as a pinup girl and became a celebrated actress in such films as “The Burning Bed”, “Extremities” and “Small Sacrifices”. She was a gifted dramatic and comedic actress, but those gifts were marred by strange career choices and personal appearances. Her well-documented battle with cancer provided hope for those who struggle with this insidious disease.

Michael Jackson’s meteoric rise and tabloid-centric downfall has been chronicled for years. He was on the verge of a major musical comeback that had fans salivating. I was hoping that he would be able to redeem his image through the concerts and his music. Sadly, this was not meant to be.

I think of this as I continue my writing career. Friends who know me know that I believe that one day I will be sitting beside Oprah in her studio as she praises one of my novels. Her endorsement will lead to untold success. And while I welcome the fame and fortune, I know that it will change my life and the lives of my family. It’s up to me to determine how I handle that success when it comes.

Until then, I will keep writing because it’s what I’ve been called to do. I’ll keep writing because it’s what I love to do. Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson didn’t set out to be superstars or tabloid magnets. They set out to do what they loved to do, what they were passionate about. They worked hard for all they achieved. And when the dust settles, long after they’re gone, I hope that we as fans will remember that; let that be their legacy.