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.