Thaindian News

E. Lynn Harris, an openly gay, black, book author is reported to have been found dead in a West Coast hotel room while on a promotional tour for his 11th best-seller, Basketball Jones, aged 54.

Harris was best known for his depictions of African American men on the down low or in the closet, often incorporating vernacular and slang from popular culture in his writings.

Born in Flint, Michigan, Harris attended the University of Arkansas, where he became its first black male cheerleader, before selling computers for Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for 13 years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

In 1991 Harris sold his first book, Invisible Life, from the back of his car, after failing to find a publisher interested in printing it.

Harris’ other books were:
Just As I Am
And This Too Shall Pass
If This World Were Mine
Abide With Me
Not A Day Goes By
Money Can’t Buy Me Love
Any Way the Wind Blows
A Love Of My Own
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted
I Say a Little Prayer
Just Too Good To Be True

Five of Harris’ novels achieved New York Times bestseller status, while others have been on the bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

His latest novel, based around a black, gay basketball player, is described as a “a rip-roaring tale of sex, secrets, betrayal . . . and blackmail”, on his website.