Tina McElroy Ansa, Eric Jerome Dickey, Terry McMillan and others remember E. Lynn Harris at the NBAF

Matthew Jordan Smith/Courtesy, ELynnHarris.com

E. Lynn Harris was toasted by the National Black Arts Festival and his dear friends Friday, July 31, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Woodruff Arts Center. In a warm and moving tribute ceremony organized by his dear friend Tina McElroy Ansa, the well-known author of Baby of the Family, Ugly Ways and The Hand I Fan With, Eric Jerome Dickey, Terry McMillan, Farai Chideya, Valerie Boyd, Nathan McCall, L. Divine, Lamar Wilson and Jonee' Ansa were among those who offered personal remembrances about Lynn, as many of them knew him, while also reading from his work. Wearing pearls that Harris had given her, Ansa led the celebration of his life and even shared emails from other dear friends, including bestselling author Tananarive Due (www.tananarivedue.com).  

Most emphasized his generosity. An emotional Eric Jerome Dickey (www.ericjeromedickey.com) recounted how Harris sent him back on tour with his first book out of his own pocket before they had ever met. Terry McMillan recalled his exquisite taste. He loved to eat and she marveled at how he knew of great restaurants in the Bay Area that she didn't and he didn't even live there. Emerging poet Lamar Wilson recalled how E. Lynn Harris's books gave him the courage to embrace his sexuality. L. Divine, the bestselling author of the young adult series Drama High (www.dramahigh.com) shared the story of how  a relative presented her with an E. Lynn Harris novel to come out to his family. Tina McElroy Ansa (www.tinamcelroyansa.com) recalled that this was not an uncommon practice and that Harris was well aware that many gay men had used his books to step out of their "invisible lives".

The occasion was marked with an additional sadness as some recalled the pain that Harris endured as a child living in Little Rock, Arkansas. Tina McElroy Ansa read a passage from Harris's 2004 memoir, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted (www.amazon.com/What-Becomes-Brokenhearted-Lynn-Harris/dp/0553527770), about one Easter Sunday where he was exuberant over a new coat, only to have his stepfather trash that joy with his disdain over Harris's early "sissy" tendencies. Her husband Jonee' Ansa resembled Harris's stepfather in appearance but not in his acceptance of Harris. Jonee' Ansa had no qualms in declaring his love for Harris for the person he was. Farai Chideya, former host of NPR's "News & Notes" show and author of the debut novel Kiss the Sky, (www.faraichideya.com) described Harris as "a detective of his own soul" for the honesty and openness found in his writings. Nathan McCall, whose memoir Makes Me Wanna Holler contains many of the homophobic stances, shared that he was a different person now because of E. Lynn Harris. It was that openness and the ability to tranform that prompted Valerie Boyd (www.valerieboyd.com) to defy the policies of her former employer The Atlanta Journal Constitution against reviewing self-published books. Despite the many flaws of that first book, which Harris sold out of the trunk of his car, Boyd had no doubts that Harris's writing would hit the mainstream.

Harris was a person who defied labels, as the tribute underscored. Yes he was a gay man but he also loved sports. As one of the early self-published authors to find his way to mainstream publishing mega-success, Harris helped paved the way for other contemporary African American authors. One thing that was made very clear, however, was that Harris was more than a bestselling author. Above all, he was a great and compassionate man who never hesitated to help others.

For more info: In the coming weeks, a video presentation of this tribute will appear on E. Lynn Harris's official web site, www.elynnharris.com.