Farewell... E. Lynn Harris

For me E. Lynn came into my life at a time when I needed him most. I remember the time quite vividly... I was in the midst of finals during the end of my freshman year. I was finally coming into accepting myself when a good friend asked me if I had ever read, Invisible Life. I had never heard of the book or even the woman, so I thought, who had wrote it. The next day i stopped by our library and to my surprise they had the book. I checked it out along with several other books... hoping no one would see it in my stack. I exited out the side entrance dropping all of the other books back into the return drop and made my way back to my apartment.

Neglecting the studying I needed to do for my final the next day... I got comfortable on my couch and began to read only stopping to go take the test the next day. I finished the book in less than two days and was amazed that someone was writing about a life that was so foreign to me... but whose title was ironic.

Over the next few weeks I read all the books he had published at that time... and eagerly awaited his next one. He was my first introduction into this genre of literature which led me to discover Keith Boykin's One More River to Cross and James Earl Hardy and other authors.

I thank E. Lynn most of all comforting me and reassuring me when I needed it. But also for exposing me to writings I never knew existed.