The Man Who Broke Taboos

Saturday, July 25, 2009. . . .

Wow, what a beautiful morning. The sun winked at me this morning, as it rose to its proper place in the sky.

Hmmm, I guess that was my queue to get out of bed. Thus, as usually I rolled out of bed, slipped into my cozy black house slippers and headed down the hall to my office.

Let’s see what’s the latest T? Surely, somethin’ going on in the world.

Just like clockwork, my computer woke up out of hibernation and was ready to head to my favorite destination 3LWTV ~ Livin’ & Luvin’ Life with Lonnell Williams.
B~wood loves him some Lonnell. Mr. Williams is always doing somethin’. I tell ya, the man just be everrrrywhere.

Anyway, as I patiently await for his page to come up, the title instantly appears before my eyes “Remembering The Legacy of E. Lynn Harris—3LWTV Interview.”

I thought to myself I love me some E. Lynn Harris. He is the author that completes my literary repertoire of Sex, Secrets, Betrayal and Blackmail.

But, WAIT . . . HOLD UP . . .Clearly, I’m having a Charlotte moment from Sex In The City.

Ummm, let me read this again. “REMEMBERING”. . . STOP!

Oh My Goodness! I know I can’t possibly be reading this right.

Yeah, B~ wood … definitely you need a second opinion.

Before I could finish typing in E. Lynn Harris, yahoo completed my web search and CNN appeared with the title confirming Author E. Lynn Harris dead at 54!

It just seemed unreal. Everette “E.” Lynn Harris gone. But, I literally just saw him.

Wow, I needed a moment to digest what I was reading.

It just can't be true.

At times B~wood can be rather shy and quiet, but, I worked up enough nerve to walk up to Mr. E. Lynn Harris at Sizzle 2009, this past May. I first began speaking to Patrik-Ian Polk (writer of Noah’s Arc), and sitting next to him having lunch was Mr. E. Lynn Harris. Mr. Polk said, “I like to introduce you to my friend E. Lynn Harris.” Literally, I needed no introduction, I knew immediately when I saw him who he was, and just stood there lost for words. He asked me if I was having a good time, and he seemed so nice. I so wanted to say so many other things; however, I felt so bad because I was interrupting their meal.

However, before I could walk away my group of friends came up to him, and Lawd I think they asked a million and one questions and took pictures for days. I always try my best to avoid cameras, but, this time I really wish I would have gotten over my vanity issues and had our own personal Kodak moment.

John Blake from CNN says “he wrote a series of novels that exposed readers to characters rarely depicted in literature: Black, affluent gay men who were masculine, complex and sometimes, tormented.”

E. Lynn Harris “Invisible Life” was groundbreaking. It epitomize what so many men perhaps have gone thru or are dealing with at this exact moment in time. Who knew that a book about finding that inner peace to love oneself and face the truth, could obtain critical acclaim.

His books have generated many “water-cooler” conversations around black beauty salons, bookstores, coffee houses and book clubs. Clearly, many Black women, men gay or straight were entangled in the web of E. Lynn Harris.

Ironically, this month I just finished reading his novel Basketball Jones; however, I’ve yet to read his memoir, titled “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”.

I truly, hope E. Lynn Harris provides me with the answer to that question, because right now my heart is splitting at the seams!