E. Lynn Harris facts for kids

E. Lynn Harris (born Everette Lynn Jeter; June 20, 1955 – July 23, 2009) was a very successful American author. He was known for writing about the lives of African-American men. Ten of his books in a row became bestsellers on The New York Times Best Seller list. This made him one of the most successful African-American authors of his time.

About E. Lynn Harris's Life

E. Lynn Harris was born Everette Lynn Jeter in Flint, Michigan. When he was three years old, he moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, with his mother. His last name changed to Harris after his mother married Ben Harris. His mother later divorced his stepfather when he was 13.

Harris was one of the first African-American students at Forest Heights Junior High. He also attended Hall High School in Little Rock. Throughout his life, Harris had homes in Houston, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Education and Early Career

While attending the University of Arkansas, Harris made history. He became the first black male cheerleader at the university. He was also the first black yearbook editor.

After graduating from college, Harris worked as a computer salesman. He worked for big companies like IBM, AT&T, and Hewlett-Packard. He did this job for 13 years, living in cities like Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. In the 1990s, Harris decided to follow his dream of writing. He quit his sales job to start writing his first novel.

Becoming a Bestselling Author

Harris faced challenges when he first tried to publish his book, Invisible Life. Publishing companies were not interested at first. So, he decided to publish it himself. He even sold copies of his book from the trunk of his car!

Later, a major publisher, Doubleday, picked up his book. This led to great success. Ten of his novels went on to become New York Times bestsellers. Besides his novels, Harris also wrote a personal story called What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.

In 2004, Harris returned to the University of Arkansas. He taught a class on African American Fiction. Students loved his class very much.

Honors and Recognition

In June 2019, E. Lynn Harris was honored as a pioneer. He was one of the first fifty Americans added to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor. This wall is located within the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. The monument celebrates important people and moments in history. This special event happened during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

E. Lynn Harris's Books

Here is a list of the novels written by E. Lynn Harris:

• Invisible Life (1991)
• Just As I Am (1994)
• And This Too Shall Pass (1996)
• If This World Were Mine (1997)
• Abide With Me (1999)
• Not A Day Goes By (2000)
• Any Way the Wind Blows (2002)
• What Becomes of the Brokenhearted: A Memoir (2003)
• A Love of My Own (2003)
• I Say A Little Prayer (2006)
• Just Too Good to Be True (2008)
• Basketball Jones (2009)
• Mama Dearest (2009)
• In My Father's House (2010)
• No One in the World (2012), which was released after his death. He worked on this book with author R. M. Johnson.

His Passing

E. Lynn Harris passed away on July 23, 2009. He was in Los Angeles, California, for a business meeting. He was found at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. He was later pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Doctors determined that he died from heart disease. This was made worse by hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure.