Q&A with Best-Selling Author E. LYNN HARRIS - Interview

IN 1991, E. Lynn Harris quit a successful job as a computer sales executive to work on his first novel, Invisible Life. Nine years later, he has done the incredible and has become one of the nation's best-selling authors, with six novels that have sold more than 1 million copies. As of this writing, his latest release, Not a Day Goes By, is No. 1 on best-seller lists around the country, including Publisher's Weekly hardcover fiction roster and ranks No. 2 on the New York Times.

With his tales of Black glamour, success and his open discussion of the lifestyles of gay and bisexual men, Harris has changed the way we look at relationships and desire. He has broken down taboos about discussing the intricacies of Black sexuality. Gay and bisexual men move from the periphery to the center in his stories. Their voices inform readers what it's like to struggle between the longings of their hearts and who society wants them to be. Parents have told the author they've gained a deeper understanding of their children's lifestyles. Brothers and Sisters have applauded Harris for his candid portrayals of the pain and passion of loving people who struggle to define their sexual identities.

Harris says that insight wasn't always appreciated. Publishers rejected the manuscript he completed in nine months for Invisible Life. But the Arkansas native kept pushing. Instead of giving up, he hawked his books everywhere--beauty salons and barber shops, sorority and fraternity conventions, even out of his car. The reception he received from readers back then was lukewarm, he says. His book, a coming-of-age story of a young man struggling to understand his ambiguous sexuality, was too much for some to handle.

But as word of Harris' book spread between girlfriends and homeboys, mothers and fathers, college students and executives, and finally the nation, thanks to a 1995 appearance on "The Tom Joyner Morning Show," that perception changed. Harris became the first Black man to be No. 1 on the Blackboard list of top African-American titles. His characters--from gray-eyed sports agent Basil Henderson to former football star and second-generation attorney Raymond Tyler Jr. to Broadway performer Nicole Springer to conniving diva Yancey Harrington Braxton--became as familiar as friends.

We tracked down the best-selling author, who maintains residences in both Chicago and New York, while on tour for his new book to ask him about his writing life, success and future plans.

How old were you when you began writing? What encouraged you to give it a try?

I began writing at 33. I wrote out of trying to work some things out in my own life. I started by writing sports articles. I majored in journalism in school but had never taken any creative writing classes.

What kept you going when working on Invisible Life?

It was a story that hadn't been told. I feel like in any kind of special novel writing, you have to tell a story that is purely your own, that no one else can write but you. I went into writing this novel with a quiet confidence. If no one else wanted to read it, that was OK.

What was the initial response to your book?

Rejection. I was a salesman so I was used to that. I just kept looking for other avenues. I didn't have a lot of money to go on the road so I began doing ground work in Atlanta. I would go to beauty shops, contact book clubs and the media, attend sorority and fraternity conventions.

When did you realize you had something special?

About a month ago, Harris laughs. The new book is doing incredible. It sold more the first day than any of the other novels sold in two weeks. Not only did that tell me I had secured my base with fans but that I was picking up new people. I always feel like I have work to do. I want universal appeal. I want anyone who enjoys reading to pick up my book.

Why do you think your books are such a success?

People think the characters are real. They relate to what's going on in their lives and they take them on as their own.

People believe there's always some truth in fiction, are any of the stories based on your own experiences?

I would never jeopardize my friendships by writing about friends. I do get inspiration, though, from people I may meet. These are meetings with great brevity. I just use my imagination from there.

What are the reactions from people who have touched you most?

I have countless memories from the beginning of my career to as recent as a month ago. A Japanese guy said this book had saved his life. I've heard of fathers reuniting with their sons after reading it, same thing with mothers and sisters who have lost brothers to AIDS.

What are you working on now?

I'm writing my memoirs (due for release in 2001), a young adult novel and a screenplay of Sparkle for Warner Bros. I'm in the development stage of bringing my first four books to the big screen. I just completed a novella that's coming out in February with Marcus Major, Eric Jerome Dickey and Colin Channer.

With the amazing response to your latest novel, have you reached the pinnacle of success?