E. Lynn Harris personally responds to every e-mail that is sent to his official website ( elynnharris.com ) , a daunting task, considering he receives an average of 1,500 e-mails each month. But it was through those e-mails that Harris, bestselling author of such novels as Invisible Life, If This World Were Mine and Not a Day Goes By, found inspiration to craft his latest work of fiction ... his first to feature an all-gay cast of characters.
Money Can't Buy Me Love is a gay love story included in Got To Be Real: Four Original Love Stories, a new collection of fiction by some of today's hottest Black male writers. Harris story revolves around the unlikely relationship between Jimmy Thorton, a conservative chemistry professor and Trevor, a dazzling young buck who pays the bills by selling his services as an upscale male escort. "No, he didn't go there," exclaims a viewer on Amazon.com, referring to Harris's unflinching portrayal of man-to-man desire. But in fact, he does go there ... and beyond ... with a story that proves love can take root in the most unexpected situations.
"I noticed that there was a spattering of comments in some of my e-mails where people would say that I have deserted them, because I haven't written a story exclusively with gay characters," says Harris during a telephone interview from New York City. "I didn't really know how to respond to that, so I decided to write this story with them in mind. But I always tell people that they shouldn't put me in a box or label me as a Black writer or a gay writer. I encourage them to take a look at my whole body of work."
Harris got involved with the Got To Be Real project when friend and colleague Eric Jerome Dickey, also a contributor to the collection, asked him if he had anystories collecting dust in a drawer ( read: stories that had never been published. )
"Well, I didn't have any such stories, but I was very interested in the idea of a collection of love stories written by Black men. So I said I would submit a story as long as I could write exactly what I wanted to write. I knew at that point what kind of story I wanted to do."
Got To Be Real has generated a strong buzz not only among the critics, who have given the collection mostly favorable reviews, but also from readers who have learned about the title through various media outlets saluting Black authors during the month of February. As for himself, Harris has conflicting emotions about the significance of Black History Month.
"The fact that we would have to take out a single month to honor Black people when we make contributions 365 days a year, and the fact that February is the shortest month of the year is something I have a problem with," says Harris in polite, controlled tones. "But when you have a successful show like Friends that makes it seem like Black people don't even exist, then I think we do need a Black history month, at least until things in the society change."
Harris's contribution to the collection, Money Can't Buy Me Love, is powered by a cast of dynamic, engaging characters. In addition to Trevor, a budding young novelist, who has a butt that looks liked "water-filled balloons," the reader is introduced to Thunder, who more than lives up to his name as Jimmy's lovably flamboyant best friend. Thunder runs a successful catering firm called Diva Delicacies, has a habit of referring to Jimmy as "Darling," "Baby" and "Child," and is responsible for introducing him to the flawless young Trevor ... as a surprise Valentine's Day present.
"These characters just came out of my head," admits Harris with a sly chuckle. "They are not based on anyone I know or on myself."
While these characters are not based on Harris's personal experience, one of the story's themes is something that the writer has been a witness to: gay male culture's unwavering fascination with physical perfection.
"I wanted to make Jimmy just a regular guy. I wanted to write a love story about an average gay male person. I am disturbed at how gay culture is all about looks ... but I do understand it. I think gay men have to go through life with so many barriers and insecurities that we have a tendency to overcompensate with our physical appearance."
Is it getting better or worse as we enter the new millennium?
"I honestly don't know. I am not apart of that community. I don't go to bars and I only go to the gym that is in my building in New York and the one that is in my building in Chicago. And I don't miss it because my priorities have changed. That comes with age," he says without a hint of embarrassment.
"But I am going to have to get back into it as research for my new book. As a matter of fact, I am going to start tomorrow, as I am attending a party hosted by OUT magazine, to honor the OUT 100 list of the year 2000." ( Harris was included in the list for his latest novel, Not a Day Goes By, which debuted at No. 1 on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list. )
While Harris may not pony up to the gay bars of New York City or Chicago ( he has homes in both cities ) on a regular basis, he is still routinely recognized by fans ... gay and straight ... while taking leisurely walks near his home along the Windy City's lakefront.
"I love it," he says without hesitation. "Just the other day, I was in Borders and seven people came up to me in the span of two hours. I tend to get recognized even more in New York than I do in Chicago, but I always enjoy meeting and talking with people. If I am in a bad mood, then I just keep my butt home, I don't venture out."
Harris didn't always enjoy the emotional ... or financial ... perks of being a celebrated author. He experienced the proverbial hard-knock life in Arkansas while being raised with his three sisters by a single mom. These and other events of Harris's life will be included in the author's highly anticipated memoirs, tentatively titled For Colorboys Who Consider Suicide When Being Gay Was Too Tough, which will be published by Doubleday this fall. Harris, admittedly a very private person, says that he is nervous about publicizing such intimate details of his personal life.
"That is why I kept putting off its publication, I'm just not sure how people are going to react to it. I have a great life now, but it wasn't always that way. I made plenty of mistakes. I had a lack of self-confidence. I chose the wrong people to give affection to and I basically just thought that my life was never going to be fair. I hope this book will help a lot of people, I hope that it inspires people to hold on and to not give up."
Another nugget of information included in the memoirs answers the question both casual and die-hard fans of the author have repeatedly asked Harris: What does the "E" stand for?
"I tell you what the 'E' stand for in the first paragraph of the memoirs," says Harris with a good-natured chuckle. "It has become this big deal with some of my fans who seem to want to know everything about me. But I liked people not knowing; I liked that it created a little bit of mystery. Anyone who went to school with me in Arkansas could tell you what it stands for, and in fact, they have been in the audience many times when I've done readings. But they always respect my privacy and have never blurted out the answer when someone asks me what it stand for."
Even as his readership finally uncovers the mystery behind the letter "E," it is doubtful that Harris, who has this covert ability to create unique characters and cinema-quality dialogue and who is able to effortlessly appeal to Black, white, gay, straight and bisexual audiences, will become any less of an enigma.
