The AP is reporting that writer E. Lynn Harris passed away today. According to his publicist Laura Gilmore, he died at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.
He was 54.
I was never really a fan but can’t deny his huge cultural impact. He was everywhere in the 90s – on the bus/subway, campuses, hair salons, . . . He proved those of us who assumed his career would be super-short wrong. His audience kept growing. He kept at it and ended up with a very lucrative body of work. I just looked over this body of work and didn’t realized how much he had managed to produce very consistently. He will be missed.
His Work
Invisible Life (Self published: 1991; Mass market: 1994)
What an appropriate symbol for the 40th anniversary of Stonewall and the day before gay pride. The rainbow over Brooklyn was incredible! The one picture I should have, but didn’t take, was all the people who were taking the pictures of the rainbow.
My cousins and I must have watched The Making of Thriller (and the Billy Jean performance at Motown 25!!!!!!) a million times. We dreamt that we too could get to the heights that he set. He got Michael Landis, Quincy Jones and Michael Peters to help him realize that BIG vision and they really did their thing and created magic. It was one of the early things that pulled back the veil of filmmaking for me. It was one of things that make me want to be a filmmaker. Let us put aside the Jesus Juice and Jesus Blood for a second and remember the legend.
Apparently, the richest people in the US had a secret meeting in New York earlier this month to talk about poverty and philanthropy. The group included Oprah, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Ted Turner and Michael R. Bloomberg. That was apparently $125 billion in one room.
The headlines related to this got me all suspicious and paranoid about what was being planned for the rest of us mere mortals. Because I am so gullible though, when I saw Oprah’s name included I was like “Oh, it must be all for good.” I would love to know what exactly was discussed and what had to happen to make the meeting a reality. Also, that menu must have been amazing!
Check out the ABC News report on it here. Drop me a line if you got your info and you went. Or if you were able to sneak in.
Better get to KFC (in the US) ASAP. Thanks to a promotion between Oprah and KFC, you can get two pieces of the new grilled chicken (and 2 sides) for free with a coupon. You need to download the coupons today (Wednesday, May 6th, 2009) but the coupons can be used through May 19 (except for Mothers’ Day – May 10th, 2009).
In honor of the release of The Branford Marsalis Quartet’s latest release Metamorphosen, I dug up one of my favorite Branford Marsalis clips. He is funny, insightful and cuts to the bone all in the same breath. I had forgotten about his wit until I listen to him a few minutes ago on WNYC’s Sound Check with John Schaefer. Enjoy . . .
Apparently, the richest people in the US had a secret meeting in New York earlier this month to talk about poverty and philanthropy. The group included Oprah, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Ted Turner and Michael R. Bloomberg. That was apparently $125 billion in one room.
