Yardies at Home and a Farrin (part16)

[jawi876 2]

I think this is what Jawi did right? I wonder how many people even know you can email it to them these days.

I sent the signed copy via DHL. But, that is excellent news to know that we could send a scanned copy as well. There is no need to request a date to drop the DS-230 off anymore...which is a huge accomplishment whether you decide to mail or email it! Way to go yardies!

[Ellsinlove 2]

Would it be bad of me to sneak out of work 30 minutes early since this is the last day my boss is on vacation?

[jawi876 2]

This is sad news...I'm not a huge fan...but I know some of you are

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E. Lynn Harris

Atlanta Author E. Lynn Harris Dies

Posted: 2:28 pm EDT July 24, 2009

Updated: 3:58 pm EDT July 24, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- E. Lynn Harris, a pioneer of gay black fiction and a literary entrepreneur who rose from self-publishing to best-selling status, has died, his publicist said Friday. He was 54.

Publicist Laura Gilmore said Harris died Thursday night after being stricken at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, and a cause of death had not been determined. She said Harris, who lived in Atlanta, fell ill on a train to Los Angeles a few days ago and blacked out for a few minutes, but seemed fine after that.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said only that a man matching Harris' name and date of birth had died Thursday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which was confirmed by hospital spokeswoman Simi Singer. Gilmore said an autopsy would be performed Monday or Tuesday.

An improbable and inspirational success story, Harris worked for a decade as an IBM executive before taking up writing, selling the novel "Invisible Life" from his car as he visited salons and beauty parlors around Atlanta. He had unprecedented success for an openly gay black author and his strength as a romance writer led some to call him the "male Terry McMillan."

He went on to mainstream success with works such as the novel "Love of My Own" and the memoir "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."

His writing fell into several genres, including gay and lesbian fiction, African American fiction and urban fiction. But he found success in showing readers a new side of African American life: the secret world of professional, bisexual black men living as heterosexuals.

"He was a pioneering voice within the black LGBT community but also resonated with mainstream communities, regardless of race and sexual orientation," said Herndon Davis, a gay advocate and a diversity media consultant in Los Angeles. "Harris painted with eloquent prose and revealing accuracy the lives of African American men and the many complicated struggles they faced reconciling their sexuality and spirituality while rising above societal taboos within the black community."

Harris published 11 novels, 10 of which were on The New York Times best-seller list. There are over 4 million copies of his books in print, according to his publisher, Doubleday.

"We at Doubleday are deeply shocked and saddened to learn of E. Lynn Harris' death at too young an age," said Doubleday spokeswoman Alison Rich, his longtime publicist. "His pioneering novels and powerful memoir about the black gay experience touched and inspired millions of lives, and he was a gifted storyteller whose books brought delight and encouragement to readers everywhere."

In an interview last year, Harris recalled the first time he realized he was poor, when as a young boy his family was invited to the housewarming of a well-to-do family in his hometown of Fayetteville, Ark. Fresh from an afternoon of playing outside, he tried desperately to tuck his bare, dusty feet underneath the sofa after another guest remarked on his appearance.

"I didn't grow up in the kind of environment that my characters grew up in, or the kind of environment that I live in now," he said. "It was one of the things that I always aspired to."

His 1994 debut, "Invisible Life," was a coming-of-age story that dealt with the then-taboo topic.

"If you were African American and you were gay, you kept your mouth shut and you went on and did what everybody else did," he said. "You had girlfriends, you lived a life that your parents had dreamed for you."

Harris was not living as an openly gay man when "Invisible Life" was published, and could not acknowledge the parallels between himself and the book.

"People would often ask, 'Is this book about you?' I didn't want to talk about that," he said. "I wasn't comfortable talking about it. I would say that this is a work of fiction."

Harris said that the courage readers got from the book empowered him to be honest about himself. He continued to tell stories dealing with similar issues, to tell black middle class readers about people they knew, but who were living secret lives.

For years, he was alone in exposing the "down low," but the phenomenon exploded into mainstream culture in 2004, a decade after "Invisible Life." That year, J.L. King's "On the Down Low: A Journey Into the Lives of 'Straight' Black Men Who Sleep With Men" hit bookstores and the author appeared on Oprah Winfrey's TV show.

His 10th novel, "Just Too Good to Be True," focused for the first time on a straight relationship, telling the story of a 21-year-old football star, his mother, and his cheerleader love interest. Harris taught writing classes at his alma mater, the University of Arkansas, and leaned on his students there to gather material for the book.

The last book Harris published, "Basketball Jones," focused on a hidden relationship between a successful business professional in New Orleans and an NBA star.

Janis F. Kearney met Harris when the two were among a handful of black journalism students at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The two became fast friends and their relationship deepened as they both evolved into authors. Kearney, who now lives in Little Rock, Ark., recalled Harris' huge heart.

"I've seen him help so many people," Kearney said. "He was very open, very giving, very caring, someone you felt so fortunate to have in your life. He's just one of those people I'll never stop missing."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[^KK^ 3]

Oh no...is this three in row thing going to happen AGAIN!!!! Stop the madness please.

You think it has been one day where NO one in the US died?

[jawi876 2]

sounds like my house.. i love when ppl can get mad, get over it and get along..

I do too. It makes me know that we are normal...when I say "Dude!" A knows that I am 38 hot...so he will diffuse it with "Puuuhhhllleeaaassee!" (His version of Rhianna in Take a Bow)...guaranteed to make me at least crack a smile.

Quana - Same here with the closet. I think some people like to be organized. But you know, I must admit opposites attract for some reason. I'm not the neatest person..but I hate a nasty place.

Same here and my health issues have driven me insane because I have to rely on my son and his father to keep the house tidy. I can't even push a vaccuum cleaner. My sister has to come over to help me hang my clothes after I wash them. My son takes the laundry basket to the washer, and I load it because I'm particular. My son also helps me change my bedsheets since I can't do that either. My comforters are pretty heavy, and I can't lift it to spread it out on the bed. I feel so handicapped.

However, I got one of the scrub brushes designed for the tub, and I get in it in old socks...put my cleaning supplies on the walls of the tub...then I scrub with the brush as I walk in a little circle, since I can't stretch across the garden tub to clean it. You should have seen the smile on my face when i finished...I finally accomplished something by myself. I hate toothpaste spatters on the faucet and mirror too...a pet peeve!

[dancehallquana 5]

i can see ur big smile after accomplishing something jawi.. thats good ur family is really helping out too..

[NatPatBen 3]

I think you intentionally ignored my posts for whatever reason...but Lawny, Roxcie and I all tried to tell you that you needed a signed copy of the DS-230, Part 1. I'm not trying to say I told you so...well not really. But, I wanted to help you get that interview too...and it seemed that nothing I said made any difference to you. It really hurt my feelings at first...but then I let it go and said that is "her journey" Jawi. LOL

The good thing is that you will get the interview sooner or later. The hardest part is over now.

I wasn't ignoring your posts. From peoples' posts & PMs, I knew there were three options that most of you did:

1) Send the signed letter via DHL (Jawi)

2) Request an appointment to drop off the signed DS-230 (Ells & others)

3) Email an unsigned version to the embassy & deliver the signed version at the time of interview. (This worked for 2 people that PM'd me)

Of those three, the email one struck me as the best, since it was immediate and free.

But I did follow your advice & have Steven mail the signed copy... just not via DHL. Sometimes my cheapness gets in the way of things, but I wasn't willing to pay that much to get them the document. Looks like it's costing me a couple of weeks.

[Ellsinlove 2]

However, I got one of the scrub brushes designed for the tub, and I get in it in old socks...put my cleaning supplies on the walls of the tub...then I scrub with the brush as I walk in a little circle, since I can't stretch across the garden tub to clean it. You should have seen the smile on my face when i finished...I finally accomplished something by myself. I hate toothpaste spatters on the faucet and mirror too...a pet peeve!

I like that idea about scrubbing the tub....I might try that in the shower. Toothpaste spatters bug me too! Anything that only takes a few seconds to clean up after but don't get done basically annoys me.

[finesse 3]

bye everyone!

hope you all have a nice relaxing peaceful weekend!

thanks for the laughs today!

[NatPatBen 3]

I like that idea about scrubbing the tub....I might try that in the shower. Toothpaste spatters bug me too! Anything that only takes a few seconds to clean up after but don't get done basically annoys me.

I'm strange in that messy-ness doesn't really bother me EXCEPT in the bathroom. That's the room I keep the cleanest.

[jawi876 2]

Oh no...is this three in row thing going to happen AGAIN!!!! Stop the madness please.

You think it has been one day where NO one in the US died?

I noticed that the majority we have talked about have been male too. It's sad...but it is unfortunately a fact of life.

[Ellsinlove 2]

Bye finesse! Have a good weekend!

I like that idea about scrubbing the tub....I might try that in the shower. Toothpaste spatters bug me too! Anything that only takes a few seconds to clean up after but don't get done basically annoys me.

I'm strange in that messy-ness doesn't really bother me EXCEPT in the bathroom. That's the room I keep the cleanest.

I'm cluttered so that is my 'messy-ness' but I'm kind of organized cluttered. And I'm also particular about the kitchen....to me, that HAS TO be clean clean! I'm not as bad about the bathroom but certain areas of it just have to not be gross.....no toothpaste goobers everywhere & no nasty toilet bowls!

[finesse 3]

appleton mixed with ting here i come

[NatPatBen 3]

appleton mixed with ting here i come

Rum cream on the rocks for me!

[Ellsinlove 2]

I can't believe that it has only been about two months now & already I can't remember some of the details of our interview. I'm trying to finally write out our embassy experience & can't remember certain things. My early Alzheimer's can be a real pain in the a$$!