Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting the Literary Salon for the National Black Arts Festival. I started off the morning with a workshop on "Words and Pictures" A Cinematic Marriage with filmmaker Jonee' Ansa and his wife novelist Tina McElroy Ansa and then I finished off the evening with a tribute to E. Lynn Harris, author of Invisible Life in addition to ten other novels. So needless to say...I had a stellar day!
Through the National Black Arts Festival, I have had the opportunity to meet many people that I admire but I have been blessed to have found a friend in Tina McElroy Ansa and when I learned of E. Lynn's passing I thought of no other person to help me pull together a tribute.
I wish I could place into words the experience that was had by all that attended the event. But even if I could, I feel as if I would be violating a sacred place and time designated for his friends that loved and morned him together. But for those of us simply that adored his books, there was an intimate space that we were humbled at the opportunity to enter.
One of the key things that I pulled out of the whole affair was the consistent message that E. Lynn Harris, outside of being a gay black man...was indeed a hu-man above all things. He laughed, loved, hurt as we all do. But the thing that stuck with me the most is that he was giving without conviction. To his friends, fans and all that had the pleasure of meeting him. His nakedness as a writer allowed us to dream, to be and to stretch ourselves in ways that we never imagined. As I listened intently, I thought to myself, what a legacy. What an example of absolute humanness to encourage us all to live in this world. Despite of the everyday madness of life, our fears and our pain, we have been given the courage to own the right to be whoever and whatever you are and at the end of the day, when the lights are low and the only breath that you have is your own, you can sleep without worry because you to have something to hold on to. YOU...
I challenge you to consider your legacy. What stain will you leave on the world after you have long left this place? Weigh in with your comments, I can't wait to hear from you.
Holding on,
Miss Know It All
Something to Hold On To
