E. Lynn Harris
As you guys know, I write under the name Prince_Basil. Well, let me tell you about where I got the name from. I first “discovered” I was… Not straight the summer before high school started. Back then, I used to call myself “bi” because I thought I still liked girls. Well, that’s when I started exploring the gay culture more. I started doing research to see if you can become gay or I you’re born like that or whatever. During my research, I came across this little book called,
I bought the book a few days later and read it. I moved on to the next one and the one after that and after that and etc. I became real close to a character name Raymond Winston Tyler, Jr. He was my favorite. He was everything I wanted to be. In some ways, I feel like I’m just like him. Well, I noticed that I also have a split personality. I have the nice, caring side who helps everyone and anyone who needs it. He’s more sensitive and more emotional then you think. He’s Alexis. But at the same time, I have this other side of me where I can be a bitch, I can give you so much attitude, you won’t know what to do with it. I can bad mouth you and tell you off. I don’t care what anyone says I speak my mind. And well… I felt like that was someone else in itself. So I remembered a character in E. Lynn Harris’s books named John Basil Henderson, and I always felt like he was some what of a jerk to Raymond. Well, I become a jerk, to say the least, and so I named him Basil. Prince was added before Basil because I’ve always wanted to feel like I was part of royalty. Not so much king, but more so prince. Kinda silly yeah I know.
But back to the subject at hand. If it wasn’t for Mr. E. Lynn Harris, I think I would have had a harder time in my life trying to accept the fact that I’m gay. Why? Well because he helped me discover that I wasn’t alone in the world. I wasn’t the only one who had feelings for the same sex. There were/are other people out there who are gay/lesbian/bi-sexual/transgendered. He helped me see that being gay isn’t the end of the world, (’cause believe me, I thought it was). He helped me deal with people in my life who didn’t fully accept me for me. He helped me come out to my friends and a few family members. If it wasn’t for Mr. Harris, I think I would have a terrible life or not one period.
There have been so many times when I’ve wanted to kill myself. But I thought about how Raymond would handle it or at least how Mr. Harris would want him to handle it and it would make me feel better. It would make me feel like there is hope.
Haha. I remember one time I emailed E. Lynn Harris. I told him my story and how he helped me. I got an email back saying, Thank you for writing me. You can be assure that I will read every single email I receive. Thank you for supporting E. Lynn Harris. I was kinda sad at first because I poured my heart out to him, but then I realized that he’s a busy man and he’s probably working on the next book with Raymond and Basil.
I don’t want to sound disrespectful at all because that’s not what I’m this entry is about. But to me, E. Lynn Harris was a bigger loss then Michael Jackson. Don’t get me wrong, I love Michael Jackson. I can dance to his music all day. Sing to it too. But I didn’t grow up with Michael, I grew up with Mr. Harris and I’m truly sadden that he’s gone. He was an amazing person and his work of art will always be remembered.
I love you Mr. Harris. You’re truly missed.
Alexis Segura & Prince_Basil
ALoha!! Wow that's interesting, lol I always wondered where you got the Basil name from. Those books sound cool, you're fortunate to have that to have guided you, some of us crazies had to play by ear, lol but we are who we are and the greatest part is being happy about it!
Nice post. Your story is similar to the tribute post I made on E. Lynn and how the book Invisible Life impacted me. As for Michael Jackson, well youngin' that's a whole different story seeing as I did grow up with MJ.