E. Lynn Harris Cause of Death

LOS ANGELES (July 30) -- A coroner's official says heart disease, complicated by high blood pressure and a hardening of the arteries, is what killed author E. Lynn Harris last week.

County coroner Craig Harvey said Wednesday that the 54-year-old died of natural causes. Harris died July 23 while visiting Los Angeles to promote his latest book.

Harris lived in Atlanta and was considered a pioneer of gay black fiction, enjoying unprecedented success in the genre. He wrote 11 novels, and ten of them became New York Times best-sellers. More than four million of his books are in print.

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: US HIV Travel Ban (Fears & Stigma)

The US is on it's way to lifting that travel ban, which allows HIV-positive visitors, to enter our country. However, there are other countries that are holding on to this discriminatory act such as: Brunei, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Sudan, South Korea, Tunisia, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United Arab Emirates. And although the U.S. is preparing to lift the ban, HIV-positive visitors, still face problems entering our country.

Why did we ever have a ban in the first place? And why is this going into effect in 2009? How do you honestly feel about this? Do you think this is a move in the right direction? Yes or no and why? What stigmas and or fears are you still holding onto around HIV?

I posed a lot of questions but please share freely. An open dialogue will help us better understand each other.

http://www.hivplusmag.com/NewsStory.asp?id=20618&sd=05/29/2009-05/31/2009
http://www.thebody.com/content/legal/art52524.html
http://www.washblade.com/2009/7-10/news/national/14839.cfm

A Show All Her Own

The MEGA World of Lil Mogul
As an entrepreneurial buddy, I get calls from all kinds of people from all types of careers. Since my company specializes in fashion, beauty and entertainment businesses a number of my entrepreneur pals are “Industry”. So, yesterday, I got a 411 call from such an associate. She is in fashion. Very talented fashion stylist and knows her stuff inside and out. She was concerned that she might have hurt the feelings of a fashion designer by pulling a number of outfits yet not using any of the pieces for an upcoming fashion magazine photo shoot. She wanted to know how she could develop the RUTHLESS, cold, fashion edge. I told her that business is business and honesty will set her free. She needs to develop her own style of telling the truth. Nasty is not in VOGUE and is not the only way to get the point across. It is sometimes hard for others hear the truth but as an authority in the industry it is her responsibility to be truthful with style and grace.

My ultimate suggestion... take notes from the new film September Issue. The September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine weighed nearly five pounds and was the single largest issue of a magazine ever published, reaching an audience of 13 million people and impacting the $300 Billion global fashion industry more than any other single publication EVER. With unprecedented access, this film tells the story of Anna Wintour, the legendary Editor-in-Chief of Vogue magazine, a show all her own. For 20 years, she continues to be the most powerful figure in fashion and her larger-than-life team of editors creating the issue and ruling the world of fashion inspires us all while revealing GREATNESS is only a graceful stitch alway.

Open August 29th in New York City and September 11th Nationwide.

www.theseptemberissue.com

Dishin' it - "E. Lynn Harris"

E. Lynn Harris was a success for the world of literature, the state of Arkansas, and the black LGBT community. Raised, along with three sisters, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He attended Hall High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where he was the school's first black yearbook editor, the first black male Razorbacks cheerleader, and the president of his fraternity. He graduated with honors with a degree in journalism.

Harris sold computers for IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and AT&T for 13 years while living in Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. He later wrote his first novel, Invisible Life, and, failing to find a publisher, he published it himself in 1991 and sold it mostly at black-owned bookstores, beauty salons, and book clubs before he was "discovered" by Anchor Books. Anchor published Invisible Life as a trade paperback in 1994, and thus his career as an author was "officially" launched.
Invisible Life was followed by Just As I Am (1994), And This Too Shall Pass (1996), If This World Were Mine (1997), and Abide With Me (1999), all published by Doubleday. All of Harris's books have been bestsellers; And This Too Shall Pass, If This World Were Mine, Abide With Me, Not A Day Goes By and A Love of My Own were New York Times bestsellers. They also appeared on the bestseller lists of the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Los Angeles Times. Harris's sixth novel, Not A Day Goes By (2000) debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and was a #1 Publishers Weekly bestseller for two consecutive weeks. His seventh novel, Any Way the Wind Blows (2001), also debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. His most recent novel, which is novel eleven, Basketball Jones (2009), his love letter to the black gay community. Currently, there are over three million copies of Harris's novels in print.

Harris also had and astonishing career working in theater, as professor in education, and even optioned three of his books for film. In 1996, Just As I Am was awarded Blackboard's Novel of the Year prize. In 1997, If This World Were Mine was nominated for a NAACP Image Award and won the James Baldwin Award for Literary Excellence. Abide With Me, Any Way the Wind Blows, and A Love of My Own were also nominated for NAACP Image Awards. In 2002 Any Way the Wind Blows won Harris his second Blackboard Novel of the Year prize, and A Love of My Own was recently named Blackboard Novel of the Year, making Harris the first author to receive back-to-back honors and to receive the prize a record three times. Undeniably, Harris was one of the most gracious and giving individuals in the industry. He easily made himself available mentoring and providing assistance to aspiring writers all over America. The 54 year old Pioneer will greatly be missed and his work shall forever live on. The FUTURE sends our love and prayers to his partner, family, and friends.


Dwight Allen O'Neal

A Letter to the LGBT Community

Dear LGBT Community of NYC,

In the last two weeks, two Transgendered women in our community have been attacked both physically and verbally in Queens, NY. It's not just coming from regular people on the streets, but these attacks are also coming from the very people who are supposed to Serve and Protect us All. Yes, that right, one attack came straight from the NYPD and the other involved a physical and verbal attack by two men throwing bottles and rocks. It's not just a NYC issue, it's a world wide issue and we need to let the world know "We are here to stay so stop harassing us!"

Today in Jackson Heights, several activists, political leaders and others came out to support the two women who were attack in that borough in the last two weeks and to demand that Albany pass legislation to stop the violence. With email blast and bulletins sent out to promote this rally, you would think more people in this community would show up and give support for these two women. These heartless attacks could happen to anyone of us and any given time at any place.

As I left my house today and heading to this rally, I was thinking, this Rally is going to be HUGE. I was expecting to see many familiar faces and many more unfamiliar. When I arrived, I only seen a small group. Don't get me wrong, this was better than no one showing up, BUT, one would expect more support from this community.

With so many people in the NYC LGBT Community speaking out about equality and being there for each other...WHERE WERE YOU TODAY????? This would have been the perfect rally to practice what you preach, voice your opinion on this issue and give SUPPORT to those treated badly for simply being who they are.... Is it because CNN or FOX wasn't there? No BOOZE? or no party in the street afterwords? Too serious of an issue for you?... As I've heard so often in this community, it's easier to pack a bar full of booze and half naked men than it is to get people to come out and support each other in times of need. I guess today's rally turn out really proves that point.

Just because these attacks didn't happen to you or someone you know, does not mean it can never happen. The point of today's rally is to prevent it from ever happening again. To give the residents of this City and the Nation that we are tired of being mistreated, attacked, and to let Albany know we want the violence stopped.As someone who knows first hand what it's like to be harassed by complete strangers for simply being myself, I take any attack on any individual very close to the heart. I am tired of hearing from others in this community and those who are not, "Oh, he or she probably deserved it", or "they shouldn't be so open", or "what were they doing over there in the first place?"...I'm sorry, but isn't this AMERICA in the year 2009? So why do we, in the LGBT Community still have to live in fear of where we go? how we act? how we look? and so on? Does it really take a senseless attack on one of us, a close friend or family member to wake up and see that this is a serious issue?

Some of you may feel that is not an issue. You may be able to hide your gayness, or pretend you don't care what people think of you, but at any given time, you may find yourself attacked with a bottle or a brick, arrested or searched by police for no reason, called derogatory names by complete strangers in the street or looked at funny for no reason..... Sound familiar? Or have you never experienced at least one of these awful treatments or just in denial?My question being, "What will it take for you to wake up and realize we have a serious problem in this community? What will it take for you to give support to the victims of hate crimes towards those in your community? When will you stop caring more about yourself and start caring for others in this community? When will we see your faces outside of the nightlife scene? Wouldn't you want your community to support you if you ever became a victim?"

My heart and prayers goes out to Leslie Mora and Carnella Etienne, the victims and survivors in which this rally was for, and for others who have ever been a victim of a hate crime.

Sincerely,

Giovanni Centurione

http://giovannicenturione.blogspot.com/

This Just In: The loss of author/pioneer E. Lynn Harris

It is with deepest sympathy that we inform you that acclaimed author, educator, and pioneer of black gay fiction, Everette Harris Lynn, has passed. His publicist informed the Associated Press. He was 54.

Harris was born on June 20, 1955 in Flint, Michigan and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. His novels included Invisible Life, Just As I Am, And This Too Shall Pass, Not A Day Goes By, A Love of My Own, Basketball Jones, to name a few.

For more up to the minute information follow:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gsgm3CbYCFaF-m1lAVB-F5ckrA8gD99L0HDG0

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/e-lynn-harris-dies/?hp

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2009/07/24/2009-07-24_e_lynn_harris_dies_at_age_54_.html

James Baldwin - 85 Years

AWARD WINNING WRITER, POET, POLITICAL ACTIVIST JAMES BALDWIN WILL BE CELEBRATED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON THIS 85TH BIRTHDAY. HOSTED BY HARLEM’S NEW THEATRE COMPANY FAISON FIREHOUSE THEATRE

George Faison, Founder/Artistic Director of Harlem’s new Faison Firehouse Theater will present a Special Event celebrating the 85th birthday of one of America’s most celebrated author James Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin was born in Harlem in 1924 and is noted for his novels on sexual and personal identity, and sharp essays on civil rights struggles in the United States. He wrote 3 plays, a children’s story book and a book of short stories. He gained fame with his first novel GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN and other celebrated works include: Giovanni’s Room, The Fire Next Times, Notes on a Native Sun, Blues for Mr. Charlie and Nobody Knows My Name.



SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2009 AT 5:00 PM

THE FAISON FIREHOUSE THEATRE
6 HANCOCK PLACE
124TH STREET between Morningside &
St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem, 10027

Come celebrate with friends and family the wonderful history and, memories of Harlem’s own James Baldwin. Discover a man that encouraged us all.

IN ATTENDANCE
AMIRI BARAKA- PLAYWRIGHT/POET
SONIA SANCHEZ- AWARD- WINNING POET
GEORGE FAISON- TONY AWARD WINNING CHOREOGRAPHER
TREVOR BALDWIN- NEPHEW OF JAMES BALDWIN
HELEN BALDWIN- SISTER-IN LAW OF JAMES BALDWIN
ALEXA BIRDSONG- PROTÉGÉ
HERB BOYD- HISTORIAN & WRITER
ELEANOR TRAYLOR- CHAIR, ENGLISH DEPT. HOWARD UNIVERSITY
GENOVIS ALBRIGHT- MUSICIAN/SINGER

Seats are limited - Tickets are available in advance Box Office #: 212-665-7716

White Party Moonlight Cruise 2009

For the last 7 years, party promoter James Saunders has presented a cruise around Manhattan called the White Party Moonlight Cruise. On Saturday, August 1, 2009 the luxurious yacht “Spirit of New York” will be the place to be for the Grown and Sexy. Enjoy a
moonlight adventure with special friends, create new memories and dance the night away with DJ Fred Pierce & DJ Calvin Smith.

Photo By Dexstar G. The Peoples Photographer

The evening is hosted by Celebrity Comedienne Tammy Peay and the voyage includes live performances with Musical Guests: Alyson “Just Call My Name” Williams, Dy’Ari, Baron and White Party Moonlight Dancers

Buy your ticket now before they are sold out.
VIP Tickets and General Admission both are available.
Visit www.umenent.com for additional information.

See Ya There!!!

Dishing it with Dwight: American Idol Drama and LGBT New Rising Stars

So Paula Abdul is very upset that Ryan Seacrest is bringing in more money than she is on "American Idol". Abdul isn't angry at Ryan personally for his new $45 million, 3-year deal, but she's bent out of shape at producers that she's making minimum "Idol" wage -- its been said between $2 and $3 mil a year. Producers want Paula back for sure, but she's now doing the Hollywood thing of pretending like she'll walk. Auditions for the next season start on August 6. There are already plans to start the auditions without her if they don't have a deal. As for what Paula wants it is actually between 2 and 3 times what she's making now. It has been reported $4.5 a year ... a lot better than the $5,000 a week she pulled in for season one.

So if you didn't know now you do in the latest LGBT dish Nashville Brothers and Sisters Pride's Official newsletter for summer 2009 was released and they named the hottest rising entertainers of our community. Many moons ago all we had were the same black gay faces representing our entire community, well not anymore! The new LGBT STAR list was composed by visibility, fan base, work, and who's name actually is reaching out into the world.



The inside list of the newsletter actually included more than the cover keep your eyes open for these Popular LGBT A Lister's:


B Scott: http://www.lovebscott.com/

Jasmyne Cannick: http://www.jasmynecanick.com/

Xem Van Adams: http://www.xemvanadams.com/

Maurice Runea: http://www.therainbowcollective.com/

Justin B. Smith: http://www.justinbsmith.com/

ButtaFly Soul: http://www.buttaflysoul.com/

Taylor Siluwe: http://www.taylorsiluwe.typepad.com/

DJ Baker: http://www.dadoo-dirtyshow.com/

Dwight Allen O'Neal: http://www.christopherstreettv.com/

Nathan 7 Scott: http://www.blogger.com/www.youtube.com/theandshow



Check the Newsletter for the complete list....



For More info go to http://www.brothersunited.com/

Welcome to the MEGA World of Lil Mogul

Written by: Richard E. Pelzer II aka Lil Mogul

Who is Lil Mogul? I am your entrepreneur buddy, whose positive empowerment will assist you on living that entrepreneurial lifestyle. Making that decision to start your own business affects not only you but everyone currently in your life. Creating a strong support group and surrounding yourself with other likeminded business people is very necessary while taking the journey. Lil Mogul will share stories, introduce you to other business owners, friends and family members who are also on the road of creating personal wealth. We will explore together the globe view of the business world.

In the first chapter of business management 101 it states that one of the most valuable assets a company has is its good name. Within the past 10 years, a new entrepreneur has arisen. I call them, newbiepreneurs. With the rapid dissemination of information on the Internet, portable social networking and increased reliance on search engines, businesses wishing to stay viable and protect their reputation must actively monitor and react to conversations about their brand online. It’s a make or break-out phenomenon for success platform.

This same business method can be translated to one's personal brand. Who are you? For high-profile and high-net worth individuals, damaging and inaccurate misinformation on the Internet can destroy business credentials; wipe out lucrative contracts and compromise personal relationships. While a newbie can enter the marketplace with a “good idea” and a dream create an allusion of a multi-million dollar empire. In today’s troubled economic with increased media scrutiny of our business leaders and public figures, protecting one's reputation online is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.

The Internet has caused not only a shift in the way information is delivered, but in how people seek it out and how it shapes our content consumption. Keep in mind that in April 2009 alone, there were more than 8.6 billion searches happening online according to Google the world’s number 1 search engine.

As businesses continue to navigate the challenging economic climate, where decisions have a broad reaching impact, it is no longer simply a "good idea" for company owners and business leaders to engage in online brand reputation management, it's a social responsibility. Social media is here to stay. In plain English, “learn it and learn it well!”
Moreover, if a tarnished reputation can negatively affect the bottom line in times of economic growth, it's even more of an imperative in times of crises to protect the good-name of our brand as well as the individuals so closely associated with it.

The phrase of the week…
Rich people see opportunities, Poor people see obstacles.
Rich people see potential, Poor people see potential loss. Rich people focus on rewards, Poor people focus on risks.

Rich people buy assets, things that will collect value.
Poor people buy expenses, things that will definitely go down in value.
Rich people collect land, Poor people collect bills.

So all my newbiepreneurs, where do you stand and pour the negative energy out?

Let mix it UP PEOPLE together!

Photo by DexStar G. The Peoples Photographer

E. Patrick Johnson | Redefining Identity: Black, Male & Gay in the South

The FUTURE caught up with E. Patrick Johnson - Performance Artist, Writer, Ethnographer, and Scholar, who will make an NYC appearance this weekend at the Harlem Book Fair.

Here is what he shared with us:

TF: Where did you grow up?

EPJ: I grew in a small town in western North Carolina called Hickory. It's about 40 miles north of Charlotte.

TF: Tell us about “Sweet Tea” and the message you hope to convey?

EPJ: SWEET TEA is an oral history of black gay men who were born, raised, and continue to live in the South. It covers the life histories of 63 men ranging in age from 19 to 93. The book is broken up into themes that emerged across the narratives, including "growing up in the South," "religion," "sex," "transgenderism," "love and relationships," and "legends and youngin's." I hope that SWEET TEA debunks many myths about the South, especially those that suggest that the South that black gay men don't have or can't have community or fulfilling lives.

TF: How long was your writing process?

EPJ: I began conducting the interviews for the book in 2004 and conducted the last one in 2006. I then transcribed the interviews and wrote the introduction and epilogue over the next year and a half. The book was published in the fall of 2008.

TF: Now you’re a professor of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. Share with us the theory of Performance Studies and how it applies to your works.

EPJ: Performance studies uses performance as a method of studying culture. In other words, performance studies scholars create performances in order to understand other people, cultures, and communities better. In my work, I perform the narratives of some of the men that I have interviewed in order to share their life stories in a three dimensional way with audiences that may not buy the book.

TF: Why is the Harlem Book Fair important to your endeavors?

EPJ: This is my first Harlem Book Fair and I am pleased that the organizers made a space to include my work. I think it is important to present SWEET TEA in black communities and for black organizations that may not otherwise feature issues that pertain to the black LGBT folks who are also a part of the black community.

TF: Any readings or performances of Sweet Tea this weekend during the Book Fair? If so, where?

EPJ: I'll be performing on Saturday, July 18 at Noon at the Schomburg Center Theater.

TF: Name one guilty Pleasure.

EPJ: I LOVE soft serve ice cream. I make late night runs to the ice cream parlor in my neighborhood!

For more information on E. Patrick Johnson visit him at: www.soc.northwestern.edu/epjohnson

SWEET TEA Performance Info:

Saturday July 18, 2009

12PM

Schomburg Center

135 St. & Lenox Ave.

NYC

HARLEM BOOK FAIR info:

Saturday July 18, 2009

11:00AM - 6:00PM

Near Schomburg Center and Harlem Hospital

135th St. between Lenox Avenue and Fifth Avenue

NYC

Asking for What You Want!!!

Asking for What You Want!!!

I am on the phone NOW…

Most people don’t always fully realize that we all have within us the ability to co-create our lives with the universe. So many of us are taught to accept what we are given and not even to dream of anything more. But our hopes and dreams are the universe whispering to us, planting an idea of what’s possible while directing us toward the best use of our gifts. The universe truly wants to give us our hearts’ desires, but we need to be clear about what they are and ask for them.

Photo Courtesy of Dexstar G The Peoples Photographer

To ask for something does not mean to beg or plead from a place of lack or unworthiness. It’s like placing an order—we don’t need to beg the salesperson for what we want or prove to them that we deserve to have it. It is their job to give us what we ask for; we only have to tell them what we want. Once we have a clear vision of what we desire, we simply step into the silent realm where all possibilities exist and let our desires be known. Whatever methods we use to become still, it is important that we find the quiet space between our thoughts.


From that still and quiet place, we can announce our intentions to the pure energy of creation. By imagining all the details from every angle, including scent, color, and how it would feel to have it, we design our dreams to our specifications. Similar to dropping a pebble into a pond, the ripples created by our thoughts travel quickly from this place of stillness, echoing out into the world to align and orchestrate all the necessary details to bring our desires into manifestation. Before leaving this wonderful space to come back to the world, release any attachment to the outcome and express gratitude. By doing this daily, we focus our thoughts and our energy while regularly mingling with the essence that makes it possible to build the life of our dreams.

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