This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features E. Lynn Harris, an American author, who in a series of novels drew on his personal familiarity with the gay community to chronicle the struggles faced by African-American men with sexual identity concerns. He used his own unhappy childhood and his experiences as a gay man who was closeted for a time as impetus for his books. His works appealed to a wide audience: of his 11 published novels, 10 were on the New York Times best-seller list.