Bestselling Author Eric Jerome Dickey Notable for His Writings on Black Contemporary Life, Dead at 59
Beloved author Eric Jerome Dickey, most notable for his bestselling novels about contemporary Black life, including “Sister, Sister” and “Friends and Lovers,” has died. He was 59.
Emily Canders, Dickey’s publicist at Penguin Random House, told The Associated Press that the award-winning writer died after a long battle with cancer on Sunday, Jan. 3, in Los Angeles, California. Canders did not provide any further information regarding Dickey’s death besides listing four daughters among his survivors.
The Memphis, Tennessee, native was an aspiring actor and stand-up comic who began writing fiction during his mid-30s. His work was witty, conversational and sometimes even graphic. However, it boosted his popularity among readers with stories such as “Naughty or Nice” and his “Gideon” crime fiction series, which included “Sleeping with Strangers” and “Resurrecting Midnight.”
Dickey’s work also included a 1998 screenplay for the 1998 film “Cappuccino,” and a comic book miniseries for Marvel.
Fans of Dickey reacted to the tragic news on social media as they offered prayers and condolences to the author’s family and loved ones.
Fellow author Roxane Gay tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, “I am truly saddened to hear about the passing of Eric Jerome Dickey. His were some of the first novels I ever read about black people that weren’t about slavery or civil rights.” She added, “He was a great storyteller.”
Another Twitter user commented, “So saddened to hear this. This man helped tell the stories of coming into our own as we tackled adulthood and entertained us in a way that was smart, funny, and inspirational.” They added, “He will be remembered and missed. We. Need. A. Cure.”
A third person shared a photo of their collection of various books written by the author. “I feel this one. One of my favorite authors…Rest In Power @EricJDickey thoughts and prayers to his family and friends,” they wrote.
“@EricJDickey A true genius who captured the magic, twists, turns and angst of “Buppie” Black love! I grew up sneaking my Mother’s Harlequin Romance books; but they didn’t compare to his realism & the riveting exploits 4 modern African American “finding ‘yo self & love” culture,” a fourth expressed.
According to his publisher, Dickey wrote 29 novels, with all but two making the New York Times Best Sellers list. He has more than 7 million copies printed worldwide. Dickey’s final book, “The Son of Mr. Suleman,” is slated to be released posthumously in April 2021.