Best-selling author E. Lynn Harris died Thursday evening at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Harris was in the middle of a West Coast book tour and was staying at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

According to the Arkansas Times, the author suffered a “serious health setback,” while on tour promoting his most recent novel, “Basketball Jones.”

Harris’ publicist Laura Gilmore confirmed his passing, however, she did not provide details about the cause of death.

Harris was known for his depiction of gay black men, paving the way for contemporary African-American male novelists.

Growing up in Little Rock, Harris was the first black male cheerleader at the University of Arkansas.  He divided his time between Arkansas and Atlanta, returning to the school as an adjunct professor.

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Filed under: Across the Nation