A few years ago, publishing manager Linda Duggins appeared at an annual National Book Club Conference event in a knee-high trunk, the result of a broken foot. Eric Jerome Dickey, the New York Times best-selling author who filmed black life and love in his novels, could bear the thought of Duggins limping around Atlanta.
“I was in front of the conference hotel on my way to one of the many events when Eric drove up,” Duggins, the senior director of publicity at Grand Central Publishing, told NBC News. “He opened the car door and told me to jump in. Most established authors are accustomed to car services and media leaders, but Eric named himself my ‘driver’ for the duration of the conference. It was Eric. ”
The memory came to Duggins as she reflected on the perfect life of Dickey, who died of cancer on Sunday. He was 59.
“We lost a literary giant,” and she was a wonderful man. Eric Jerome Dickey was one of the friendliest and funniest literary rock stars I have known. His smile comes well before he walks into any room. ”
Family and friends said the popular writer lived in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
He underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2019 and was hospitalized for three months. He said he lost 44 pounds in January 2020, up to 147, and he told a joke.
Dickey, the only child raised by his grandmother, had three daughters. Dickey, a private person, shared his illness with a select few. His aunt, Carolyn Jerry, said he was recovering well. But he did not join the family for Thanksgiving; instead, he had a friend pick up a plate for him. When Christmas arrives, Dickey goes on a board, which scares Jerry.
“I told my husband, Darryl, ‘something’s not right. “Eric will always take a plate and freeze if he has to,” she said. “He did so well, really well. But then I got worried. He said, ‘Auntie, I do not feel anything. I’m just going to drink soup. “It was not like Eric. ”
Dickey, a prolific writer, has published 29 novels spanning a variety of genres, including contemporary fiction, romance, eroticism and suspense, and has sold more than 7 million copies in total. He grew up in Memphis and earned a degree in computer science from Memphis University, where he was a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He lived in Atlanta for years before moving to View Park, California.
Alpha Phi Alpha member Roberto Young described Dickey as a good brother, “who never forgot his roots.”
Dickey was best known for his books “Friends and Lovers”, “Sister, Sister” and “Finding Gideon”, and has been too ill to attend a book fair for the past few years.
“I wish I could travel there with the crew,” he said he did not want to return to the National Book Club Conference in 2019. ‘the ATL is my second home. This time next year I hope to be much better, laughing and beyond that little pitfall that is trying to slow me down. ”
Dickey’s radiant smile and disarming attitude make fans feel at ease. His humor, humor and charm made him a reader’s favorite. His work captivated. The New York Times wrote of him: “Dickey’s fans flock to his lectures. … He perfected an addictive fictional formula. ‘
He would travel to exotic destinations, such as Barbados and Argentina, and live for months while producing his next novel.
“Oh my God, he was a magician with words,” said Lisa Renee Johnson, a writer and member of the book club in Oakland, California. “I loved how you could feel and see his stories. Places was a character in his books. And his characters were living, breathing people. Besides, he was such a cool guy. As a reader, he made you feel that you matter. ”
Dickey worked as a stand-up comic before writing novels. It grew into writing poetry and short stories before expanding into books. In a short time he becomes a literary star – but this does not appear in his actions.
“When I started as a self-published author,” said Kimberla Lawson Roby, now also a best-selling author of the New York Times, “I did not know anyone in the literary world. But I met Eric during a literary event. He comes to me, introduces himself and congratulates me. Since then, he has become one of my biggest fans.
‘He would give advice; I do not have to ask. He was so generous and full of life. I loved the way he embraced other writers. He really was my brother in this industry. ”
Travis Hunter, a writer in Atlanta, talks about Roby’s sentiments. Hunter and Dickey meet during a literary event when Hunter publishes his first book. “Nobody knew me,” Hunter said. Eric took me into the room with him and introduced me to everyone. Within five minutes of meeting him, I met some of the top agents in the industry. He was completely responsible for my entire career. ‘
“But he was not just my literary brother,” Hunter said. “We formed a real friendship. He did not have a superficial bone in his body. I stayed in his house when I was in LA, even when he was not there. When I was negotiating a book deal, he did not want me to enter into a bad deal because I needed money. So he paid my bills for a few months.
“When I got the deal and sent him a $ 6,000 check, he sent it back. He said, “All right, bruh.” That’s who he was. ”
When the news of Dickey’s death reached social media, many readers he had contacted over the years expressed their shock and pain.
Jocelyn Lawson of the Sweet Soul Sisters Book Club in Washington, DC, said she had a hard time believing the news when she saw it posted on Facebook. “I’ve known Eric for ten years,” Lawson said. “He was a wonderful person as well as a writer. Through his books I have had great journeys. ”
Dickey enjoyed and appreciated his fans, but was often reluctant to take center stage at literary events. “Eric was an integral part of bringing the magic of the National Book Club Conference to life,” Duggins said. He rarely wanted to be in the front of the room to give a speech. He shared the happiest thing that writing means to him in the company of fellow panelists. Aspiring writers and the readers who loved him were delighted to be in his space. Eric cares about black writers. ”
Janice Aaron of Odysseys Book Club Network in California recalls that she met Dickey by telephone through Jerry, his aunt. “He made us wait a while,” Aaron said. “Then he came back and talked for an hour.”
“It’s rough,” Jerry said. ‘My husband and I take turns. Eric was a joy. ‘
Duggins added: “I will miss his kindness and humor, and the conversations about books and publishing, the most. Straight up, we all loved him. ‘
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