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A review by crankylibrarian
I Say a Little Prayer by E. Lynn Harris
3.0
I've always been curious abut E. Lynn Harris: at the height of his popularity in the mid 90s he was the Tyler Perry of books: a black author dissed by the critics who was phenomenally popular among black readers. Most of his novels feature young upwardly mobile African Americans chasing love and success in cities like Atlanta, Chicago or New York; many, but not all of his protagonists are gay, as was Harris himself.
I Say a Little Prayer deals with a timely topic: gay rights and the role of the church. Chauncey, an openly gay businessman and aspiring singer, is happily committed to Abundant Life Church and Pastor Kenneth. He faces a dilemma when he discovers that his pastor has arranged for him to sing at a revival hosted by the gay-bashing Bishop Upchurch...Chauncey's closeted ex boyfriend. Yikes!
I can't give Harris points for his prose style; but he creates vivid characters and he knows how to build suspense. Will Chauncey sing at the revival or stand up for his beliefs? Will he expose Bishop Upchurch? Although I felt Harris copped out on Chauncey at the end, I was delighted to see some nuance in the portrayal of black gay men, and of black religion. In white popular culture, the black church is often used for comic relief, with the underlying assumption that such churches are peopled by overly emotional yet intellectually deficient "holy rollers". The church folks in Harris's novel are all intelligent, mostly well educated and have complicated viws about faith, sexuality and gender roles. This perhaps explains Harris enduring popularity; he was able to present the complexity of modern black life without falling back on stereotypes.
I Say a Little Prayer deals with a timely topic: gay rights and the role of the church. Chauncey, an openly gay businessman and aspiring singer, is happily committed to Abundant Life Church and Pastor Kenneth. He faces a dilemma when he discovers that his pastor has arranged for him to sing at a revival hosted by the gay-bashing Bishop Upchurch...Chauncey's closeted ex boyfriend. Yikes!
I can't give Harris points for his prose style; but he creates vivid characters and he knows how to build suspense. Will Chauncey sing at the revival or stand up for his beliefs? Will he expose Bishop Upchurch? Although I felt Harris copped out on Chauncey at the end, I was delighted to see some nuance in the portrayal of black gay men, and of black religion. In white popular culture, the black church is often used for comic relief, with the underlying assumption that such churches are peopled by overly emotional yet intellectually deficient "holy rollers". The church folks in Harris's novel are all intelligent, mostly well educated and have complicated viws about faith, sexuality and gender roles. This perhaps explains Harris enduring popularity; he was able to present the complexity of modern black life without falling back on stereotypes.