Beloved author Eric Jerome Dickey died at 59 years old recently, Essence Magazine confirmed.
Dickey, a New York Times bestselling author, died on January 3 due to a lengthy illness, the magazine reported.
“I am heartbroken. My cousin, Eric Jerome Dickey passed away on yesterday,” wrote La Verne Madison Fuller on social media. “Guys, when God tells you to do something, just do it. Just a few weeks ago, God woke me up to text him and say that I loved him. He let me know that he loved us too.”
Dickey was known for his several well-known books that delved into Black stories where relatable brown-skinned characters came to life for the readers. Books like: “Sister, Sister,” “Friends & Lovers,” “Decadence” and “Between Lovers.” In 2020, “Sister, Sister” was honored by Essence as one of the 50 most impactful books of the past 50 years.
Over 7 million of Dickey’s books have been published around the world.
Dickey a native of Memphis, Tennessee attended Memphis State University. He started writing stories in 1989, seven years before his debut novel was published, according to the magazine. During that time, he was still working as an engineer, from his college major.
After leaving the engineering field to leap into another career field as a comedian and actor, Dickey moved to Los Angeles. There, he wrote his own comedic material, the magazine added.
It was through his career that countless Black people could find themselves in the larger-than-life characters he developed on the pages of his books. At the news of his death, many people paid their respects and showed their love for him and his work on social media and beyond.
“I am truly saddened to hear about the passing of Eric Jerome Dickey,” author Roxane Gay wrote on Twitter, stated in Essence. “His were some of the first novels I ever read about black people that weren’t about slavery of civil rights. He was a great storyteller.”
Journalist Ernest Owens also paid tribute, writing, per the magazine: “Eric Jerome Dickey” was one of the first “grown folks” book authors I used to sneak to read when I was in middle school. A unique literary voice that left a mark in Black culture forever.”
In a 2019 interview, Dickey spoke on the purpose behind his stories. “I don’t intentionally write a book with an idea of ‘the moral to this story is,’ because I’m more focused on letting the people in the book live,” he said. “I just try to do my best. I never know if I’ve hit the nail on the head if it’s really worked until I put it out there for people to read.”
In a 2013 exclusive interview with the Michigan Chronicle, Dickey talked about his book, “Decadence.”
Dickey was asked if he had to do it all over again, would he change anything in “Decadence?”
Dickey said this:
“I did more than I anticipated. Trying to balance the juggling the characters was a challenge.”
We will miss you, Mr. Dickey for your life and your captivating stories.
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