The PUB Report

E. Lynn Harris, a pioneer of gay black fiction and a literary entrepreneur who rose from self-publishing to best-selling status died of Thursday night. Insiders believe a heart attack is the possible cause of death. He was 54.

His Laura Gilmore said Harris fell ill on a train to Los Angeles and blacked out for a few minutes, but seemed fine after that.

His writing fell into several genres, including gay and lesbian fiction, African American fiction and urban fiction. But he found success in showing readers a new side of African American life: the secret world of professional, bisexual black men living as heterosexuals. Harris published 11 novels, 10 of which were on The New York Times best-seller list. There are over 4 million copies of his books in print, according to his publisher, Doubleday. His 1994 debut, “Invisible Life,” was a coming-of-age story that dealt with the then-taboo topic.

Disorderly conduct charges have been dropped in the case of noted scholar, Henry Louis Gates Jr. Gates was arrested at his home in Cambridge, Mass. after a neighbor called police about a break-in. Gates had just arrived home and found that his door was jammed.  When police arrived, they asked for identification and claimed Gates began yelling at the officers.

The city of Cambridge issued a statement saying the arrest “was regrettable and unfortunate” and “This incident should not be viewed as one that demeans the character and reputation of professor Gates or the character of the Cambridge Police Department,”

Many believe that this incident was a clear cut case of racial profiling

Gates holds one of 20 prestigious “university professors” positions at the school. He also hosted “African American Lives,” a PBS show about the family histories of prominent U.S. blacks.

Below is an interview featuring Professor Gates and Tavis Smiley.

Many believe the apology issued by R&B singer Chris Brown on Monday is merely an attempt to salvage his career and estrangement from industry friends.

Brown’s pocketbook has taken a hit and his banishment from industry award shows, like the BET Awards, has caused a decline in his stock. Radio hasn’t been kind either. Chris Brown’s songs have all but dropped off playlists and collaborations with other artists have dried up.

The singer of hits “Run It” and “Kiss Kiss” pleaded guilty last month to punching Rihanna in Los Angeles on the eve of the Grammy Awards in February.

“What I did was unacceptable, 100 percent … I hope that others learn from my mistakes. I intend to live my life so that I am truly worthy of the term ‘role model’,” Brown said.

Brown will be formally sentenced on August 5 after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors that avoided a trial and a possible four-year prison sentence.

Louisiana judge Hans Liljeberg refused the prosecution’s request to postpone next month’s trial of Corey “C-Murder” Miller. Miller is on trial for killing a teenager at a New Orleans-area nightclub but prosecutors wanted to investigate a claim by another man that he killed Steve Thomas on Jan. 12, 2002. . Judge Liljeberg ruled Monday that prosecutors have less than two weeks to investigate allegations raised by Miller’s attorney that Juan Flowers killed the young man.