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Beloved author Eric Jerome Dickey has passed away at the age of 59 after a battle with an unknown, long illness.
The news was broken first by a woman claiming to be the cousin of Dickey who posted the information to Facebook.
“I am heart broken. My cousin, Eric Jerome Dickey passed away on yesterday,” she shared on Monday (January 4). “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. This is the second time within twelve months, that this has happened. This is real.”
Dickey’s career-long publisher, Dutton, confirmed the news in a statement.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm that beloved New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey passed away on Sunday, January 3, in Los Angeles after battling a long illness. He was 59,” the statement read, via The Grio.
It would go on to read that he had written 29 works, including multiple New York Times bestsellers. Aside from that honor, Dickey’s Black fiction novels earned him many Black women fans, including this author, who used to check out his books at the library in junior high and high school.
His books include favorites like Milk in My Coffee, Cheaters, Liar’s Game, Chasing Destiny, Sleeping with Strangers, Thieves’ Paradise, The Other Woman, Genevieve, and many more.
Aside from those books, he also did a graphic novel called Storm, a reimagining of the X-Men character for Marvel Entertainment, and wrote the screenplay Cappuccino. Two of his books were turned into touring plays. And a man of many talents, he also did stand-up comedy.
Dickey said in a publisher’s profile that the ideas for his many works came from his imagination. He didn’t get any inspiration from his own life.
“I avoid my life. It bores me. Trust me. A book about me would be a snoozefest,” he said. “There will be no reality shows about watching writers write. That would air right after “Watching Paint Dry as Grass Grows.” I try to keep me out of it, and I keep my friends out of it to avoid lawsuits. I prefer to create a character, or a cast of characters, and break each one down — hit man, engineer, or college student, male or female, see what motivates him or her, discover what they want, what they fear, and create the antagonists and obstacles. It’s all make-believe. At least it is for me.”
There is no word on what illness Dickey had been battling, but Dutton said that because of the pandemic, “there will be no services at this time.”
He leaves behind four daughters. He will be sorely missed. Thankfully though, Dickey left behind so many stories for fans, his legacy will continue on.
