Abide with Me

March 1, 1999
In the conclusion of his trilogy that began with the novels Invisible Life and Just As I Am, Harris continues to demonstrate his inarguable skills as a master storyteller. He recounts the triumphs and travails of Raymond Winston Tyler Jr., a bisexual African-American attorney, whose lovers, friends and family both enrich and ensnarl his life. Raymond, at 37, has just been nominated for a federal judgeship. His parents are elated. His boyfriend is proud. But the necessary background checks may raise some squeamish issues surrounding his sexuality. The events unfold like a serial soap opera, a series of artfully constructed vignettes that always convey a strong sense of setting and are driven by emotionally charged dialogue. It's these qualities that make Harris's work so nimble as spoken audio: his writing comes across as almost scripted. His characters, such as the sexually conflicted pro football star John "Basil" Henderson (who is portrayed through a series of sessions with his therapist), are also highly appealing. Harris clearly knows how to work the heartstrings of his audience. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover.

March 15, 1999
This last volume of a trilogy continues to follow the cast of African-American characters that Harris introduced in Invisible Life and Just As I Am. In an elaborate plot that intertwines many different strands--sometimes to confusing effect--the main characters and many secondary players struggle to come to terms with their love lives (especially in terms of sexual preference), their careers and their families. Raymond Tyler Jr., the Seattle lawyer who has finally established a steady relationship with architect Trent Walters, is offered a federal judgeship. During the FBI clearance investigation, Raymond's past is thrown open to scrutiny, and Trent's, too, and Raymond is not sure that their relationship can endure the strain. Nicole Springer, an aspiring singer and actress from Arkansas who once was involved with Raymond, is now married to his best friend, Jared Stovall. Restless after playing "the little wife" in Atlanta, she is offered the plum role in a Broadway-bound production of Dreamgirls--and opts for the stage. Basil Henderson, "the unforgivingly handsome" bisexual former pro football player who years ago found fleeting peace in bed with Raymond, recounts his raw, mixed-up sexual torment to his analyst. He can't decide if he hates women or truly wants a lasting commitment. Yancey Harrington Braxton, a new addition to the cast and Nicole's understudy in her leading role in Dreamgirls, is an unconvincing mixture of na vet and cunning as she harbors plans to betray the unsuspecting star. Each chapter methodically propels the plight of one character after another, though often the many plot strands do not mesh smoothly. While Harris's prose tends toward the simplistic, he is an excellent chronicler of contemporary urban relationships, especially gay ones. Ultimately, the characters' lives are tidied up in too pat a fashion via a heavenly messenger; in this and other aspects, the novel seems hurried and unfinished. Yet Harris's many fans will undoubtedly welcome this fast-paced, entertaining read.