Dickey, Eric Jerome,
1961- 2021, African-American author, b. Memphis, TN, Memphis State Univ.
(BS, 1983). Dickey studied engineering and, after completing his degree,
moved to Los Angeles to work in software development for the aerospace
company, Rockwell International. Soon thereafter, he began exploring acting
and working as a stand-up comedian, before embarking on his career writing
popular novels. Dickey was the author of 29 books, beginning in 1996 with
Sister, Sister, told in the voice of three
African-American women. He specialized in portraying intelligent and
quick-witted female protagonists who spoke frankly about their experiences
with race and sex. His novels were said to have sold over 7 million copies.
He won an NAACP Image Award for his 2014 thriller, A Wanted
Woman, about a hired killer. In 2006, he was hired by Marvel
Comics to develop a series featuring the popular Black Panther and Storm
characters. Dickey was nominated four times for the NAACP Image Award in the
category of Outstanding Literary Work (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005), and his
graphic novel based on the Storm character won a Glyph Best Comic Award in
2007.
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