William Lawrence "Lonnie" Coleman (1920–1982) was an American novelist and playwright best known for writing the Beulah Land trilogy. He was born on August 2, 1920 in
Bartow, Georgia
Bartow is a town in Jefferson County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 186. Initially the town was known as "Spier's Turnout", but was changed to honor the first Confederate officer to die in battle, Co ...
. He attended grade and high schools in various cities in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama and graduated from the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...
in 1942 with a B.A. degree. From 1942 to 1946 he was in the U.S. Navy, spending most of his time at sea as gunnery officer and then as first lieutenant on a troop transport which took part in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Okinawa and landed the first occupation troops in Kyushu, Japan.
He died from cancer in Candler General Hospital on August 13, 1982 in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
at age 62. His first novel was published in 1944. Coleman was an
associate editor
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
at '' Ladies' Home Journal'' 1947–50 and '' Collier's'', 1951–55.
Coleman's 1959 novel ''Sam'' is considered a groundbreaking novel in American literature in its depiction of homosexuality and metropolitan gay life.
Coleman's book ''Beulah Land'' was a New York Times Best Seller in 1974 and earned a record-breaking $800,000 paperback rights contract. His novels ''Beulah Land'' and ''Look Away, Beulah Land'' were filmed in 1980 as the NBC miniseries '' Beulah Land'' starring
Lesley Ann Warren
Lesley Ann Warren (born August 16, 1946) is an American actress and singer.
She made her Broadway debut in 1963, aged 17, in '' 110 in the Shade''. In 1965 she received wide recognition for playing the title role in the television musical prod ...
,
Michael Sarrazin
Michael Sarrazin (May 22, 1940 – April 17, 2011)
Meredith Baxter
Meredith Ann Baxter (born June 21, 1947) is an American actress and producer. She is known for her roles on the CBS sitcom '' Bridget Loves Bernie'' (1972–73), ABC drama series ''Family'' (1976–80) and the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1982 ...
, and
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor, producer and singer. He played the role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s television series ''Miami Vice'', for which he won a Golden Globe, and received a Primetime Emm ...
.
Coleman had three plays produced on Broadway, but none were successful. ''Jolly's Progress'' starred Eartha Kitt and
Wendell Corey
Wendell Reid Corey (March 20, 1914 – November 8, 1968) was an American actor and politician. He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Biography Early years
Corey was ...
and ran for a week in December 1959. His other two plays closed after opening night. An unproduced play, ''Next of Kin'', was adapted as the 1958 film '' Hot Spell'' which starred Shirley Booth and
Anthony Quinn
Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...
.
Works
Novels
* ''Escape the Thunder'' (1944)
* ''Time Moving West'' (1947)
* ''The Sea is a Woman'' (1947)
* ''The Sound of Spanish Voices'' (1951)
* ''Clara'' (1952)
* ''Adam's Way'' (1953
* ''Ship's Company'' (1955)
* ''The Southern Lady'' (1958)
* ''Sam'' (1959)
* ''King'' (1967)
* ''Beulah Land'' (1973)
* ''Orphan Jim'' (1975)
* ''Look Away, Beulah Land'' (1977)
* ''Legacy of Beulah Land'' (1981)
* ''Mark'' (1981)
Plays
* ''Jolly's Progress'' (1959)
* ''A Warm Body'' (1967)
* ''A Place For Polly'' (1970)