William Lawrence "Lonnie" Coleman (1920–1982) was an American novelist and playwright best known for writing the

Beulah Land Beulah () means "married" and is applied to the land the Israelites will obtain. The land of Beulah is referred to in various hymns and other works. Bible The only known ancient reference to a land called Beulah is in Isaiah 62:4. In Biblical H ...

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, C ...

. 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, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...

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 (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, 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 editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

at ''

Ladies' Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine that ran until 2016 and was last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th centur ...

'' 1947–50 and ''

Collier's } ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...

'', 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 ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

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 ''

'' starring

Lesley Ann Warren Lesley Ann Warren (born August 16, 1946) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She made her Broadway debut in '' 110 in the Shade'' in 1963. In 1965 she received wide recognition for playing the title role in the television musical product ...

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'' (1972–1973), ABC drama series ''Family'' (1976–1980) and the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' (1982 ...

, and

Don Johnson Don Wayne Johnson (born December 15, 1949) is an American actor and singer-songwriter. 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 Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...

and

Wendell Corey Wendell Reid Corey (March 20, 1914 – November 8, 1968) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He was President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a board member of the Screen Actors Guild, and also served on the ...

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 Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards. ...

and

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

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)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, Lonnie 1920 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American novelists Writers from Savannah, Georgia Novelists from New York City University of Alabama alumni American male novelists 20th-century American male writers Novelists from Georgia (U.S. state) 20th-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers United States Navy personnel of World War II