Handy Writers' Colony
Encyclopedia
The Handy Writers' Colony, often called simply the Handy Colony or The Colony, was a writers' colony located in Marshall, Illinois
, which operated from 1950–1964. The Handy Colony was founded in 1950 by Lowney Turner Handy and her husband, Harry Handy, along with Lowney's student (and then-lover), best-selling novelist James Jones
. Lowney Handy was the Colony's quirky teacher and mentor, with financial support coming from her husband and Jones, particularly after the sale of Jones' first novel, From Here to Eternity
. A unique aspect of Handy's approach was to have her students spend many hours simply copying, by hand or typewriter, materials from authors whose work she admired.
Originally conceived as a Utopian commune where budding artists could focus exclusively on their writing projects, the colony dissolved largely in part because of Handy's own erratic behavior and Jones' focus on his own novels.
Many young writers found support at the Colony. Published writers associated with the Colony included James Jones, John Bowers
, Tom T. Chamales, Edwin C. Daly, William Duhart, Jere Peacock, Jon Shirota, Jerry Tschappat (a.k.a. Gerald Tesch), and Charles S. Wright. The colony dissolved with the death of Lowney Handy in 1964.
. In addition, the Department of Special Collections at Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University
holds the Colony's library, including books by Handy's students and the books from which she had them copy.
Marshall, Illinois
Marshall is a city in Clark County, Illinois, United States, locatedabout west of Terre Haute, Indiana. The population was 3,771 at the 2000 census...
, which operated from 1950–1964. The Handy Colony was founded in 1950 by Lowney Turner Handy and her husband, Harry Handy, along with Lowney's student (and then-lover), best-selling novelist James Jones
James Jones (author)
James Jones was an American author known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath.-Life and work:...
. Lowney Handy was the Colony's quirky teacher and mentor, with financial support coming from her husband and Jones, particularly after the sale of Jones' first novel, From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity (novel)
From Here to Eternity is the debut novel by James Jones, winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1952. It was ranked 62 on Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels. It is loosely based on Jones' experiences in the pre-World War II Hawaiian Division's 27th Infantry and the unit in which...
. A unique aspect of Handy's approach was to have her students spend many hours simply copying, by hand or typewriter, materials from authors whose work she admired.
Originally conceived as a Utopian commune where budding artists could focus exclusively on their writing projects, the colony dissolved largely in part because of Handy's own erratic behavior and Jones' focus on his own novels.
Many young writers found support at the Colony. Published writers associated with the Colony included James Jones, John Bowers
John Bowers (writer)
John Bowers is an American writer.Bowers was born and raised in Johnson City, Tennessee, during the Great Depression and World War II era. He graduated from Science Hill High School in 1947 and from the University of Tennessee in 1952...
, Tom T. Chamales, Edwin C. Daly, William Duhart, Jere Peacock, Jon Shirota, Jerry Tschappat (a.k.a. Gerald Tesch), and Charles S. Wright. The colony dissolved with the death of Lowney Handy in 1964.
Novels associated with the Colony
Published novels written at least in part at the Colony or with editorial advice from Lowney Handy include:- James JonesJames Jones (author)James Jones was an American author known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath.-Life and work:...
:- From Here to EternityFrom Here to Eternity (novel)From Here to Eternity is the debut novel by James Jones, winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1952. It was ranked 62 on Modern Library's list of the 100 Best Novels. It is loosely based on Jones' experiences in the pre-World War II Hawaiian Division's 27th Infantry and the unit in which...
(New York: Scribner's, 1951) - Some Came RunningSome Came RunningSome Came Running is a novel by James Jones, published in 1957. It is the story of a war veteran with literary aspirations who returns in 1948 to his hometown of Parkman, Indiana, after a failed writing career...
(New York: Scribner's 1958)
- From Here to Eternity
- Tom T. Chamales:
- Never So FewNever So FewNever So Few 1959 CinemaScope war film directed by John Sturges and starring Frank Sinatra, Gina Lollobrigida, Peter Lawford, Charles Bronson, Dean Jones and Steve McQueen with uncredited roles by renowned Asian actors Mako, George Takei and James Hong. The script was loosely based on an actual OSS...
(New York: Scribner's, 1957) - Go Naked in the WorldGo Naked in the WorldGo Naked in the World is a 1961 American drama film starring Gina Lollobrigida, Ernest Borgnine and Anthony Franciosa.The son of a wealthy Greek immigrant Nick Stratton is attempting to find his own way in the world...
(New York: Scribner's, 1959)
- Never So Few
- Edwin C. Daly:
- Some Must Watch (New York: Scribner's, 1956)
- A Legacy of Love (New York: Scribner's 1958)
- William Duhart:
- The Deadly Pay-Off (Greenwich, CT: Gold Medal Books, 1958)
- Jere Peacock:
- Valhalla (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1961)
- Jon Shirota:
- Lucky Come Hawaii (New York: Bantam Books, 1965)
- Gerald Tesch:
- Never the Same AgainNever the Same AgainNever the Same Again is a 1956 novel by Jerry Tschappat, written under the name Gerald Tesch.Never the Same Again is the story of the coming-of-age of an adolescent boy, Johnny Parish. Johnny forms a close friendship with 30-year old Roy Davies....
(New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1956)
- Never the Same Again
- Charles S. Wright:
- The Messenger (New York: Farrar, Straus, 1963)
- John BowersJohn Bowers (writer)John Bowers is an American writer.Bowers was born and raised in Johnson City, Tennessee, during the Great Depression and World War II era. He graduated from Science Hill High School in 1947 and from the University of Tennessee in 1952...
:- The Colony (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1971) — slightly fictionalized account of Bowers' time at the Colony
Archives
The archives of the Handy Colony are in Archives/Special Collections in Norris L. Brookens Library at the University of Illinois at SpringfieldUniversity of Illinois at Springfield
The University of Illinois at Springfield is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The University was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995.The University of Illinois at...
. In addition, the Department of Special Collections at Cunningham Memorial Library at Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
holds the Colony's library, including books by Handy's students and the books from which she had them copy.
External links
- Handy Writers' Colony at the James Jones Literary Society
- Handy Writers' Colony Collection, 1930-1964 at the University of Illinois-Springfield
- Inside The Handy Writers' Colony PBS program page; premiered on PBS 2008-10-23; story text summary; video trailer available for Quicktime and Windows Media players.
- Inside The Handy Writers' Colony Official Documentary Site; Woodlawn Avenue Productions; directed by Dawn Sinclair Shapiro; access requires Flash media player.