Henry Bellamann
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Hauer Bellamann (April 28, 1882 – June 16, 1945) was an American novel
ist and poet
, best known as the author of the novel Kings Row.
. He was a serious student of music and studied both in the U.S. and abroad. From 1907 until 1932, when he began to pursue writing full-time, Bellamann held administrative and teaching positions at several educational institutions including Juilliard and Vassar
. He died in New York.
Although his poetry is today even less well known than his fiction, Bellamann was recognized by David Perkins in his 1976 History of Modern Poetry, in which he ranks Bellamann with the serious minor poets who "adopted the mode" of the Imagists
(p. 347).
inaccurately reported that Bellamann was an author "new to the book trade" prior to the publication of Kings Row in 1940 (143:244). However, in addition to the three volumes of poetry already mentioned, four of Bellamann's novels were published before Kings Row. Furthermore, the range of sub-genre in which Bellamann experimented is quite surprising. In addition to Kings Row, Bellamann wrote two farm novels, a novel of manners, a social drama, a mystery, and a gothic romance.
was made into a famous movie starring Ronald Reagan
and Claude Rains
in 1942. There was also a short-lived TV series in 1955.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, best known as the author of the novel Kings Row.
Biography
Bellaman was born in Fulton, MissouriFulton, Missouri
Fulton is a city in Callaway County, Missouri, the United States of America. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,790 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Callaway County...
. He was a serious student of music and studied both in the U.S. and abroad. From 1907 until 1932, when he began to pursue writing full-time, Bellamann held administrative and teaching positions at several educational institutions including Juilliard and Vassar
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
. He died in New York.
Poetry
During the years that Bellamann taught, he wrote poetry and published three volumes:- A Music Teacher's Notebook (1920)
- Cups of Illusion (1923)
- The Upward Pass (1928)
Although his poetry is today even less well known than his fiction, Bellamann was recognized by David Perkins in his 1976 History of Modern Poetry, in which he ranks Bellamann with the serious minor poets who "adopted the mode" of the Imagists
Imagism
Imagism was a movement in early 20th-century Anglo-American poetry that favored precision of imagery and clear, sharp language. The Imagists rejected the sentiment and discursiveness typical of much Romantic and Victorian poetry. This was in contrast to their contemporaries, the Georgian poets,...
(p. 347).
Fiction
In 1942 Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
inaccurately reported that Bellamann was an author "new to the book trade" prior to the publication of Kings Row in 1940 (143:244). However, in addition to the three volumes of poetry already mentioned, four of Bellamann's novels were published before Kings Row. Furthermore, the range of sub-genre in which Bellamann experimented is quite surprising. In addition to Kings Row, Bellamann wrote two farm novels, a novel of manners, a social drama, a mystery, and a gothic romance.
Family
From 1907 until his death in 1945, Bellamann was married to Katherine Jones Bellamann of Carthage, Mississippi. Mrs. Bellamann herself was a novelist and poet and shared much creative work with her husband. In 1948, she completed Parris Mitchell of Kings Row, his posthumous sequel to Kings Row. She died in 1956. The Bellamanns had no children.Bellamann in Popular Culture
Kings RowKings Row
Kings Row is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, and Ronald Reagan that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century, beset by social pressure, dark secrets, and the challenges and tragedies one must face as a result of these...
was made into a famous movie starring Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Claude Rains
Claude Rains
Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
in 1942. There was also a short-lived TV series in 1955.
External links
- The Henry and Katherine Bellamann Collection owned by the University of Mississippi.