479:. Lebherz encouraged Dowell's literary ambitions. Dowell received critical praise from the leading authors and critics of his day. Reviewers often cited the complexity of his style, but, as Edmund White wrote in a 1976 New York Times review of "Island People", "Once inside the book, the reader encounters teeming, charged emotions dark and restive with pain." He never received the popular support he so desperately needed. His later years were plagued by ill health. Although there were good times, Dowell could not escape feelings of disillusionment, suicide, or as he put it, "the balcony beckons me." In the early morning hours on Saturday August 3, 1985, Dowell, reportedly despondent, leapt from his 15th floor apartment balcony overlooking Fifth Avenue. As is the case with so many other writers or artists, the attention focused on Coleman Dowell accelerated after his death. In 1987,
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Dowell was given a final tribute at his apartment on
November 3, 1985. A large number of famous personalities representing the worlds of dance, art, literature, music, theater, and education toasted their friend and praised his accomplishments as a gifted composer, poet, playwright, novelist, and
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Dowell had found only disillusionment in the theater. He decided to seek his fortune as a writer of fiction. Dowell had already experienced some success in writing fiction. His short story, 'Alter Frau im Garten' had been published in 1962. Over a fifteen period Dowell wrote five novels:
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was a favorite with all critics and other authors. It was called Dowell's masterpiece. Supporters of this novel included
Tennessee Williams, Gilbert Sorrentino, Ihab Hassan, and Walter Abish, but reviews were still not as plentiful as had been the case with his first novel.
393:(1983). Remarkably, the first four novels had been written concurrently. These novels were intricate both in concept and in form. It was during this period that Dowell enjoyed the critical praise and friendship of such noted authors as
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Dowell moved to New York in 1950, initially finding work as a model for automobile and airline ads and as a typist. From 1950 to 1953 Dowell was employed as a songwriter and lyricist for the Dumont television show,
242:, as a novelist during the 1920s, and as a photographer for which he never sought nor received payment. He photographed many of the major figures in the arts world. His wife was Fania Marinoff, a retired actress.
533:
A generous donation from an anonymous donor established the
Coleman Dowell Series at Dalkey Archive Press. The donor's contribution enables the Dalkey Press to publish one book a year in this series.
475:-Coleman Dowell number, contains the major critical articles on Dowell which had appeared up to this date. Throughout the 1970s, Dowell maintained a working relationship with critic and author,
339:. Seeing his play on the stage, Dowell concluded that the theatre was not his metier and turned his attention to writing novels. This was done without the mourning that the failure of
327:, which opened in 1961, was panned by the critics and closed within a few days. Dowell, who had written the book, score and lyrics, tried his luck with another theatrical experiment,
161:, a new county school where he was on the school paper. Dowell served in the U.S. Army, Medical Corps from 1944 to 1945 and as an assistant to the prosecution in war crimes trials in
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and his private journal 1968–1984 which is a running diary of his life, writings, attitude towards people, and also includes personal observations for stories. Two excerpts from
432:, one of his most accessible books, was widely reviewed, with reviews appearing in Boston, Denver, Hollywood, Houston, Louisville, Milwaukee, Sacramento, and Tulsa. Since
526:(#13, Fall 1985). These deal with Dowell's early adventures in New York City and his relationship with Carl Van Vechten, as well as his early theatrical career.
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and won Van
Vechten's approval for the rights. Carl Van Vechten was known to his friends as "Carlo." His career included stints as a music critic for
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on May 29, 1925. He was one of six children in his family. Dowell attended several country schools, among them, a one-room school where
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232:. Dowell wanted permission to attempt to adapt the piece to the musical stage. He played for Van Vechten selections from a score for
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received many, but mixed, reviews. Dowell was given a tribute before the publication of his last novel in the Fall 1982 issue of
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for a few years where he was a full-time member of the
National Guard. Here he wrote the musical play that brought him to
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444:, were meager and from rather obscure sources. Nevertheless, this novel was always mentioned as being Dowell's favorite.
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in 1984 and 1985, respectively. His theatrical career was also included in his unfinished autobiography,
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in 1945–46. He was eventually promoted to the rank of sergeant. During this period he also attended the
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Dowell was talented and he yearned to be famous. He very much needed a popular readership.
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had induced. Dowell's early experiences in the theatre were used in two magazine articles,
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Van
Vechten introduced Dowell into his circle of friends which included many celebrities:
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were taught. His last two years of high school were at
Simpson County High in
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203:. Dowell composed nearly 1,000 works for weekly broadcast. He also worked as
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724:"Coleman Dowell dies, author, playwright", New York Times, Aug. 8, 1985
715:"Coleman Dowell dies, author, playwright", New York Times, Aug. 8, 1985
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man and is celebrated locally as a commercially successful gay artist.
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called it "a work of art" and brought Dowell some national attention.
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692:"The Fales Library of NYU's Guide to the Richard Lebherz Papers"
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Three major works by Dowell were left unfinished. These include
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Robert
Coleman Dowell was born to Mordon and Beulah Dowell in
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The Fales
Library of NYU's Guide to the Coleman Dowell Papers
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Published in New
Directions, An Anthology of Prose and Poetry
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Kuehl, John; Kuehl, Linda Kandel; Dowell, Coleman (1981).
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on the abortive Broadway musical version of the 1933 play
169:. Dowell returned home to the U.S. in 1946 and settled in
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137:(May 29, 1925 – August 3, 1985) was an American writer.
436:
had been published earlier in England under the title,
309:, the Gish sisters, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor,
631:"Eve of the Green Grass" (novel excerpt) (#6, 1984)
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
769:David Bergman, 'Do We Need A Gay Literature?,' in
785:Fever Vision: the life and work of Coleman Dowell
792:
651:
461:, nevertheless, called it "a tour de force."
506:, a novel; Dowell's autobiography entitled,
457:was the least reviewed of Dowell's novels.
575:"The Moon, the Owl, my Sister" (#33, 1976)
487:and this publishing company also reissued
811:20th-century American short story writers
586:Published in The English quarterly, Ambit
481:The Houses of Children: Collected Stories
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
120:
625:"The Great Godalmighty Bird" (#4, 1983)
560:"I Envy You Your Adventure" (#28, 1974)
793:
772:The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide
543:
836:Suicides by jumping in New York City
634:"Writings on a Cave Wall" (#8, 1985)
600:"A Lifetime Proposition" (#73, 1978)
569:"If Beggars were Horses" (#31, 1975)
563:"First Person Biography" (#29, 1974)
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
581:"My Father was a River" (#36, 1978)
13:
866:20th-century American LGBTQ people
856:20th-century American male writers
816:People from Logan County, Kentucky
654:"An Interview with Coleman Dowell"
572:"Singing in the Clump" (#32, 1976)
468:The Review of Contemporary Fiction
14:
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851:American male short story writers
821:Writers from Louisville, Kentucky
331:. This play was presented at the
495:was also made available via the
365:in June 1993 under the title of
23:
609:"The Silver Swanne" (#89, 1980)
597:"Her Good Man Gone" (#69, 1977)
34:needs additional citations for
787:. Dalkey Archive Press (2007).
775:, January–February 2010, p. 23
763:
745:
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628:"The Silver Swanne" (#5, 1983)
594:"The Drought Ends" (#65, 1976)
514:had been published earlier in
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841:Lambda Literary Award winners
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606:"The Snake House" (#79, 1979)
489:One of the Children is Crying
434:One of the Children is Crying
430:One of the Children is Crying
375:One of the Children is Crying
167:University of the Philippines
612:"Person Waiting" (#94, 1983)
603:"Patridge House" (#76, 1978)
591:"I am the Beast" (#61, 1975)
224:In January 1957, Dowell met
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557:"The Birthmark" (#27, 1973)
518:magazine under the titles:
10:
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846:LGBTQ people from Kentucky
826:Writers from New York City
554:"The Keepsake" (#26, 1973)
620:Published by Conjunctions
520:At Home with Drosselmeier
485:Weidenfeld & Nicolson
471:. This issue, called the
361:, which was published by
345:At Home with Drosselmeier
578:"Ham's Gift" (#35, 1977)
493:Too Much Flesh and Jabez
455:Too Much Flesh and Jabez
387:Too Much Flesh and Jabez
363:The Dalkey Archive Press
351:which were published in
658:Contemporary Literature
463:White on Black on White
391:White on Black on White
524:A Handful of Anomalies
504:Eve of the Green Grass
349:A Handful of Anomalies
329:Eve of the Green Grass
291:Antony Armstrong-Jones
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125:Coleman Dowell (1957)
522:(#10, Fall 1984) and
442:Mrs. October was Here
379:Mrs. October was Here
341:The Tattooed Countess
325:The Tattooed Countess
234:The Tattooed Countess
230:The Tattooed Countess
135:Robert Coleman Dowell
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831:American gay writers
615:"Kitty" (#100, 1985)
566:"Victor: (#30, 1975)
497:Dalkey Archive Press
335:in 1965 and starred
207:'s protégé and with
171:Louisville, Kentucky
147:Adairville, Kentucky
43:improve this article
544:Short fiction works
333:Chelsea Art Theatre
783:Hayworth. Eugene.
739:2009-11-20 at the
459:The New York Times
451:The New York Times
423:Tennessee Williams
411:Gilbert Sorrentino
239:The New York Times
159:Franklin, Kentucky
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757:dalkeyarchive.com
483:was published by
367:A Star-bright Lie
295:Tallulah Bankhead
263:Gloria Vanderbilt
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279:Barbra Streisand
226:Carl Van Vechten
187:, which starred
184:Once Upon a Tune
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214:Ah, Wilderness!
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415:Maurice Sendak
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311:George Kaufman
307:Gertrude Stein
255:Leontyne Price
219:Eugene O'Neill
209:John La Touche
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193:Elaine Stritch
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512:A Dark Book
508:A Dark Book
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639:References
337:Kim Hunter
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69:newspapers
678:0010-7484
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399:Thom Gunn
141:Biography
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385:(1976),
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