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The Colony
The Colony . It was 1952 and James Jones had just published from Here to Eternity, a huge best seller that had taken the country by storm. His larger-than-life mentor, a formidable Midwest housewife by the name of Lowney Handy, set up a "writer's colony" in Marshall, Illinois, funded in large part by the proceeds of Eternity, to train an odd assortment of No women; members literally copied pages from masters such as Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Dos Passos; no radios, newspapers, or TV; meals were Spartan; a neophyte from a tent to a barracks-like room if he abided by the rules; mail was scrutinized as in the Soviet Union; about every month members were let loose in Terre Haute for brothel time in Cherry Street and epic toots.
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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June 13, 2013
Funny and insightful. I've seen Bowers read many times at Wilkes and he's a scream. Also, a very nice man. I'd honestly say The Colony is probably one of the Great American Novels. (I don't believe there's just one.) This is really well-written and hilarious, but not overdone either. A great coming-of-age novel about an aspiring novelist learning the craft in a kind-of wacky yet inspiring setting. I highly recommend this book!
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