RESEARCH General Arts

LITERATURE
Book examines quirky writers' colony that nurtured James Jones

Andrea Lynn, Humanities Editor
(217) 333-2177; a-lynn@uiuc.edu

5/1/2001

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Perhaps the strangest creative writers' colony ever to operate in the lower 48 was more a prison than a haven, its director more a warden than a muse.

And yet, this dysfunctional little colony in rural East Central Illinois somehow turned out several fine writers, including James Jones, the prize-winning author of "From Here to Eternity."

The story of the kooky colony, led by a sometimes violent, always manipulating and autocratic failed writer, is told in a new book, "James Jones and the Handy Writers' Colony" (Southern Illinois University Press). The colony, in Marshall, Ill., only 30 miles from Jones' hometown, Robinson, was created to help Jones – then a down-and-out 22-year-old AWOL soldier just out of the hospital – learn to write.

George Hendrick, an English professor emeritus at the University of Illinois and editor of "To Reach Eternity: The Letters of James Jones," is one of the co-authors of the new book. The others are Don Sackrider, who was the colony's second student, and Helen Howe, a longtime resident of Robinson and friend of Jones. According to Hendrick, the new book is the first to offer a detailed outline of the colony, which for two decades (1943-1963) drew some 70 drifters, renegades and misfits – some hugely talented.

Historically, writers colonies have had a "civilized air" about them, Hendrick said, even if only a veneer. A benefactor buys an estate in a rural setting where creative people work with master writers in relative peace and tranquility, the group coming together only at the end of the day for drinks and dinner. To be sure, such communities can spawn love affairs, spats, bad blood and strange behavior, but most of those situations are caused by the colonists, not the colony directors.

At the Handy Colony, Lowney (rhymes with phony) Handy was the chief cauldron stirrer. Homophobic, charismatic, nurturing and neurotic, she was a fan of Eastern religions and the Spartan lifestyle. To break her students psychologically, she banned liquor, sex and unauthorized food. Her temper tantrums were legendary. She even attacked people, including Jones’ wife, with a knife.

Handy also adopted unorthodox teaching practices. For example, she forced her beginning students to spend hours a day copying the works of writers such as Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald. She forbade cross-fertilization of ideas, and kept the colonists – males, all – apart as much as she could. However, she took at least one of her students – Jones, 17 years her junior – as a lover.

The colony was financed by Handy's husband, Harry, who had his own mistress, and by Jones after the royalties started coming in for "Eternity." It is "very unlikely" that Jones would have become a great writer without the support and structure of the Handys, Hendrick said. In addition to the mentoring, the army-like life, the free food, shelter and Jeep, the Handys gave Jones reason to believe.

Thus, despite her bizarre ways, Handy was a great success in two areas. "She was a shrewd editor," Hendrick said, "and she was able to convince people that if they followed her rules, they would become successful writers. And she did turn out some fine writers. She almost willed it."