W.L. Heath
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Brief Biography
W.L. Heath was born in Lake Village, Arkansas, but raised in Scottsboro, Alabama, by relatives following the loss of his mother. After attending the Baylor Military Academy and briefly serving as a combat pilot during World War II, Heath graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia. Heath had a successful career as a writer, producing novels for adults from the 1950s until the 1970s and also venturing into children's literature in the 1970s. After retiring in 1988, Heath resided in Guntersville, Alabama, until his passing in 2007.
Publications
Violent Saturday. New York; Harper & Brothers, 1955. Rpt. Berkeley, Calif.; Creative Arts, 1985.
Ill Wind. New York; Harper, 1957. Rpt. Berkeley, Calif.; Creative Arts, 1985.
Temptation in a Southern Town. New York; Hillman Periodicals, 1959.
The Good Old Boys. New York; McCall Pub. Co, 1971.
Most Valuable Player. New York; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973.
Max the Great. New York; Crane Russak, 1977.
The Earthquake Man. New York; Beaufort Books, 1980.
Sad Clown. Sl; sn, 1956.
Temptation in a Southern Town. New York; Hillman Periodicals, 1959.
Ill Wind. New York; Harper, 1957. Rpt. Berkeley, Calif.; Creative Arts, 1985.
Temptation in a Southern Town. New York; Hillman Periodicals, 1959.
The Good Old Boys. New York; McCall Pub. Co, 1971.
Most Valuable Player. New York; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973.
Max the Great. New York; Crane Russak, 1977.
The Earthquake Man. New York; Beaufort Books, 1980.
Sad Clown. Sl; sn, 1956.
Temptation in a Southern Town. New York; Hillman Periodicals, 1959.
Themes
W.L. Heath wrote novels, short stories, and children's books. He is remembered as one of the founders of southern noir, which is a genre featuring normal small-town southerners getting caught up in violent situations.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Heath, W.L., “W.L. Heath,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/601.