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William Karl Thomas was born 1/25/33 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a small Gulf Coast town in which Tennessee Williams lived and wrote about in his works. In 1951 Thomas married his former high school teacher and, after a four year childless marriage, was divorced.
His checkered background began in 1951- 1952 as a nightclub pianist in New Orlean's French Quarter, in 1953 serving a year as a military correspondent in a combat zone in Korea, and finishing his 4 years in the Air Force while serving in El Paso, Texas; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Oxford, England.
His screen writing collaboration with Frank Ray Perelli began in New Orleans in 1951 and led them to the West Coast where, in 1956, Perelli had begun to manage the then unknown Lenny Bruce. Bruce admired Thomas's multi-talents which led to collaborating in a variety of capacities including comedy writing, screen writing, album cover photos, cinematography, theatrical booking, publicity, and more in a collaboration that lasted ten years until Bruces' death in 1966, as chronicaled in Thomas' memoir, "Lenny Bruce: The Making of a Prophet."
Thomas spent twenty years mostly in Hollywood as a screen writer, cinematographer, industrial film producer, photographer, journalist, and public relations executive. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, where he occasionally teaches writing and film production at a local community college, and continues work on a variety of book, film, and media projects.
Reviewed by Mary Treadwell for Readers' Favorite
The Genteel Poor: A Childhood Memoir by William Karl Thomas is told throughout several generations as the family goes from being wealthy to becoming poor. After the Civil War ended and later the Depression, there were a lot of “genteel poor.” These were folks who had been raised with wealth, were affluent, and held a level of status. After the life-changing events, they were left poor but still had the manners and attitude of being wealthy. They made the best of what they had and held on to their dignity. This is shown in the author’s life of being poor but still raised in a family that treasured culture. His mother, Katherine, is the main focus of the book and ties the events and people together.
I love books set in my beloved South and William Karl Thomas does not disappoint. As I began to read about his family I could not put the book down. He covers several decades of family history in an entertaining way. I found myself wanting to know more about his somewhat eccentric relatives. The characters are unique. He tells us of his grandparents, neighbors, and friends. Many of them influenced him as he grew into the man he is today. He also includes some history of the Mississippi Gulf Coast that will be interesting to those unfamiliar with the area. The Genteel Poor is a true gem of Southern literature that will evoke both laughter and tears from the reader. Well done, Mr Thomas, well done.
