Virginia Coffman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Virginia Edith Coffman (July 30, 1914 – March 31, 2005) was an American writer.

Life[edit]

Virginia Edith Coffman was born on July 30, 1914, in San Francisco and grew up in Long Beach, California.[1][2][3][4] She attended the University of California, Berkeley, from 1933 to 1938, graduating in 1938 with an AB.[5][1] Before beginning her career as a novelist, she worked in Hollywood in various capacities for David O. Selznick, Monogram Pictures, Hal Roach,[5] and Howard Hughes.[2] While in Hollywood, Coffman wrote screenplays for television and film.[6] Following her work in the film industry, she moved to Reno, Nevada, where she worked at the First National Bank of Nevada.[3][4] Coffman became a member of the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 1990.[2] She died in Reno on March 31, 2005.[6]

Work[edit]

Coffman published at least 109 books.[2] Her first novel, Moura (1959), plays on Gothic tropes.[5] Moura eventually became a five-part series.[5] She published under at least four pseudonyms.[1] Roberts argues that Coffman's fiction combines elements of Gothic fiction, detective fiction, and historical romance.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Roberts, Bette B. (1982). "Coffman, Virginia (Edith)". In Vinson, James; Kirkpatrick, D. L. (eds.). Twentieth-Century Romance and Gothic Writers. Gale Research. pp. 158–161. ISBN 0-8103-0226-8. OCLC 8762908.
  2. ^ a b c d Skorupa, Susan (April 1, 2002). "No time for sitting around". Reno Gazette-Journal. pp. 41, 43.
  3. ^ a b Olyphant, Winifred (October 28, 1959). "Local Authur [sic] Researches in Europe for Future Novel". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 7.
  4. ^ a b "Novelist Virginia Coffman Balks at Hollywood Style". Daily Press. November 21, 1969. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b c d Accola, John (December 28, 1980). "Blood and guts galore her forte". Statesman Journal. p. 79.
  6. ^ a b "Virginia Coffman". University of Nevada, Reno. Retrieved May 6, 2021.