Lewis Elliott Chaze was an American war veteran

War Veteran

War Veteran is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. It was first published in If magazine in March 1955.-Plot summary:The plot concerns an old man who claims to have travelled back in time from a future in which Earth has lost a devastating war to its own Martian and Venusian colonies...

, journalist

Journalist

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

, and novelist.

Early years

Elliott Chaze was born to Lewis and Sue Chaze in Mamou, Louisiana

Mamou, Louisiana

Mamou is a town in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,566 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mamou is located at ....

. In 1932, Chaze graduated from Bolton High School in Alexandria, Louisiana

Alexandria, Louisiana

Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....

. He attended Tulane University

Tulane University

Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...

, Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...

, and graduated from the University of Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...

 in 1937.

Chaze began his journalism career as a reporter for the New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 Bureau of the Associated Press

Associated Press

The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

. During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he served as a paratrooper

Paratrooper

Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...

 and technical sergeant

Technical Sergeant

Technical Sergeant is the name of one current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States military.-United States Air Force:Technical Sergeant, or Tech Sergeant, is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant. A technical sergeant is...

 in the 11th Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. After hostilities ended, Chaze continued to serve for a time in the Occupation of Japan.

Journalist

After the war, Chaze rejoined the Associated Press (AP) in New Orleans, then transferred to the APs Denver

Denver, Colorado

The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

 Bureau. In 1951, Chaze moved to Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

, began working as a reporter and became an award-winning columnist for the Hattiesburg American

Hattiesburg American

The Hattiesburg American is a U.S. newspaper based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, that serves readers in Forrest, Lamar, and surrounding counties in south-central Mississippi. The newspaper is owned by Gannett Company, Inc.-History:...

newspaper in the city of Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Hattiesburg is a city in Forrest County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 44,779 at the 2000 census . It is the county seat of Forrest County...

. While at the Hattiesburg American, Chase received the Hal Boyle Memorial Award for the best personal newspaper column.

Chaze was married to Mary Vincent Armstrong with whom he had five children.

Chaze became City Editor

City editor

A city editor is a title used by a particular section editor of a newspaper. They are responsible for the daily changes of a particular issue of a newspaper that will be released in the coming day...

 of the Hattiesburg American in 1970 and remained in that position through 1980. Chaze wrote articles, essays, and short stories for popular magazines of the time, including Collier's, Cosmopolitan

Cosmopolitan (magazine)

Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...

, Life

Life (magazine)

Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....

, Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...

, Redbook

Redbook

Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...

, and The New Yorker

The New Yorker

The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...

.

Novelist

Chaze's works of fiction reflected many of his own experiences and were praised by reviewers as being authentic and filled with local color. The Stainless Steel Kimono, published in 1947, was Chaze's first novel. His most controversial novel, Tiger in the Honeysuckle, dealt with the civil rights struggle of the 1960s.

In an interview regarding his motivation for writing fiction, Chaze is reported to have responded: "Primarily I have a simple desire to shine my ass — to show off a bit in print." During his career, Chaze produced at least ten novels that were published. The novels, and year of publication, were as follows:

• The Stainless Steel Kimono (1947)
• The Golden Tag (1950). Republished as Love on the Rocks (1956)
• Black Wings Has My Angel (1953). Republished as One for My Money (1962) and One for the Money (1985)
• Two Roofs and a Snake on the Door (1963)
• Tiger in the Honeysuckle (1965)
• Wettermark (1969)
• Goodbye Goliath (1983)
• Mr. Yesterday (1984)
• Little David (1985)
• The Catherine Murders (Connoisseur Crime) (1986)