William H. Coles

William H. Coles, M.D., M.S., FACS, is an American ophthalmic trauma surgeon, and a writer of literary fiction.
Biography
Coles was born in Rochester, New York on March 2, 1937, and earned a BA from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1958. He earned his medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at Louisiana State University.
Medical career
During his medical career, Coles specialized in ocular trauma and held academic appointments at Louisiana State University and at Medical University of South Carolina, He then became Professor of Ophthalmology at Emory University (1980-86), and as Professor and Chairman at State University of New York (SUNY) (1986-1997). He is the author of several ophthalmology textbooks.
Medical texts
*Intraocular Injuries: Their Immediate Surgical Management (with Haik, George M. and Elizabeth M. McFetridge) (1972; Lea & Febiger; )
*Ophthalmology: A Diagnostic Text (1989; Williams & Wilkins; )
Awards
* (1992) McDonald Lecturer, Loyola University Chicago
* (1992) Purnell Lecturer, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
* (1982) Honor Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology
* (1998) Distinguished Service Award, American Academy of Ophthalmology
* (1978) Conrad Berens Film Award for film on Essential Blepharospasm, American Academy of Ophthalmology
* (1987-1997) Trustee, Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology
* (1996) President, Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology
* (1990-1996) Regent, Board of Regents, American College of Surgeons
* (1993-1997) Commissioner, Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology
Other activities
In Charleston, Dr. Coles coordinated the visual arts segment of the Spoleto Festival USA from 1977-1980; was Chairman of the Board for the Carolina Art Association from 1978-1980; served as President and Chairman of the Board for the Gibbes Art Museum for those same years; and earned the Mayor's Honor Award for historic preservation in 1980. From 1987-1995, he reviewed poetry for the American Medical Association. In Buffalo, he wrote scripts and presented on-air for the WBFO radio program on jazz history. In 1995, Coles was the featured poet for the Atlanta Arts Festival, and won the Banff (Canada) Professional and Amateur Award for best musical performance.
Career as an author
Coles began writing fiction after retiring from surgery in 1997. He also created the "Story in Literary Fiction" website as an educational resource for writers of fiction, which has more than 5 million page views.

Several of William H. Coles's short stories have been collected into the 2007 self-published volume Facing Grace with Gloria and Other Short Stories. Nine of these stories have earned literary awards or recognition, and the collection was a finalist for the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction in 2010. Several of Coles' stories are set in places he has lived throughout the United States: New York, New England, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah. He has also lived in France, where two of his stories, "The Gift" and "The Miracle of Madame Villard," take place. "The Stonecutter's Son" dwells in the Deep South of the Civil Rights Era, while "Suchin's Escape" reflects the evils of New Orleans prior to its decimation by Hurricane Katrina.

He self-published the book Story in Literary Fiction: A Manual for Writers (2012; AuthorHouse; ).
Published books
* McDowell (2019; AuthorHouse; )
* The Surgeon’s Wife (2016; Story in Literary Fiction; )
* The Spirit of Want (2013; Open Book Audio; )
* The Illustrated Fiction of William H Coles 2000 - 2012 (2012; AuthorHouse; )
* Guardian of Deceit (2013; Open Book Audio; )
* The Necklace and Other Short Stories (2012; AuthorHouse; )
* Story in Literary Fiction: A Manual for Writers (2007; AuthorHouse; )
Awards
2013 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition
* "Pater Noster" Top finalist. Novel-in-Progress
* “Speaking of the Dead” Top finalist Short Story
* "Guardian of Deceit" Short-list finalist. Novel
* “Becoming an Author” Short-list finalist. Essay
* "Hubris” Semi-finalist Short Story
* “Inside the Matryoshka” Semi-finalist Short Story
2012 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition
* Sister Carrie Top finalist Novella
* Guardian of Deceit, Top Finalist Novel in Progress
* The Necklace Top Finalist Short Story
* The Golden Flute Short-List finalist Short Story
* The Quest for Greatness in Literary Fiction and the Failure of Authorial Self. Short-List finalist. Essay
Finalist
* The Necklace — Finalist, Short Story, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* The Renaissance of Fiction: Join the Revolution — Essay, Short-list Finalist, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* Big Gene — Short Story, Finalist, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* The Golden Flute — Short Story, Finalist, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* The Miracle of Madame Villard— Short Story, Finalist, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* Lucy — Novel, Short-list Finalist, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* The Surgeon's Wife — Novel, Long-list Finalist, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2011
* Please God: Command Imagination Back into Literary Fiction — short listed, essay, William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, 2010
* The Surgeon's Wife — Semifinalist, William Faulkner Competition, 2009
* The Hostage — Shortlist, Novel-in-Progress, William Faulkner Competition, 2009
* A Friend in Need — Shortlist finalist, Short Story, William Faulkner Competition, 2009
* Taboo — Finalist, William Faulkner Competition, 2007
* Featured Poet, Atlanta Arts Festival, 1995
* Unwed Girl —Callenwolde Poetry Prize, Best Poem, 1984
* Please God: Command Imagination Back into Literary Fiction — short-listed in the 2010 William Faulkner - William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, sponsored by the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society
Community Service and the Arts
* (1995-1997) Radio commentator in jazz history, editorial opinion and fund-raising session host, WBFO, an NPR affiliate, Buffalo, New York
* (1995) Banff Professional and Amateur Award for best musical performance
* (1987-1995) Poetry Reviewer, Journal of the American Medical Association
* (1980) Mayor's Honor Award, Historic Preservation, Charleston, South Carolina
* (1978-1980) Chairman of the Board, Carolina Art Association
* (1978-1980) President and Chairman of the Board, Gibbes Art Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina
* (1977-1980) Visual Arts Coordinator, Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, South Carolina

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