He negotiated terms between McGinniss and accused killer Jeffrey MacDonald, later convicted, for the true crime classic Fatal Vision. He found a publisher for Nicholas Pileggis mob story Wiseguy and helped arrange the deal for its celebrated film adaptation, Goodfellas., In the early 1960s, Viking had asked Lord to get a blurb from Kerouac for One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Keseys first and most famous novel. And third, Ive been able to meet some extraordinarily interesting people.. But Lord had little involvement in the project, directed by Walter Salles and starring Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart. 12:40AM Obituaries Mr. Lord had represented him for a mere 44 years. Representatives for the former president informed Lord in the late 1960s that Johnson wanted $1 million for the book and that Mr. Lord should accept less than his usual commission for the honor of working with him. In 1957, the book was released, The New York Times raved and On the Road soon entered the American canon. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Lord died Saturday in a nursing home in Ocala, Florida, according to his daughter, Rebecca Lord. He was born in Sterling, Illinois, on April 19, 1936, to Read More, Mark Hamstra Born: September 9, 1958 in Morrison Died: January 16, 2023 in Sterling, IL MARK HAMSTRA, 64, of Sterling, IL, died Monday, January 16, 2023 at Allure of Sterling. But it is not a well-made novel, not a marketable one, or even, I think, a good one.. I decided to go home, he told the AP in 2013. [3], Lord then moved to New York City and entered the publishing industry. In On The Road, Mr. Lord believed that Kerouac had a fresh, distinctive voice that should be heard. But the industry was not in the mood. Terry was born on December 18, 1954 in Princeton, the son of Howard and Patricia Read More, William 'Bill' Janssen Born: April 19, 1936 Died: January 16, 2023 William "Bill" Janssen died on Monday, January 16, 2023, at his home in Haymarket, Virginia, after being diagnosed with lung cancer a few months earlier. Mr. Lords partner at the time, Stanley L. Colbert, later claimed that things went down very differently. Even younger editors who could relate to Kerouacs jazzy celebration of youth and personal freedom turned him down. Thanks to friendship with Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, Lord helped launch Stan and Ian Berenstains multimillion-dollar books about a family of anthropomorphic bears. He also became a tennis star at Grinnell College, and later a good enough player to compete against Don Budge, among others. In 1957, the book was released, The New York Times raved and On the Road soon entered the American canon. He was Read More, Frances Johnson Born: March 20, 1923 in Harmon, IL Died: January 16, 2023 in Morrison, IL Frances Margaret Johnson, 99, formerly of Como died Monday, January 16, 2023 at Resthave Care & Rehabilitation in Morrison. One editor wrote to Lord that Kerouac does have enormous talent of a very special kind. Menu. Then there was his perfect moniker. Kerouac already had completed a conventional novel, The Town and the City, but had no agent and surely needed one for his next book: On the Road was typed, as Lord was among the first to know, on a 120-foot scroll of architectural tracing paper., Lord believed that Kerouac had a fresh, distinctive voice that should be heard. But the industry was not in the mood. Lord believed that Kerouac had a fresh, distinctive voice worth hearing. But the industry was not in the mood. Johnsons The Vantage Point, ultimately published in 1971, was dismissed by critics as bland and uninformative. And third, Ive been able to meet some extraordinarily interesting people.. Lord held out for $1,000. He was born on November 20, 1939 in Freeport, IL the son of Edwin and Ruth (Lynch) Read More, Alan "Al" Wildman Born: November 28, 1942 Died: January 19, 2023 in Sterling, IL Alan D. "Al" Wildman, 80, of Sterling died January 19, 2023 at CGH Medical Center in Sterling. Cremation rites have been accorded. He negotiated terms between McGinniss and accused killer Jeffrey MacDonald, later convicted, for the true-crime classic Fatal Vision. He found a publisher for Nicholas Pileggis mob story Wiseguy and helped arrange the deal for its celebrated film adaptation, Goodfellas., In the early 1960s, Viking had asked Mr. Lord to get a blurb from Kerouac for One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Keseys first and best-known novel. His daughter, Rebecca Lord, confirmed the death but did not provide a specific cause. Back in the U.S., he served as an editor at True and Cosmopolitan, from which he was fired, before founding the Sterling Lord Literary Agency. All rights reserved. Kerouac was a rough-hewed, hard-drinking New Englander who hung around with the Beats. Some of the great sports books of the 20th century, from North Dallas Forty to Secretariat, were written by his clients. First, Im interested in good writing. Published Sept. 5, 2022 6:11 a.m. PDT. Sterling Lord, who for more than 60 years was one of New York's most successful and durable literary agents, died September 3.He was 102. Its enabling me to live forever., Sterling Lord, Premier Literary Agent, Is Dead at 102, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/books/sterling-lord-dead.html. Lord even recruited a doctor who unsuccessfully attempted to get Kerouac to clean up, but the businessman eventually backed away since he was his literary agent, not his life agent., Lord attended Kerouacs funeral, sharing a limousine ride with his client Jimmy Breslin and standing by the grave alongside Allen Ginsberg, the sunlight filtering through the trees, the leaves brown after losing their fall colors.. For Mr. Lord, who died on Saturday his 102nd birthday in Ocala, Fla., such steadfastness was standard. Sympathy Ideas. A third author on hand that day, the writer Nicholas Pileggi, had been a client for at least 50 years. He would later write that his upbringing was the kind of nice, orderly world that beatniks trampled on in the 50s and 60s.. NEW YORK (AP) Sterling Lord, the uniquely enduring literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouacs On the Road and over the following decades arranged deals for everyone from true crime writer Joe McGinniss to the creators of the Berenstain Bears, has died. But he was attentive to new trends and was the first ambassador of a revolutionary cultural movement: the Beats. He also prided himself on his sympathy for writers who lived far more wildly than he did. FILE - In this Jan. 8 2013 file photo, literary agent Sterling Lord speaks during an interview in his New York office. He had just turned 102. After several years of unsuccessful attempts, in 2012, a screen version of On the Road was released. Fame magnified a drinking problem that killed him by 1969. Lord even recruited a doctor who attempted to get Kerouac to clean up, but the businessman eventually backed away because he was his literary agent, not his life agent., Lord attended Kerouacs funeral, sharing a limousine ride with his client Jimmy Breslin and standing by the grave alongside Allen Ginsberg, the sunlight filtering through the trees, the leaves brown after losing their fall colors.. Lord would also speak proudly of a project he turned down: a memoir of Lyndon Johnson. HENRIETTA L. LORD, died at her home in Columbus on April 9, 2002. . He represented former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and Judge John J. Sirica of Watergate fame and worked often with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis during her time as an editor with Doubleday and Viking. Second, I am interested in new and good ideas. One author represented by his new agency was Lawrence Ferlinghetti. A native of Miami, FL. Sterling . In 1957, the book was released, The New York Times raved, and On the Road soon entered the American canon. The legend of Sterling Lord dates back to 1952, when he was just getting started as a literary agent. Books and tennis were lifelong passions for Lord, born in Burlington, Iowa, in 1920. NEW YORK (AP) Sterling Lord, the uniquely enduring literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and over the following decades arranged deals for everyone from true crime writer Joe McGinniss to the creators of the Berenstain Bears, has died. Though nearly the same age Kerouac was 29 at the time, Mr. Lord two years older the two men shared little else; Mr. Lord was an urbane man who favored jackets, foulards and tennis whites, spoke almost inaudibly, and had no apparent vices. He was well-spoken and athletic, a most able negotiator who dressed in tweed and avoided most vices. Into his basement-level office on Park Avenue walked a young man wearing "a light weather . Sept. 4, 2022 2:05 PM PT. Sterling Lord Death - Sterling Lord, the Uniquely Enduring Literary Agent has sadly passed away at age 102. He stayed with the company he founded until almost 100 years old, and then decided to open a new one. In his 2013 memoir Lord of Publishing, Lord recalled his first meeting with Kerouac in 1952. Visiting Ken Keseys farm just outside Eugene, Ore., Mr. Lord fell off a wagon while tossing hay. Sterling Lord, the uniquely enduring literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and over the . Sterling Lord, who opened his own agency in 1952 and later merged with rival Literistic to form Sterling Lord Literistic Inc., was a failed magazine publisher who became almost certainly the longest-running agent in the book business. The Army discontinued the magazine in 1948, but Lord co-owned it as a private publication for a year afterwards. Mr. Lord attended Kerouacs funeral, sharing a limousine ride with his client Jimmy Breslin and standing by the grave alongside poet Allen Ginsberg. NEW YORK (AP) Sterling Lord, an exceptionally tough literary agent, worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouacs On the Road and over the next decades arranged deals for everyone from true-crime author Joe McGinnis to creators Berenstains books are dead. Lord was married four times and had one child, Rebecca. Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Sign the Guest Book . Thanks to his friendship with Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, Lord helped launch Stan and Jan Berenstains multimillion-selling books about an anthropomorphic bear family. He had just turned 102. Some of the great sports books of the 20th century, including North Dallas Forty and Secretariat, were written by his clients. His father, a furniture executive, was also an amateur bookbinder and nourished in his son a love of books. Sterling Lord (September 3, 1920 - September 3, 2022) was an American literary agent, editor, and author. [3] He died in Ocala, Florida, on September 3, 2022, his 102nd birthday. One editor wrote to Lorde that Kerouac really does possess a tremendous talent of a very special kind. Instead, Lorde found a deal on Chairman LBJ Quotes, a best-selling parody. Lord oversaw Kerouacs numerous posthumous releases even as he battled the authors family for control of the estate. Fame magnified a drinking problem that killed him by 1969. [7][8], Lord's four marriages all ended in divorce. Barbara was born August 6, 1945 in Sterling the daughter Read More, Anne Atilano Born: July 26, 1927 in Gary, IN Died: February 20, 2023 in Sterling, IL Anne Atilano, age 95, of Sterling, died Monday, February 20, 2023 at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling. PA., in 1907, the only daughter of Raymond Sterling Lord and Carrie Little Paul. Dale was born March 11, 1944 in Greenville Township, the son of Delmar and Esther (Schrader) Sugars. As a matter of longevity, at least, . [3], Last edited on 5 September 2022, at 21:13, "The Agent from Iowa Who Found Greatness", "Legendary Literary Agent Sterling Lord on How Jack Kerouac Got His Start", "Sterling Lord, Premier Literary Agent, Is Dead at 102", "Sterling Lord '42, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters", "A Memoir by Kerouac's Agent, Sterling Lord", "Lawrence Ferlinghetti Celebrates His 100th Birthday With a Novel", "Little Boy by Lawrence Ferlinghetti review unleashing the word-hoard", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sterling_Lord&oldid=1108705940, This page was last edited on 5 September 2022, at 21:13. But he was alert to new trends and an early ambassador for a revolutionary cultural movement: the Beats. The literary agent Sterling Lord in his office in Manhattan in 2016, surrounded by books whose authors he represented. He not only continued to represent Kerouac but became his friend Kerouac came to call the guest quarters of the home he shared with his mother in Florida the Sterling Room.. One editor wrote to Lord that Kerouac does have enormous talent of a very special kind. He represented former U.S. defense secretary Robert McNamara and Judge John Sirica of Watergate fame, and he often worked with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis during her time as an editor with Doubleday and Viking. He married Donna Smith on June Read More, Carla Ullrich Born: December 11, 1965 in Elizabethtown, KY Died: February 13, 2023 in Sterling, IL Carla Ullrich, age 57, of Loretto, KY, died Monday, February 13, 2023 at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling. Kerouac declined, but Mr. Lord was so impressed by the book that he ended up representing Kesey for his next work, Sometimes a Great Notion.. And they prized his equilibrium, which reassured them when things seemed to be flying apart. Second, I am interested in new and good ideas. He negotiated terms between McGinniss and accused killer Jeffrey MacDonald, later convicted, for the true crime classic Fatal Vision. He found a publisher for Nicholas Pileggis mob story Wiseguy and helped arrange the deal for its celebrated film adaptation, Goodfellas., In the early 1960s, Viking had asked Lord to get a blurb from Kerouac for One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Keseys first and most famous novel. (He was married four times in all and had one child, Rebecca.). First of all, I am interested in good writing. The agent eventually sold excerpts to The Paris Review and the periodical New World Writing. Anne was born July 26, 1927 in Gary, IN. Lord would also speak proudly of a project he declined: Lyndon Johnsons memoir. And third, Ive been able to meet some extraordinarily interesting people.. NEW YORK (AP) Sterling Lord, the uniquely enduring literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and over the following decades arranged deals for everyone from true crime writer Joe McGinniss to the creators of the Berenstain Bears, has died. After years of failed attempts, a filmed version of On the Road was released in 2012. Returning to the US, he worked as an editor for True and Cosmopolitan magazine, from which he was fired, before founding the Sterling Lord Literary Agency. Robert, fondly known as Bob, was born to the late Read More, Terrence L. Batten Born: December 18, 1954 in Princeton, IL Died: January 19, 2023 in Sterling, IL STERLING - Terrence "Terry" L. Batten, 68, of Sterling, died on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at his home. A . Sterling Lord, the literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouacs On the Road and over the following decades arranged deals for a roster of clients that ranged from true-crime writer Joe McGinniss to the creators of the Berenstain Bears, died Sept. 3 at a nursing home in Ocala, Fla., on his 102nd birthday. Lord was a fledgling Manhattan literary agent in 1952 when . But this is not a well-made novel, nor a salable one nor even, I think, a good one.. Some of the great sports books of the 20th century, from North Dallas Forty to Secretariat, were written by his clients. In this Jan. 8 2013 file photo, literary agent Sterling Lord speaks during an interview in his New York office. [6], In 2015, the city of Burlington held its first Sterling Lord Writers and Readers Festival to honor him. After his death, Lord attempted to compete for rights to Kerouac's work against Kerouac's family and lost, and when a posthumous production . [1] Five years later, during the coronavirus pandemic, Lord was profiled among other senior New Yorkers in The New York Times. Lord had quick success by selling film rights to two popular sports books, Rocky Grazianos Somebody Up There Likes Me and Jimmy Piersalls Fear Strikes Out. But Lords On the Road quest would prove bumpier. Lorde even hired a doctor who unsuccessfully tried to get Kerouac to come clean, but the businessman eventually refused because he was his literary, not life agent., Lord attended Kerouacs funeral, riding with him in a limousine his client Jimmy Breslin and standing by the grave next to Allen Ginsberg, sunlight filtering through the trees, the leaves turning brown after losing their autumn color.. He also became a tennis star at Grinnell College, and later a good enough player to compete against Don Budge, among others. After an influential career in publishing books for young readers,. He also prided himself on his sympathy for writers who lived far more wildly than he did. Sterling Lord, who started his own agency in 1952 and later merged with rival Literistic to form Sterling Lord Literistic Inc., was a failed magazine publisher who became, almost surely, the longest-serving agent in the book business. After years of failed attempts, a filmed version of On the Road was released in 2012. The agent eventually sold excerpts to the Paris Review and the periodical New World Writing. His upbringing, he later wrote, was the kind of pleasant, orderly world the Beats were trampling on in the fifties and sixties.. Patricia was born on June 14, 1944 in Colorado Springs Read More, June Alber Born: January 11, 1936 Died: January 10, 2023 in Sterling, IL June Aline Alber passed away January 10, 2023 the day before her 87th birthday at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling, IL after a brief illness. It began when his mother would read to him after dinner; he went on to edit his high school newspaper and work as a sports stringer around the same time for the Des Moines Register. Lord's other noted clients included Jimmy Breslin, Ken Kesey with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, and political figures like John Sirica, Robert McNamara, and Ted Kennedy. An editor from Viking Press contacted Lord, offering an advance of $900. He also prided himself on his sympathy for writers who lived far more wildly than he did. Mr. Lord was married and divorced four times. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Mr. Lord co-owned the Germany-based magazine Weekend, which soon folded. JAMES LORD OBITUARY LORD, JAMES STERLING, 58, born 8-11-45. In 1957, the book was released, the New York Times raved, and On the Road soon entered the American canon. Sterling Lord, the uniquely enduring literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouacs On the Road and arranged deals for everyone from true crime writer Joe McGinniss to the creators of the Berenstain Bears, has died. Mr. Lords long string of successes began with Jack Kerouacs novel On the Road, which he sold for $1,000. She married Read More, Jo Anne Mills Born: May 20, 1946 in Hinsdale, IL Died: January 15, 2023 in Sterling, IL Jo Anne Mills, 76, of Dixon, passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2023, surrounded by her family and friends. The agent sold excerpts to The Paris Review and the periodical New World Writing. His full roster of clients produced works about sports, politics, murder and the travails of illustrated animals. Johnsons The Vantage Point, ultimately published in 1971, was dismissed by critics as bland and uninformative. Mr. Lord turned them down, much to their surprise and anger. He also became a tennis star at Grinnell College and later became a good enough player to compete with Don Budge, among others. Fond as I was of Jack, I was only his literary agent, not his life agent, he wrote. He was well-spoken and athletic, a very capable negotiator, dressed in tweeds, and avoided most vices. Hes OK., Mr. Lords clients appreciated his gentility, which appeared in ever-sharper relief as the book business became increasingly commercial and cutthroat. Interment will be at the Bountiful City . Thanks to his friendship with Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, Lord helped launch Stan and Jan Berenstain's multimillion-selling books about an anthropomorphic bear family. In 2013 he published a memoir, Lord of Publishing, to little notice. His full roster of clients produced works about sports, politics, murder and the travails of illustrated animals. But this is not a well-made novel, nor a saleable one nor even, I think, a good one.. He didnt bother to attend a special screening, citing mixed early reviews, and didnt show up to a private party to screen the film. Loren was born on September 16, 1933 in Drakesville, Iowa, the son Read More, Arvilla M. Siddens Born: November 1, 1926 in Sterling, IL Died: January 21, 2023 in Sterling, IL Arvilla M. Siddens, 96, of Sterling (formerly of Polo) passed away Saturday, January 21, 2023 with family by her side. Lord had met many agents during his magazine years and believed they failed to understand that the American public was becoming more urban and sophisticated. His upbringing, he would later write, was the kind of pleasant, orderly world the Beats were trampling on in the fifties and sixties.. The Lord refused them, to their great surprise and anger. He stayed with the company he founded until he was nearly 100 and then decided to launch a new one. Mr. Lord had met many agents during his magazine years and believed they failed to understand that the American public was becoming more urban and sophisticated. Rita "Ma Brauer" was born April 23, 1940 in Rock Island, the daughter of Forest and Priscilla (Campos) Read More, Beatrice Anne Boone Born: August 31, 1945 in Guyana Died: February 2, 2023 in Camanche, IA Beatrice Anne Boone, age 77, passed peacefully at home in Camanche, IA on February 2, 2023. NEW YORK (AP) Sterling Lord, the uniquely enduring literary agent who worked for years to find a publisher for Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and over the following decades arranged deals for everyone from true crime writer Joe McGinniss to the creators of the Berenstain Bears, has died. Im in a business that is absolutely captivating, Mr. Lord told Publishers Weekly in 2013, 61 years after entering it. He was the last link to what we can now see not so much as a Golden Age, but as a brief, shining moment when long-form journalism mattered in a way it no longer does and may never again.. He represented former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Judge John Sirica of Watergate fame and often worked with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis during her tenure as editor of Doubleday and Viking. But he was alert to new trends and an early ambassador for a revolutionary cultural movement: the Beats. He had just turned 102. Fill in some information about your loved one, and we'll generate some text that you can use as a starting point for your online memorial. The article reported that Lord was living in a Lower Manhattan home for seniors, and he was starting a new literary agency at 99 years old. Lord would also speak proudly of a project he declined: Lyndon Johnsons memoir. Sterling Lord, who represented Jimmy Breslin, Art Buchwald, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gordon Parks and most famously, Jack Kerouac, died Saturday in Ocala, FL. Johnsons book, The Vantage Point, finally published in 1971, was dismissed by critics as bland and uninformative. When the fighting stopped, he helped edit the weekly magazine of the military publication Stars and Stripes; when the Army dropped that publication in 1948, he and a colleague briefly ran it privately, first out of Frankfurt, Germany, and then Paris, where Mr. Lord adopted the dapper dress that became his signature. She was born on February 4, 1936 in Benton, IL the daughter of Claud and Myrtle (Smith) Read More, Barbara G. Mammosser Born: August 6, 1945 in Sterling, IL Died: February 25, 2023 in Sterling, IL Barbara G. Mammosser, age 77, of Rock Falls, died Saturday, February 25, 2023 at Rock River Hospice and Home in Sterling. But he was alert to new trends and an early ambassador for a revolutionary cultural movement: the Beats. Lord had met many agents during his magazine years and believed they failed to understand that the American public was becoming more urban and sophisticated. But Kerouac was a shy and fragile man, Lord wrote. I decided to go home, he told the AP in 2013. Mary Altaffer/AP Photo. The baby in the group was the political analyst Jeff Greenfield. Sterling Lord was born in Burlington, Iowa, on Sept. 3, 1920, the son of Sterling and Ruth Towne Whiting Lord. His first marriage, he would acknowledge, helped inspire him to go into business for himself. Duane was born December 16, 1950 in Dixon the son of Maurice and Marcella (Liechty) Scholl Read More, Patricia Ann Van Coillie Born: June 14, 1944 in Colorado Springs, CO Died: January 13, 2023 in Sterling, IL STERLING - Patricia A. He had a good death and died peacefully of old age, she told the Associated Press. Grief Support. He also prided himself on his sympathy for writers who lived much wilder lives than he did. It began when his mother would read to him after dinner; he went on to edit his high school newspaper and work as a sports stringer around the same time for the Des Moines Register. Even younger editors who may have related to Kerouacs jazzy celebration of youth and personal freedom turned him down. He had just turned 102. By 1955, Kerouac was ready to give up but Lord was not. Lord achieved rapid success by selling the film rights to two popular sports books, Rocky Graziano Somebody Up There Likes Me and Jimmy Pearsella Fear is knocked out. But Lords quest On the Road will prove to be more uneven. "Tony" Avila, 35 of Sterling died Sunday January 15, 2023. Mr. Lord didnt keep his original manuscript of Kerouacs On the Road, nor did he ever procure a signed copy for himself. "He had a good death and died peacefully of old age," she told The Associated Press. Honestly, I didnt want to deal with the situation at home, he told the Des Moines Register in 2015. He had a good death and died peacefully of old age, she told The Associated Press. As a matter of longevity, at least, its pretty safe to say that no other literary agent anywhere at any time could have assembled such a group.