His clients included Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Howard Fast, Jimmy Breslin, and Doris Kearns Goodwin . Lord died Saturday in a nursing home in Ocala, Florida, according to his daughter, Rebecca. Frankly, I didn't want to deal with the situation at home, he told the Des Moines Register in 2015. On September 3, 2022, star literary agent and book enthusiast, Sterling Lord, passed away at the age of 102 in Ocala, . Mr. Lord spoke proudly of a project he declined: Lyndon B. Johnsons memoir. Kerouac declined, but Lord was so impressed by the book that he ended up representing Kesey for his next work, Sometimes a Great Notion.. Lord instead found a deal for Quotations from Chairman LBJ, a bestselling parody. He was born on May 14, 1995 in Sterling, the son of Kelly G. and Stephanie L. (Hicks) Schultz. He married Marilyn Colson on Read More, Luella Ruth Sheffler Born: June 24, 1926 in Escanaba, MI Died: January 19, 2023 in Sterling, IL Luella Ruth Sheffler, 96 of Sterling, died Thursday, January 19, 2023 at the Citadel of Sterling. With rare persistence, he endured the initial unwillingness of publishers to take on Kerouacs unorthodox narrative, and he later was the longtime agent for poet and playwright Amiri Baraka, novelist Ken Kesey, and poet and City Lights bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti. 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. Cremation rites have been accorded. His first marriage, he would acknowledge, helped inspire him to go into business for himself. Read the obituary of Elijah W. Sterling (1933 - 2019) from Centreville, MD. Cynthia L. Dale Born: June 20, 1954 in Louisville, KY Died: March 2, 2023 in Sterling, IL Cynthia L. Dale, age 68, of Sterling, died Thursday, March 2, 2023 at her home. Thanks to his friendship with Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, Lord helped launch Stan and Jan Berenstains multimillion-selling books about an anthropomorphic bear family. I wasnt thinking of it; I was thinking of helping Jack, he said in an interview for this obituary in 2013. (He was married four times in all and had one child, Rebecca.). It also gave him a leg up on snootier agents who may have tossed their newspaper sports sections. Beloved husband of JoAnne and devoted and loving father of Tamara (Raymond). Friends may call 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Bethel Pentecostal Church, Oakfield with a funeral service being held at 1 p.m. For a complete obituary and to share condolences and memories, please visit bowersfuneral.com. What was your name before you changed it? a friend once asked Sterling Lord. Even the customarily wary wiseguys who populate Mr. Pileggis books had faith in him. 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.. An editor from Viking Press contacted Lord, offering a $900 advance. Mr. Lord gradually yielded day-to-day management and eventually sold his stock. 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.. But Lord was virtually absent from the project, which was directed by Walter Sales and starred Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart. 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. He was born on November 23, 1987 in Sterling the son of Thomas A. and Penny S. (Mashow) Avila Jr. and was a graduate Read More, Bob Marsh's passing has been publicly announced by Schilling Funeral Home - Sterling in Sterling, IL. With rare persistence, he endured the initial unwillingness of publishers to take on Kerouacs unorthodox narrative and was later the longtime agent for poet and playwright Amiri Baraka, novelist Ken Kesey and poet and City Lights bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti. 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. Browse Journal Advocate obituaries, conduct other obituary searches, offer condolences/tributes, send flowers or create an online memorial. He had a good death and died peacefully of old age, she told The Associated Press. And third, Ive been able to meet some extraordinarily interesting people.. Kerouac declined, but Lorde was so impressed with the book that he ended up pitching Kesey for his next work, Sometimes a Big Idea. But Mr. Lord proved powerless to halt Kerouacs decline into alcoholism and drugs, during which Mr. Lord would sometimes spring for his groceries. Carrie was born July 28, 1937 the daughter of Carl and Roda (McPherson) Blankenship. Honestly, I didnt want to deal with the situation at home, he told the Des Moines Register in 2015. Sterling Lord, who represented Jimmy Breslin, Art Buchwald, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gordon Parks and most famously, Jack Kerouac, died Saturday in Ocala, FL. Lord oversaw Kerouacs numerous posthumous releases even as he battled the authors family for control of the estate. Kerouac was a rough-hewed, hard-drinking New Englander who hung around with the Beats. He also became a tennis star at Grinnell College, and later a good enough player to compete against Don Budge, among others. And third, Ive been able to meet some extraordinarily interesting people.. A number of things about this business have really caught me and made it a compelling interest, Mr. Lord told the AP in 2013. 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. Even younger editors who may have related to Kerouacs jazzy celebration of youth and personal freedom turned him down. He had just turned 102. Then there was his perfect moniker. A number of things about this business have really caught me and made it a compelling interest, Lord said in 2013. Johnsons The Vantage Point, ultimately published in 1971, was dismissed by critics as bland and uninformative. In 1952, he launched his literary agency, later merging with another agency, Literistic, to form Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.[5] Kerouac entrusted him with his novel On the Road, and after more than four years Viking Press bought and published it. Click or call (800) 729-8809. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Local obituaries for Sterling, Illinois 407 Results Saturday, February 25, 2023 Add Photos 6 Memories Anne Atilano Anne Atilano Born: July 26, 1927 in Gary, IN Died: February 20, 2023 in. Born in Crisfield, MD, on February 18, 1933, he was the son of the late Charles and Laura Mae Sterling. In 1957, the book was published, The New York Times was delighted, and On the Road soon entered the American canon. Lord would also speak proudly of a project he declined: Lyndon Johnsons memoir. Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, Americans are spending money on beauty despite a pullback elsewhere | Ways of life, Police: 2 dead, 5 injured in Norfolk, Virginia. And third, Ive been able to meet some extraordinarily interesting people.. After serving in the Army Air Force during World War II, Lord co-owned the Germany-based magazine Weekend, which soon folded. They can walk down the street, and tell that the little old lady with the shopping cart is a cop. Mr. Lord had represented one of them, the sportswriter Frank Deford, for 53 years, and another, the investigative reporter and sometime novelist David Wise, for more than 60. But this is not a well-made novel, nor a saleable one nor even, I think, a good one.. His first marriage, he would acknowledge, helped inspire him to go into business for himself. 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. Menu. An editor from Viking Press contacted Lord, offering an advance of $900. About 10 years ago Sterling Lord invited four long-term clients of his for lunch at the Regency Hotel in New York. Sterling Lord, Premier Literary Agent, Is Dead at 102 The list of well-known writers he represented is long. But Lord had little involvement in the project, directed by Walter Salles and starring Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart. Lord turned them down, much to their surprise and anger. Mr. Lord had quick success by selling film rights to two popular sports books, Rocky Grazianos Somebody Up There Likes Me (ghostwritten by Rowland Barber) and Jimmy Piersalls Fear Strikes Out (ghostwritten by Al Hirshberg). [5] Little Boy, part novel, part memoir, was published by Doubleday in time for Ferlinghetti's 100th birthday. 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. He stayed with the company he founded until he was nearly 100 and then decided to launch a new one. With rare persistence, he endured the initial unwillingness of publishers to take on Kerouacs unorthodox narrative and was later the longtime agent for poet and playwright Amiri Baraka, novelist Ken Kesey and poet and City Lights bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In 1957, the book was released, The New York Times raved and On the Road soon entered the American canon. 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. With a rare tenacity, he endured the initial reluctance of the publishers embrace Kerouacs unconventional narrative and later was a longtime agent for a poet and playwright Amiri Baraka, a novelist Ken Kesey poet and owner of the Lights of the City bookstore. Lord died Saturday, Sept 3, 2022 in a Skilled Nursing home in Ocala, Florida, according to his daughter, Rebecca Lord. A third author on hand that day, the writer Nicholas Pileggi, had been a client for at least 50 years. Early life and education [ edit] Lord was born in Burlington, Iowa, [1] [2] on September 3, 1920. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Chaney-Reager Funeral Home and Crematory - Sterling . His death was confirmed by his daughter, Rebecca Lord, his only immediate survivor. And thirdly, I managed to get acquainted with unusually interesting people.. 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. Sterling Lord (September 3, 1920 September 3, 2022) was an American literary agent, editor, and author. He stayed with the company he founded until almost 100 years old, and then decided to open a new one. Even younger editors who may have related to Kerouacs jazzy celebration of youth and personal freedom turned him down. Fame magnified a drinking problem that killed him by 1969. [1] While in high school, Lord was the school's newspaper editor. The agent sold excerpts to The Paris Review and the periodical New World Writing. Cynthia was born June 20, 1954 in Louisville, KY, the daughter of Raymond and Dolores (Dezutti) Blackard. He was alert to new trends and an early ambassador for a revolutionary cultural movement: the Beats. For Mr. Lord, who died on Saturday his 102nd birthday in Ocala, Fla., such steadfastness was standard. Sterling Lord, the literary agent whose six-decade career began when he championed then-unknown Jack Kerouac, died on Saturday at 102, according to his daughter. Strong winds on Saturday will ease, and Sunday will be more pleasant, spring-like, Choice Waste Services is alerting Chesterfield customers of its no curbside recycling policy, Local HBCU sparks controversy with Caucasian email group, A DC police think tank is investigating Fairfax Co.s policy, Residents of East Palestine express their disappointment at a meeting of the local mayors office, Warm hubs spring up in Britain to beat skyrocketing energy costs, Hopewell police continue to investigate a double shooting months later, Human rights activists are helping to make Norfolk more accessible for people with disabilities, Some Fairfax Co. High School students. He had just turned 102. He was well-spoken and athletic, a most able negotiator who dressed in tweed and avoided most vices. Search by Name. Books and tennis were lifelong passions for Lord, who was born in Burlington, Iowa, in 1920. 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.. Lord died Saturday at a nursing home in Ocala, Florida, according to his daughter, Rebecca Lord. 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. A number of things about this business really caught my eye and got me very interested, Lord told the AP in 2013. 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. He had just turned 102. 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. 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. His first marriage, he would acknowledge, helped inspire him to go into business for himself. Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. According to the funeral home, the following Read More, Valerie A. Hill Died: February 2, 2023 STERLING " Valerie A. Hill, age 63, died Thursday, February 2, 2023 at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file). "He had a good death . 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. She married James D. Anderson on November Read More, Dale Sugars Born: March 11, 1944 in Walnut, IL Died: February 11, 2023 in Sterling, IL Dale Sugars, 78 of Sterling, died Sautrday February 11, 2023. He had just turned 102. Books and tennis were lifelong passions for Lord, born in Burlington, Iowa, in 1920. But Lord had little involvement in the project, directed by Walter Salles and starring Sam Riley and Kristen Stewart. Joe McGinniss, for whom Mr. Lord handled the celebrated 1969 study of the marketing of Richard M. Nixon, The Selling of the President 1968, said in an interview for this obituary in 2013, a year before he himself died: Sterlings career encapsulated the rise and fall of literary nonfiction in post-World War II America. Lord was married four times, and had one child, Rebecca. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news.