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Lurton Blassingame

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American literary agent (1904–1988)
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Lurton Blassingame (February 10, 1904 – April 1988) was a literary agent of long career based in New York City, a Howard College- and Columbia University-trained journalist whose clients included Robert A. Heinlein and Frank Herbert.

Early life and education

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Blassingame was born on February 10, 1904 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and moved with his family—he had a sister, Alice—afterward, to Auburn, Alabama, with his first university degree coming from Howard College in Birmingham.[when? ][1] He moved to New York City, completing a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University.[1] [when? ] His Master's thesis focused on the history of pulp fiction.[citation needed ]

Career

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Blassingame's first job was as a writer in Hollywood.[citation needed ] While yet in his 20's (ca. 1929), he founded the agency that he would run for nearly 50 years, mostly in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.[1] In 1937-1938, he and writer William Allen founded the American Library Foundation in California.[clarification needed ][citation needed ]

He saw a major success in 1943 representing Rosemary Taylor in the publication of Chicken Every Sunday , a best seller from McGraw-Hill (made into motion picture in 1948).[1]

Blassingame's public relations operation, named Houston Branch Associates,[citation needed ] was "one-man", and he sold it off in 1979[1] —to Eleanor Wood, where it became part of Spectrum Literary Agency.[citation needed ] He retired in 1980.[1]

Clientele and dedications

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In addition to Taylor, Blassingame served as literary agent for Robert A. Heinlein,[when? ][1] Frank Herbert,[when? ][1] Gerald Green,[when? ][citation needed ] William F. Nolan,[when? ][1] and John Barth.[when? ][1]

Blassingame is, further, known to an extent through periodic author dedications.[citation needed ] Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1951 science fiction work, The Puppet Masters , to him.[citation needed ][2] Frank Herbert's first full-length novel set in the ConSentiency universe, and featuring Bureau of Sabotage agent Jorj X. McKie, the 1969-1970 Whipping Star , appeared with this dedication in the Putnam edition:

To Lurton Blassingame, who helped buy the time for this book, dedicated with affection and admiration[.][3]

In 1980, literary agent Kirby McCauley dedicated his horror anthology, Dark Forces , to Blassingame "with admiration and affection".[citation needed ]

Robert Heinlein's posthumous 1989 book Grumbles from the Grave , which consists of his letters, features more to Blassingame than any other correspondent (as well as some of Blassingames' letters to him).[citation needed ][4] [full citation needed ]

Personal life and passing

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This article relies largely or entirely on a single source . Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.
Find sources: "Lurton Blassingame" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2024)

Blassingame was married to the former Kathryn Shaw of Montgomery, Alabama, with whom he had a son, Lurton Wyatt Blassingame.[1]

He was described by a close associate of decades, Margo Fischer, as being "full of life", with passions for fishing and hunting, as well playing bridge and attending the ballet and opera; "He was always a thoughtful person with a wonderful sense of humor," she stated to The New York Times.[1]

With his 1943 success with Rosemary Taylor's work, Blassingame bought Ilikite (his fashioning of "I like it"), a country house near Peekskill, New York.[1]

His wife Kathryn died in 1980; in that year he retired, relocating first from New York to Florida, and later to Mobile, Alabama where his sister resided.[1] Blassingame, battling liver cancer, "died in his sleep at his home in Mobile" at the age of 84.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o McDowell, Edwin (April 13, 1988). "Lurton Blassingame, 84, Agent". The New York Times . Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Heinlein also used Blassingame's address and his name, in "care-of", for form letter responses to fans.[citation needed ]
  3. ^ Herbert, Frank (1969). Whipping Star. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam. p. v. LCCN 71-108744 . Retrieved July 7, 2024.[non-primary source needed ]
  4. ^ Heinlein, Robert A. (1989). Grumbles from the Grave (1st ed.). p. 140 and passim.[full citation needed ]
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