Sterling North
Encyclopedia
Thomas Sterling North was an American
author
of books for children and adults, including 1963's bestselling Rascal
. North, who professionally went by "Sterling North", was born on the second floor of a farmhouse on the shores of Lake Koshkonong
, a few miles from Edgerton, Wisconsin
, in 1906, and died in Morristown, New Jersey
in 1974. Surviving a near-paralyzing struggle with polio in his teens, he grew to young adulthood in the quiet southern Wisconsin village of Edgerton, which North transformed into the "Brailsford Junction" setting of several of his books.
pioneers. Born in Putnam County, New York
, James moved first to near Rochester, New York
, then to Menomonee, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee
), then pioneered a farm near present day South Wayne
, in southwestern Wisconsin. His daughter, Sarah Elizabeth "Elizabeth" Nelson, was Sterling North's mother; she died when Sterling was seven years old. She married David Willard North, also the product of a pioneering local family, whose brother ran the family farm.
Sterling North had three siblings: two sisters, Jessica Nelson North
who was an author, poet
, and editor; Theo, who was the martinet in the family; and a brother, Herschel, who survived World War I. When Sterling North was eleven (in 1917, which would have been the year of his maternal grandfather's 100th birthday), several of his uncles wrote extended biographies about their parents and their pioneer farm life. One of these uncles was Justus Henry Nelson
, an early missionary in the Amazon Basin
. This writing effort was at the same time as the setting of Rascal and may have been an early literary inspiration to North.
, the New York World-Telegram
, and the New York Sun
, before becoming a full-time freelance writer. In 1940, in his position as Chicago Daily News Literary Editor, North was one of the first public figures to denounce the newly popular medium of comic book
s. Barely two years after the introduction of Superman
, North wrote that comics were "a poisonous mushroom growth of the last two years" and that comic book publishers were "guilty of a cultural slaughter of the innocents." (These charges were echoed over the following 15 years by other public figures like J. Edgar Hoover
, John Mason Brown
, and most notably Dr. Fredric Wertham
, until Congressional hearings led to the mid-1950s self-censorship and rapid shrinkage of the comics industry.)
One of North's first books, The Pedro Gorino, published in 1929, was a narrative of the life of Harry Dean, an African-American sea captain. A 1934 North novel, Plowing on Sunday, featured a rare dust jacket illustration by Iowa artist Grant Wood
.
North's book Midnight and Jeremiah
was made into the Disney movie So Dear to My Heart
in 1949. (The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
for Burl Ives
's version of the 17th century English song "Lavender Blue
). In addition, North wrote Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to White House, The Wolfling: A Documentary Novel of the Eighteen-Seventies, Racoons are the Brightest People, Hurry Spring, The Wolfling,and many other books.
In 1957, he became the general editor of Houghton Mifflin
's North Star Books. This firm published biographies of American heroes for young adult readers. Although uncredited, North's beloved bride, Gladys Buchanan North, also contributed to the editing process.
, in 1963. The book is a remembrance of a year in his childhood when he raised a baby raccoon which he named Rascal. It received a Newbery Honor in 1964, a Sequoyah Book Award
in 1966, and a Young Reader's Choice Award
in 1966. It was made into the Disney
movie of the same name
in 1969. Additionally, it was made into a 52-episode Japanese anime
entitled Araiguma Rasukaru
. Araiguma Rascal means Racoon Rascal. The success of the anime was responsible for the unfortunate introduction of the North American Raccoon into Japan
Subtitled "a memoir of a better era", North's book is a prose poem to adolescent angst. Rascal chronicles young Sterling's loving, troubled relationship with his father, dreamer David Willard North, and the aching loss represented by the death of his mother, Elizabeth Nelson North. The boy reconnects with society through the unlikely intervention of his pet raccoon, a "ringtailed wonder" charmer that dominates almost every page.
The author's sister, poet and art historian Jessica Nelson North, is one note of early 1900s normalcy in the book. She wasn't particularly pleased with how her brother portrayed her family in Rascal, yet was proud of her brother's achievement nonetheless.
was restored to its 1917 appearance by the Sterling North Society and transformed into a museum. A bronze sign in front of the home, marking North's significance in the history of this southern Wisconsin community, was dedicated in October, 1984. Money for the sign was contributed by the school children of Rock County, the Edgerton Area Chamber of Commerce, and friends of Sterling North.
, children's book author Kevin Henkes
, Bill Clinton and Vince Lombardi biographer David Maraniss
, Wisconsin writer and volunteer firefighter Michael Perry
, and North's daughter and children's book author Arielle North Olson
appeared. Since then, there have been three other book festivals held in Edgerton honoring the memory of Sterling North.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of books for children and adults, including 1963's bestselling Rascal
Rascal (book)
Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, often referred to as Rascal, is a 1963 children's book by Sterling North about his childhood in Wisconsin.-Publication:Rascal was published in 1963...
. North, who professionally went by "Sterling North", was born on the second floor of a farmhouse on the shores of Lake Koshkonong
Lake Koshkonong
Lake Koshkonong is a reservoir in southern Wisconsin. It lies along the Rock River, . down-river from Fort Atkinson, primarily in southwestern Jefferson County, although small portions of the lake extend into southeastern Dane and northern Rock counties....
, a few miles from Edgerton, Wisconsin
Edgerton, Wisconsin
Edgerton is a city in Dane and Rock Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,933 at the 2000 census. Known locally as "Tobacco City U.S.A.," because of the importance of tobacco growing in the region, Edgerton continues to be a center for the declining tobacco industry in the...
, in 1906, and died in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
in 1974. Surviving a near-paralyzing struggle with polio in his teens, he grew to young adulthood in the quiet southern Wisconsin village of Edgerton, which North transformed into the "Brailsford Junction" setting of several of his books.
Early life and family
Sterling North's maternal grandparents, James Hervey Nelson and Sarah Orelup Nelson, were WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
pioneers. Born in Putnam County, New York
Putnam County, New York
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
, James moved first to near Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, then to Menomonee, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
), then pioneered a farm near present day South Wayne
South Wayne, Wisconsin
South Wayne is a village in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 484 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Wayne is located at ....
, in southwestern Wisconsin. His daughter, Sarah Elizabeth "Elizabeth" Nelson, was Sterling North's mother; she died when Sterling was seven years old. She married David Willard North, also the product of a pioneering local family, whose brother ran the family farm.
Sterling North had three siblings: two sisters, Jessica Nelson North
Jessica Nelson North
Jessica Nelson North was an American author, poet and editor.- Early life and family :Jessica Nelson North was born in Madison, Wisconsin, the daughter of David Willard North and Sarah Elizabeth "Elizabeth" North. She grew up on the shore of Lake Koshkonong near to what later became St...
who was an author, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and editor; Theo, who was the martinet in the family; and a brother, Herschel, who survived World War I. When Sterling North was eleven (in 1917, which would have been the year of his maternal grandfather's 100th birthday), several of his uncles wrote extended biographies about their parents and their pioneer farm life. One of these uncles was Justus Henry Nelson
Justus Henry Nelson
The Revd Justus Henry Nelson established the first Protestant church in the Amazon basin and was a self-supporting Methodist missionary in Belém, Pará, Brazil for 45 years.-Early years:...
, an early missionary in the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
. This writing effort was at the same time as the setting of Rascal and may have been an early literary inspiration to North.
Writing career
After attending the University of Chicago (he left without graduating in 1929), North worked as a reporter (eventually literary editor) for the Chicago Daily NewsChicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
, the New York World-Telegram
New York World-Telegram
The New York World-Telegram, later known as the New York World-Telegram and Sun, was a New York City newspaper from 1931 to 1966.-History:...
, and the New York Sun
New York Sun (historical)
The Sun was a New York newspaper that was published from 1833 until 1950. It was considered a serious paper, like the city's two more successful broadsheets, The New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune...
, before becoming a full-time freelance writer. In 1940, in his position as Chicago Daily News Literary Editor, North was one of the first public figures to denounce the newly popular medium of comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s. Barely two years after the introduction of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, North wrote that comics were "a poisonous mushroom growth of the last two years" and that comic book publishers were "guilty of a cultural slaughter of the innocents." (These charges were echoed over the following 15 years by other public figures like J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
, John Mason Brown
John Mason Brown
John Mason Brown was an American drama critic and author.Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he graduated from Harvard College in 1923. He worked for the New York Evening Post from 1929 to 1941. He served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II, beginning in 1942...
, and most notably Dr. Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham
Fredric Wertham was a Jewish German-American psychiatrist and crusading author who protested the purportedly harmful effects of violent imagery in mass media and comic books on the development of children. His best-known book was Seduction of the Innocent , which purported that comic books are...
, until Congressional hearings led to the mid-1950s self-censorship and rapid shrinkage of the comics industry.)
One of North's first books, The Pedro Gorino, published in 1929, was a narrative of the life of Harry Dean, an African-American sea captain. A 1934 North novel, Plowing on Sunday, featured a rare dust jacket illustration by Iowa artist Grant Wood
Grant Wood
Grant DeVolson Wood was an American painter, born four miles east of Anamosa, Iowa. He is best known for his paintings depicting the rural American Midwest, particularly the painting American Gothic, an iconic image of the 20th century.- Life and career :His family moved to Cedar Rapids after his...
.
North's book Midnight and Jeremiah
Midnight and Jeremiah
Midnight and Jeremiah is a 1943 children's book by Sterling North, which was the basis for the 1949 Disney film So Dear to My Heart.Set in early 1900s Indiana, the story is about a boy and his quest to raise his "champion" lamb and show him at the Pike County Fair...
was made into the Disney movie So Dear to My Heart
So Dear to My Heart
So Dear to My Heart is a 1948 feature film produced by Walt Disney, released in Chicago on November 29, 1948 and nationwide on January 19, 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. Like 1946's Song of the South, the film combines animation and live action...
in 1949. (The movie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
's version of the 17th century English song "Lavender Blue
Lavender Blue
"Lavender Blue," also called "Lavender's Blue," is an English folk song and nursery rhyme dating to the seventeenth century, which has been recorded in various forms since the twentieth century. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3483...
). In addition, North wrote Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to White House, The Wolfling: A Documentary Novel of the Eighteen-Seventies, Racoons are the Brightest People, Hurry Spring, The Wolfling,and many other books.
In 1957, he became the general editor of Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
's North Star Books. This firm published biographies of American heroes for young adult readers. Although uncredited, North's beloved bride, Gladys Buchanan North, also contributed to the editing process.
Rascal
North published his most famous work, RascalRascal (book)
Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, often referred to as Rascal, is a 1963 children's book by Sterling North about his childhood in Wisconsin.-Publication:Rascal was published in 1963...
, in 1963. The book is a remembrance of a year in his childhood when he raised a baby raccoon which he named Rascal. It received a Newbery Honor in 1964, a Sequoyah Book Award
Sequoyah Book Award
The Sequoyah Children's Book Award is given each year to the book that is selected by Oklahoma students in 3rd-5th grades as their favorite. The Sequoyah Young Adult Award , which is voted for by Oklahoma students in 6th-8th grades, was created in 1988...
in 1966, and a Young Reader's Choice Award
Young Reader's Choice Award
The Young Reader's Choice Award is an annual book award chosen by students from the Pacific Northwest. It is run by the Pacific Northwest Library Association, and was established in 1940, making it the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada....
in 1966. It was made into the Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
movie of the same name
Rascal (film)
Rascal is a film that was released in 1969 by Walt Disney Pictures.-Synopsis:The movie is based on Sterling North's 1963 "memoir of a better era." North, born near Edgerton, Wisconsin, was a former literary editor for newspapers in Chicago and New York...
in 1969. Additionally, it was made into a 52-episode Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
entitled Araiguma Rasukaru
Araiguma Rascal
is a Japanese anime series by Nippon Animation. It is based on the 1963 autobiographical novel "Rascal, A Memoir of a Better Era" by Sterling North.-Music:...
. Araiguma Rascal means Racoon Rascal. The success of the anime was responsible for the unfortunate introduction of the North American Raccoon into Japan
Subtitled "a memoir of a better era", North's book is a prose poem to adolescent angst. Rascal chronicles young Sterling's loving, troubled relationship with his father, dreamer David Willard North, and the aching loss represented by the death of his mother, Elizabeth Nelson North. The boy reconnects with society through the unlikely intervention of his pet raccoon, a "ringtailed wonder" charmer that dominates almost every page.
The author's sister, poet and art historian Jessica Nelson North, is one note of early 1900s normalcy in the book. She wasn't particularly pleased with how her brother portrayed her family in Rascal, yet was proud of her brother's achievement nonetheless.
Sterling North Home and Museum
In the 1990s, North's childhood home at 409 West Rollin Street, Edgerton, WisconsinEdgerton, Wisconsin
Edgerton is a city in Dane and Rock Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 4,933 at the 2000 census. Known locally as "Tobacco City U.S.A.," because of the importance of tobacco growing in the region, Edgerton continues to be a center for the declining tobacco industry in the...
was restored to its 1917 appearance by the Sterling North Society and transformed into a museum. A bronze sign in front of the home, marking North's significance in the history of this southern Wisconsin community, was dedicated in October, 1984. Money for the sign was contributed by the school children of Rock County, the Edgerton Area Chamber of Commerce, and friends of Sterling North.
Centennial commemoration
North's hometown of Edgerton celebrated his 100th birthday during a book festival October 21–22, 2006. Journalist Helen ThomasHelen Thomas
Helen Thomas is an American author and former news service reporter, member of the White House Press Corps and opinion columnist. She worked for the United Press and post-1958 successor United Press International for 57 years, first as a correspondent, and later as White House bureau manager...
, children's book author Kevin Henkes
Kevin Henkes
Kevin Henkes is a successful children's book illustrator and author known for winning both the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Honor for writing...
, Bill Clinton and Vince Lombardi biographer David Maraniss
David Maraniss
David Maraniss is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. As a reporter for The Washington Post he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his stories about the life and career of candidate Bill Clinton in the 1992 campaign for the U.S...
, Wisconsin writer and volunteer firefighter Michael Perry
Michael Perry (author)
Michael Perry is a writer and a humorist. Perry is a self described "Country Chronicler". Perry has written three best selling memoirs. He has also written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Backpacker, Outside, and Salon.com. Perry was born on a small farm in rural Wisconsin, and raised...
, and North's daughter and children's book author Arielle North Olson
Arielle North Olson
-Family:Arielle is the daughter of noted author Sterling North, who wrote Rascal. She is also the niece of author, poet and editor Jessica Nelson North. She is one of the copyright owners of Sterling North's body of work. She now has 3 children and 7 grandchildren, and is a resident of St. Louis,...
appeared. Since then, there have been three other book festivals held in Edgerton honoring the memory of Sterling North.