Ursula Nordstrom
Encyclopedia
Ursula Nordstrom was publisher and editor in chief
of juvenile books at Harper & Row
from 1940 to 1973. She also authored the 1960 children's book The Secret Language. A collection of her correspondence was published in 1998, as Dear Genius: the Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.
and grew up in New York City
. She took business courses at the Scudder School in New York before being hired as a clerk in the textbook department of Harper & Brothers and later as an assistant in the Harper Books for Boys and Girls section.
in which morality tales
written for adult approval gave way to works that instead appealed to children's imaginations and emotions.
She edited some of the milestones of children's literature, including E. B. White
's Stuart Little
(1945) and Charlotte's Web
(1952), Margaret Wise Brown
's Goodnight Moon
(1947), Crockett Johnson
's Harold and the Purple Crayon
(1955), Syd Hoff
's Danny and the Dinosaur
(1958), Maurice Sendak
's Where the Wild Things Are
(1963), and Shel Silverstein
's Where the Sidewalk Ends
(1974).
Other authors she edited included Laura Ingalls Wilder
, Margaret Wise Brown
, Ruth Krauss
, Crockett Johnson
, Charlotte Zolotow
, John Steptoe
, M.E. Kerr, Arnold Lobel
, among others.
Nordstrom began at Harper & Row in 1936 and was promoted to editor in chief of the Department of Books for Boys and Girls in 1940. In 1960 she became Harper's first female vice president. She stepped down as publisher in 1973, but continued on as senior editor with her own imprint
, Ursula Nordstrom Books, until 1979. She was succeeded
by her protege, author Charlotte Zolotow
, who began her career as Nordstrom's stenographer
.
. With her at the time of death was her longtime companion, Mary Griffith.
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of juvenile books at Harper & Row
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
from 1940 to 1973. She also authored the 1960 children's book The Secret Language. A collection of her correspondence was published in 1998, as Dear Genius: the Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.
Background
Ursula Nordstom was born in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and grew up in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She took business courses at the Scudder School in New York before being hired as a clerk in the textbook department of Harper & Brothers and later as an assistant in the Harper Books for Boys and Girls section.
Career
Nordstrom is credited with presiding over a transformation in children's literatureChildren's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
in which morality tales
Parable
A parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons, or a normative principle. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human...
written for adult approval gave way to works that instead appealed to children's imaginations and emotions.
She edited some of the milestones of children's literature, including E. B. White
E. B. White
Elwyn Brooks White , usually known as E. B. White, was an American writer. A long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine, he also wrote many famous books for both adults and children, such as the popular Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, and co-authored a widely used writing guide, The...
's Stuart Little
Stuart Little
Stuart Little is a 1945 children's novel by E. B. White, his first book for children, and is widely recognized as a classic in children's literature. Stuart Little was illustrated by the subsequently award-winning artist Garth Williams, also his first work for children...
(1945) and Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web
Charlotte's Web is an award-winning children's novel by acclaimed American author E. B. White, about a pig named Wilbur who is saved from being slaughtered by an intelligent spider named Charlotte. The book was first published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams.The novel tells the story...
(1952), Margaret Wise Brown
Margaret Wise Brown
Margaret Wise Brown was a prolific American author of children's literature, including the books Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, both illustrated by Clement Hurd.-Biography:...
's Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon is an American children's book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. It was first published in 1947, and is a highly acclaimed example of a bedtime story. It is about a child saying goodnight to everything around: "Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight...
(1947), Crockett Johnson
Crockett Johnson
Crockett Johnson was the pen name of cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk...
's Harold and the Purple Crayon
Harold and the Purple Crayon
Harold and the Purple Crayon is a 1955 children's book by Crockett Johnson. Johnson's most popular book, it led to a series of books, and inspired many adaptations.-Plot:...
(1955), Syd Hoff
Syd Hoff
Syd Hoff was a Jewish-American cartoonist and children's book author. Although best known for his classic early reader Danny and the Dinosaur, his cartoons appeared in a multitude of genres, including advertising commissions for such companies as Eveready Batteries, Jell-O, S.O.S Pads, Rambler,...
's Danny and the Dinosaur
Danny and the Dinosaur
Danny and the Dinosaur is a popular children's book by Syd Hoff, first published by Harper & Row in 1958. It has sold over six million copies and has been translated into a dozen languages. The book inspired two sequels by Syd Hoff: Happy Birthday, Danny and the Dinosaur! and Danny and the Dinosaur...
(1958), Maurice Sendak
Maurice Sendak
Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963.-Early life:...
's Where the Wild Things Are
Where The Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short in 1973 , a 1980 opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film...
(1963), and Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
's Where the Sidewalk Ends
Where the Sidewalk Ends (book)
Where the Sidewalk Ends is a collection of children's poetry written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein. The book's poems address many common childhood concerns and also presents purely fanciful stories...
(1974).
Other authors she edited included Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, Margaret Wise Brown
Margaret Wise Brown
Margaret Wise Brown was a prolific American author of children's literature, including the books Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny, both illustrated by Clement Hurd.-Biography:...
, Ruth Krauss
Ruth Krauss
Ruth Krauss was an author of children's books, one of the most well known being The Carrot Seed, and an author of theatrical poems for an adult audience. Many of her books are still in print....
, Crockett Johnson
Crockett Johnson
Crockett Johnson was the pen name of cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk...
, Charlotte Zolotow
Charlotte Zolotow
Charlotte Zolotow is an American author, poet, editor, and publisher of many books for children ....
, John Steptoe
John Steptoe
John Steptoe is an award winning author and illustrator for children’s books dealing with aspects of the African American experience....
, M.E. Kerr, Arnold Lobel
Arnold Lobel
Arnold Stark Lobel was a popular American author of children's books. Among his most popular books are those of the Frog and Toad series, and Mouse Soup, which won the Garden State Children's Book Award from the New Jersey Library Association.Lobel won the 1981 Caldecott Medal for his book...
, among others.
Nordstrom began at Harper & Row in 1936 and was promoted to editor in chief of the Department of Books for Boys and Girls in 1940. In 1960 she became Harper's first female vice president. She stepped down as publisher in 1973, but continued on as senior editor with her own imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
, Ursula Nordstrom Books, until 1979. She was succeeded
Successor
A successor can refer to* Someone who, or something which succeeds or comes after * Successor , an American Thoroughbred racehorseIn history:* The Diadochi, or Successors to Alexander the GreatIn mathematics:...
by her protege, author Charlotte Zolotow
Charlotte Zolotow
Charlotte Zolotow is an American author, poet, editor, and publisher of many books for children ....
, who began her career as Nordstrom's stenographer
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
.
Death
Ursula Nordstrom died in 1988, aged 78, from ovarian cancerOvarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
. With her at the time of death was her longtime companion, Mary Griffith.