Starling R. Lawrence

Clemente Founding Board Member, 

Publishing Leader & Acclaimed Author

It is with deep sadness that we let the Clemente community know that chairman emeritus of The Clemente Course, Starling R. Lawrence, has passed away. 

Star was part of Clemente from the beginning and was someone without whom our experiment of bringing the humanities to the underserved would not have happened. Aside from being our founder Earl Shorris’ closest friend, trusted confidant, and book editor, he supported the launch of Clemente by, among other things, arranging for W.W. Norton to provide the texts to the first classes of Clemente students.  He went on to champion Clemente in innumerable ways, shaping us into the organization we are today.

As the obituary for Star in The New York Times makes clear, Star was a man of innumerable accomplishments.  He was a giant in the publishing world, having edited books from some of the most critically and commercially successful authors in America. He truly shaped the field of American letters, discovering and nurturing best-selling authors including Michael Lewis.  Star was also an accomplished author himself, whose celebrated novels included The Lightning Keeper and Montenegro.

We will be forever grateful for Star and all he has done for Clemente and his memory will be a blessing for his family and for all of us in the Clemente community.  Please consider making a  donation to the newly created Starling R. Lawrence Endowment at Clemente in his honor.