James L. (James Lauren) Ford

Born in St. Louis on July 25, 1854, James Lauren Ford became known as an American author, humorist, and journalist. He is remembered especially for his long association with the New York Herald, where he served for many years as a literary critic, and for books that drew on his experience in publishing and city life.

Ford wrote short stories, essays, and memoir-like reflections on the literary world. His work includes The Literary Shop, and Other Tales and Forty-Odd Years in the Literary Shop, titles that show his interest in writers, editors, and the culture of magazines and newspapers. He died on February 26, 1928.

Accounts of his later years note that he continued on through severe health difficulties, including the loss of both legs and, near the end of his life, blindness. Even so, he remains a memorable figure from the era when journalism, criticism, and literary society were closely intertwined.