[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 1, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S1057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING FRED HILL

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity to honor 
the memory of a very special man, Frederick ``Fred'' Hill of Sonoma 
County, who died on February 9, 2011. He was 75 years old.
  Fred Hill was a man of many talents and will be fondly remembered for 
his diverse work in the literary world. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Fred 
went on to attend Brown University. Following graduation, Fred served 
in the Army before getting a job as a travelling textbook salesman with 
Knopf. He later worked for Little, Brown as a Western States salesman 
and then as head of the company's international division. Throughout 
this transformative time of travel and networking, Fred realized his 
gift: he loved writers, he loved publishers, and he was uniquely gifted 
in his ability to interact with and explain one to the other.
  Fred relocated to the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1970s. In 
1979, after 5 years as general manager at Sierra Club Books, he rented 
an office on Union Street and opened his own agency, which is now run 
by his business partner, Bonnie Nadell. Fred remained on Union Street, 
in one office or another, until he decided to move his business to Glen 
Ellen, where he resided with his partner, Peter Gilliam.
  The job of a literary agent is all encompassing, as their success 
depends on their client's success. Authors bestow a great deal of trust 
to their agents, and I know personally that Fred Hill was an 
outstanding agent. He was able to be encouraging and yet be critical 
where warranted.
  Fred worked diligently to advance the products and interests of his 
clients, and could always be counted on to excite virtually anyone 
about a client's book. Fred's clients ranged from best-selling novelist 
Richard North Patterson to nonfiction writer Michael Murphy. He also 
worked with an extensive list of food writers, including Carol Field, 
Hubert Keller, David Lebovitz, and Gerald Hirigoyen.
  Those who knew Fred Hill recognized him as a uniquely innovative and 
brilliant man. His work in the literary world will be remembered fondly 
by all those whose lives he touched. He will be deeply missed.
  Fred is survived by his partner of 31 years, Peter Gilliam.

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