Gordon Lish: The Most Controversial Editor in American Literature
By
Interviewed by Christian Lorentzen
Summary
Profile of Gordon Lish, the famously interventionist fiction editor who worked at Esquire (1969-1977), Knopf, and The Quarterly until 1995. Known as a "sculptor of other people's prose," Lish collaborated with major writers including Harold Brodkey, Raymond Carver, Don DeLillo, Barry Hannah, and Joy Williams. The article explores his controversial editing philosophy and his outsized influence on American literature over the past fifty years.
Source
Twitter / XGordon Lish: The Most Controversial Editor in American Literaturetheparisreview.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledI've got the fucking gift for it. Instinct, call it.
Not since Maxwell Perkins has an editor been so famous—or notorious—as a sculptor of other people's prose.
It's the custom for editors to keep a low profile and to underplay any changes they may make to an author's manuscript. Gordon Lish is a different animal.
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