Gordon Lish: ‘Had I not revised Carver, would he be paid the attention given him? Baloney!’

Christian Lorentzen talks to the legendary editor in an extract from a forthcoming issue of the Paris ReviewIt’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. Not since Maxwell Perkins has an editor been so famous – or notorious – as a sculptor of other people’s prose. As fiction editor of Esquire from 1969 to 1977, then as an editor at Knopf and of the Quarterly until 1995, Lish worked closely with many of the most daring writers of the past 50 years, including Raymond Carver, Don DeLillo, Barry Hannah and Joy Williams. In an interview with the Paris Review in 2004, Hannah said: “Gordon Lish was a genius editor. A deep friend and mentor. He taught me how to write short stories. He would cross out everything so there’d be like three lines left, and he would be right.”His collaborations have not always ended amicably. His editorial relationship with Carver ceased after three books. When Lish donated his papers to the Lilly Library at Indiana University Bloomington, they indeed showed that he had drastically cut, and often rewritten, some of Carver’s best-loved stories. For the Collected Stories, published in 2009, Carver’s widow, Tess Gallagher, printed some of them in both edited and unedited versions. The critical reaction was divided. In the New York Times book review, Stephen King described the effect on one story as “a total rewrite … a cheat”; in the New York... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]

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PW Picks: Books of the Week, June 2, 2014

This week, new Stephen King, new Herman Koch, and the best literary puzzle of the summer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New England Has it All: Spotlight On New England 2014

New England may cull up images of bucolic fields, snow-covered mountains, sparkling lakes, and mud season, but it’s also home to a veritable who’s who of bestselling authors ranging from Stephen King, Dan Brown and Henry Louis Gates Jr. to Mary Oliver and Julia Glass. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Second 2014 novel for Stephen King

Hodder & Stoughton will publish Stephen King’s second novel of 2014, Revival, in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hard Case Releasing New King Editions

Titan Books's pulp imprint Hard Case Crime will be releasing two new editions of Stephen King's "Joyland," which it originally published in June 2013. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Dr. Sleep’ Wakes Up Social Media

Stephen King’s follow-up to his 1977 novel The Shining was the most buzzed-about book on social media for the month of September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital Pioneer Goes Back to Print: No Ebook of Stephen King’s Latest

Despite his early support for ebooks, Stephen King latest novel, Joyland will be published in print only, with no digital version anticipated. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen King's decision to skip the ebook format gets renewed attention

Stephen King said his new novel, 'Joyland,' will be released in paper format only. 'Let people ... go to an actual bookstore,' said King. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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No ebook for Stephen King's new novel, 'Joyland'

In a move to bump up physical book sales, Stephen King will not release an ebook version of his new novel, "Joyland," the Wall Street Journal reports.In a move to bump up physical book sales, Stephen King will not release an ebook version of his new novel, "Joyland," the Wall Street Journal reports. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Digital publishing first' for Stephen King

Hodder & Stoughton has put an interactive version of the cover of Stephen King's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Stephen King novel for Hard Case Crime

A new novel by Stephen King, Joyland, is to be published by Titan Books imprint Hard Case Crime... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: 'Threats' by Amelia Gray

In this spooky, atmospheric debut novel, readers enter a sterile, off-kilter world of horror — sort of — that is more David Lynch than Stephen King.Threats Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen King to release audio digital story

Hodder & Stoughton will publish an original audio digital short story by bestselling author... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Savannah Book Festival Comes Of Age

At just five years old, the Savannah Book Festival, in the genteel coastal city of Savannah, Ga., is carving a space for itself among the book festival big leagues, boasting not one but two of the nation’s current #1 bestselling authors: Stephen King (for 11/22/63) and Walter Isaacson (Steve Jobs). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Carluccio's memoir to Hardie Grant

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 09:00 Hardie Grant has acquired the memoir of Italian chef and restauranteur Antonio Carluccio. World rights to the title, to be published in autumn 2012, were bought by Stephen King, general manager of Hardie Grant UK from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More Dark Tower from Stephen King

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 17/06/2011 - 10:55 Hodder & Stoughton has acquired an eighth title in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, which has Roland Deschain of Gilead as its lead character. The Wind Through the Keyhole will be published worldwide in spring... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder reanimates Stephen King backlist

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 21/04/2011 - 07:40 Hodder is rolling out a new backlist look for one of its supernatural and thriller stars, Stephen King. The publisher will be re-issuing his backlist, including titles written by his alter-ego, Richard Bachman. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hardie Grant buys three by Hay

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 31/03/2011 - 08:55 Independent publisher Hardie Grant has acquired three titles by Australian food editor and cookbook author Donna Hay. Stephen King, general manager of Hardie Grant London, acquired UK rights to the titles from Hollie Zondanos,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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