A prolific author of stories and novels, lish has also won a cult following for his own fiction, earning comparisons with gertrude stein and samuel beckett. You wont learn that lish is jewish from most of what you read about him, online or off. Rather, it has inadvertently pointed up the editorial genius of gordon lish. And bill has kindly given permission for us to run a selection. Arcade or how to write a novel lish, gordon 06nov1998. Serving many patients from the tristate area of new york, connecticut, and new jersey and beyond, the westchester office boasts 10,000 square feet of space with ample parking and an onsite cafe. White plains, by gordon lish, little island press, 288 pp. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. By his own account, lish founded it as a way to meet more interesting friends, but it holds up remarkably well, with sharp design and arch editorial squibs that anticipate the early efforts of dave eggers. In zimzum 1993 the narrator, one gordon lish who may or may not be related to the gordon lish of white plains, recalls a childhood trip to the beach, as well as undertaking an audit of past sexual encounters, the latter bearing no ready relation to the presentday purchase of an outsized vibrator that, like many another aspect of a poorly. But he is also deeply influenced by french critical theory, especially deleuze and guattari and julia kristeva. Gordon lish books list of books by author gordon lish. White plains by gordon lish, 9780993505690, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. I read an article about gordon lish and his master class.
Ranging from 1965 to 2015, these interviews document his. Mark s gordon, md is a doctor primarily located in white plains, ny, with other offices in white plains, ny and white plains, ny. White plains by gordon lish, 9780995705265, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. He is the author, most recently, of white plains little island.
As an editor at esquire and knopf, he championed the work of some of the most accomplished writers of modern fiction. Lishs latest work of exquisitely crafted fiction sees a narrator variously gordon, i, he approaching the precipice of old age. Lishs latest collection of exquisitely crafted fictions sees a narrato. If, as jonathan sturgeon has suggested, we have entered an era dominated by autofiction, in which the life of the author is now the novels organizing principle 2014.
Gordon depended on bill for a lot of his author photos and also his own jacket photos. He has had a profound influence on american writers, something like gertrude stein in the 1920s. White plains by gordon lish 2018, paperback for sale. Gordon lish, writer, editor, and terrifying creative writing teacher, publishes a new collection, white plains. Little island press expands into fiction with adventurous. A country where the publishing fiefdoms of manhattan were proud castles in the.
Gordon lish lishs latest collection of exquisitely crafted fictions sees a narrator variously gordon, i, he approaching the precipice of old age. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast infidelities and betrayals. Yet if i do write, i want it to be as exacting as i can make it. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. We personally assess every books quality and offer rare, outofprint treasures. Lish comes out of an era, the sixties and seventies, the golden age of american experiment, the high modernist years of hawkes, barth, barthelme and coover among others. Gordon lish is still vibrant after all these years publishers weekly. Little island had published lishs white plains, as well as books by his students. In reading about him elsewhere, his students have variously described their experiences of his classes as. Gordon lishs latest work of exquisitely crafted fiction sees a narrator variously gordon. Beyond the major publishers seasonal lists to outoftheway presses and lesserknown writers. I offered to proofread white plains so that it might actually be as its author intended.
In many profiles of lish, like one published last year in publishers weekly, jewishness just doesnt come up. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. On the long, detailed wikipedia page devoted to him, the only mention of his religious background is the tag jewish american novelists, which hides among 25 other categories bunched on. Jun 30, 2017 gordon lish is still vibrant after all these years gordon lish, writer, editor, and terrifying creative writing teacher, publishes a new collection, white plains. Would we be highlighting this collection of literary odds and ends from a tiny indie press if its author were not the erstwhile captain fiction, editor of raymond carvers early stories, and one of american fictions most infamous provocateurs. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast infidelities and betrayals, ongoing friendships, the relative comfort of household chairs, to forge a series of interlinked hypnotic and. One of the most important literary editors of the 20th century, first as fiction editor of esquire from 1969 to 1977, then as an editor at knopf and of the quarterly until 1995, gordon lish worked closely with many of the most daring writers of the past fifty years, including harold brodkey. Gordon lish on john the posthumous book acquired, 6. The title is a joke on his theneditor, gordon captain fiction lish, who apparently hannah referred to. Lishs latest collection of exquisitely crafted fictions sees a narrator variously gordon, i, he approaching the precipice of old age.
Not since maxwell perkins has an editor been so famousor notoriousas a sculptor of other peoples prose. Gordon lish born february 11, 1934 in hewlett, new york is an american writer. Jul 22, 2017 gordon lish, who is best known as the editor of raymond carvers short stories but has also written plenty of fiction in his own right, is familiar with this dilemma, and in white plains little. As a literary editor, he championed many american authors, particularly raymond carver, barry hannah, amy hempel, rick bass, and richard ford. Gordon lish has 33 books on goodreads with 4096 ratings. Gordon lish is one of few living american writers about whom an occasional patter will erupt. On the morning of july 8, 1980, raymond carver wrote an impassioned letter to gordon lish, his friend and editor at alfred a. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish. Gordons private consultation and examination rooms offer patients a calm and comfortable setting to learn about the best cosmetic procedures for their desired results.
These have won lish a small but passionate cult following as a writer of recursive and often very funny prose. Thriftbooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast. The gordon lish lineage of jewish american writing read online for free. No american editor of the last half century has been profiled and talked about more regularly and energetically than gordon lish. In an interview with this magazine in 2004, hannah said, gordon lish was a. Discover book depositorys huge selection of gordon lish books online. Buy white plains by gordon lish from waterstones today. The gordon lish lineage of jewish american writing literary hub. As a college student all hot for literature id had my brain waves rearranged and my taste in fiction formed by the amazingly odd and disturbing stories gordon lish had published in esquire as.
While lishs significant involvement in carvers writing had long been suspected, the extent of his editing became public knowledge when, in 2007, carvers widow, the poet tess gallagher, announced that she was. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together. One of the most important literary editors of the 20th century, first as fiction editor of esquire from 1969 to 1977, then as an editor at knopf and of the quarterly until 1995, gordon lish worked closely with many. Aug 01, 2017 against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast infidelities and betrayals, ongoing friendships, the relative comfort of household chairs, to forge a series of interlinked hypnotic and consistently hilarious narratives. Carver editors fictional pieces put the trickery of writing centre stage. Although in many ways this book has the same sort of coherence we find in a book like my romance, in its focus on the life circumstances of gordon lish white plains does offer more variety in its realization of the strategy, and some readers might prefer to try lish in somewhat briefer samples. Little island press expands into fiction with adventurous lish title. Conversations with gordon lish collects all of lishs major interviews, covering the entire span of his extraordinary career. Ive known bill hayward since 1993 when gordon lish had him take my author photo for the life and times of captain n.
Mark gordon, md is a general surgery specialist in white plains, ny and has been practicing for 31 years. Gordon lish most recently brought out white plains. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast infidelities and betrayals, ongoing friendships, the relative comfort of household chairs, to forge a series. All our secrets are the same new fiction from esquire by gordon lish paperback, 156 pages.
Sticking out is the least of gordon lishs accomplishments. As fiction editor of esquire from 1969 to 1977, then as an editor at knopf and of the quarterly until 1995, gordon lish worked closely with many of the most daring writers of the past fifty years, including harold brodkey, raymond carver, don delillo, barry hannah and joy williams. I also ended up in the bughouse in white plains, possibly as the result of the steroid therapy. Gordon lish is still vibrant after all these years gordon lish, writer, editor, and terrifying creative writing teacher, publishes a new collection, white plains. This afternoon i was reading, or really, i now know, rereading gordon lishs 1996 interview with rob trucks, and while reading rereading this interview, i experienced terrible deja vu, the kind of deja vu that upsets one like a bad itch tucked away and wriggling in an unscratchable little alcove in the back of ones mind. The death of the postmodern novel and the rise of autofiction, then. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This is a story about a master class with gordon lish. Read the gordon lish lineage of jewish american writing. Lish s latest collection of exquisitely crafted fictions sees a narrator variously gordon, i, he approaching the precipice of old age. I also ended up in the bughouse in white plains, possibly as the result of the. I also noted, in a book published before white plains by another independent press, a number of errors, caused, no doubt, by the chronic shortage of staff in small publishing houses, and a general unwillingness to secondguess gordon lish.
Gordon lish is a traveler from a country no longer extant, a country where editors were princes and writers kings. Gordon lish, who is best known as the editor of raymond carvers short stories but has also written plenty of fiction in his own right, is familiar with this dilemma, and in white plains little. White plains by gordon lish 2018, paperback for sale online. On august 16, 2017, i met with the writer gordon lish to speak with him about his book, white plains. The italics following the descriptive sentences about the class are thoughts on what lish might say or think about the sentence itself. The gordon lish lineage of jewish american writing. For cancellations within 4 days in advance of the class, we can offer a credit for a future class. Gordon is a general surgeon in white plains, new york and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area. Ams david winters, the program will include readings from clairelouise bennett, david hayden, will eaves and a prerecorded lecturette from lish himself. Mostly this is because he took some stories by a writer praised for cunning insight into domestic life who once beat his wife with a wine bottle and sent her to the. White plains is lish at his sharpest, tackling his perennial subject the memory of memory itself with spellbinding mastery.
Beyond the major publishers seasonal lists to outoftheway presses and lesser known writers. Knopf, begging his forgiveness but insisting that lish stop. Gordon lish is one of few living american writers about. To celebrate the publication of gordon lishs white plains little island press, 2017, hotel, little island press, and locomotrix are pleased to cohost an evening of readings of and around lishs work. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast infidelities and betrayals, ongoing friendships, the relative comfort of household chairs, to forge a. I believe that we all want to stick out in the world, gordon lish once said, that the least of us has a profound impulse to distinguish himself from everyone else. The author of white plains, gordon lish, taught fiction writing at a number of universities in america. Pieces and witherlings, the last word of which he took, not unbrazenly but scarcely notoriously, from wallace stevens. White plains gordon lish hardback musicmagpie store. Against the backdrop of white plains hospital, lish skewers together memories of longpast infideli. We deliver the joy of reading in 100% recycled packaging with free standard shipping on u.