Gordon Lish

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Gordon Jay Lish (born February 11, 1934 in Hewlett, New York) is an American author, teacher and editor.

Writers he has taught, edited and published comprise a Who's Who list of important literary innovators over the past 40 years; Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Harold Brodkey, Don DeLillo, Barry Hannah and Raymond Carver all were published early in their careers in Lish's pages.

Gordon Lish graduated from Phillips Andover Academy in 1952. In 1959, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in English with honors from the University of Arizona, where he met his first wife, Frances Fokes. In 1957, they had their first daughter, Jennifer Lish.

Following Gordon's graduation, the family moved to San Francisco in search of Dean Moriarity, the name given Neal Cassady in Jack Kerouac's On the Road. While in San Francisco, they had their second daughter, Becca Lish in 1959. Gordon attended a year of graduate study at San Francisco State College in 1960. Gordon graduated from the Stanford Writing Program with Ken Kesey.

After this, the Lish family moved to Burlingame, where Frances and Gordon founded the avant garde literary magazine "Genesis West," which ran from 1961 to 1964. Genesis West was published in seven volumes by The Chrysalis West Foundation. While working on Genesis West their house and magazine became a focus point and celebrated & introduced such authors and poets as; Neal Cassady, Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, Jack Gilbert, and Herbert Gold

The Lish family often hosted the likes of Ken Kesey and Neal Cassady in their Burlingame home. The Merry Pranksters wildly painted school bus, 'Furthur,' driven by Neal Cassady was often parked in-front of their home. Neal Cassady makes note of his time spent at the Lishes on page 151 of his only self authored book, The First Third. Carolyn Cassady makes note of the Lish's on page 387 on Off The Road.

To support his efforts, Gordon worked as an English instructor at Mills High School and at the College of San Mateo from 1961 to 1963. During this period, their son, Ethan Lish, was born in 1962. While at Mills High School, he taught the likes of John Craig Venter to expand their minds.

In 1963, he became director of linguistic studies at Behavioral Research Laboratories in Menlo Park, California, where, in 1964, he wrote the textbook English Grammar, Why Work, A Man's Work, and New sounds in American fiction. He also met his soon to be second wife, Barbara Works, while at Behavioral Research Laboratories. In 1965, Gordon and Frances seperated.

In 1967 in Palo Alto, California, Raymond Carver meets Gordon Lish, who publishes Raymond Carver’s story "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" in The Best American Short Stories of 1967. In 1969, Gordon and Frances are divorced.

Gordon Lish served as fiction editor at Esquire (magazine) from 1969 to 1977 where he became known as "Captain Fiction" for the number of authors whose careers he assisted. As the fiction editor of Esquire (magazine) from 1969 to 1976, he was instrumental in the development of what is often termed literary minimalism through his editing of Raymond Carver and Richard Ford. He is noted for encouraging Raymond Carver's minimalism and the short stories of Richard Ford.

Using the influential publication as a vehicle to introduce new fiction by emerging authors, he promoted the work of such writers as Cynthia Ozick, Reynolds Price, T. Coraghessan Boyle, and Barry Hannah.

In 1971, Gordon Lish publishes Raymond Carver’s story "Neighbors" in Esquire (magazine)’s June issue. Now married to Barbara Works, living in New York City, they had their second son Atticus Lish, in 1971.

"The secret life of our times" was published by Doubleday in 1973.

"All our secrets are the same" was published by Norton in 1976.

Gordon Lish left Esquire (magazine) in 1977 to become a senior editor with the publishing firm of Alfred A. Knopf. He continued teaching creative writing, inspiring writers including Amy Hempel (who dedicated her collection "Reasons to Live" to him), Tom Spanbauer, Noy Holland, Gary Lutz, among many others.

Gordon Lish served as a fiction editor at Alfred A. Knopf from 1977 to 1995, where he continued to champion new fiction, introducing such writers as Raymond Carver, Cynthia Ozick, David Leavitt, Amy Hempel, Noy Holland and William Ferguson.

A number of books have been dedicated to Atticus Lish by Gordon Lish's friends and authors, like Don DeLillo.

In 1981, Raymond Carver’s second major-press book, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love", is published by Alfred A. Knopf.

"Dear Mr. Capote", Gordon's first novel, under his own name, was published by Scribner’s Sons.

He founded and edited the avant garde literary magazines, The Quarterly in 1987. The Quarterly showcases the works of contemporary authors.

Peru was published by Dutton in 1986.

"Mourner at the door" was published by Penguin Books in 1988.

Extravaganza was published by Putnam in 1989.

While on the Dick Cavett television show Aug. 25, 1991, Gordon Lish said, "The secret of good writing is telling the truth."

"My romance" was published by Norton in 1991.

Zimzum was published by Pantheon in 1993.

He was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1994.

In 1994, Gordon is widowed.

Epigraph was published by Four Walls Eight Windows in 1996.

"What I know so far" was published by Four Walls Eight Windows in 1996.

"Self-imitation of myself" was published by Four Walls Eight Windows in 1997.

"Arcade, or, How to write a novel" was published by Four Walls Eight Windows in 1998.

"Krupp’s Lulu" was published by Four Walls Eight Windows in 2000.

Mysterium was published by Four Walls Eight Windows in 2002.

Several of Gordon Lish's books are also available in non-English editions.

In addition to his career in literary publishing, Gordon Lish has conducted writing seminars in New York City and served as a lecturer at Yale University, New York University and Columbia University. In private workshops, Lish provided students with a vision and an invitation. For students it was an unbroken hours of lecture, anecdote, good humor and student readings, the recurrent message is this: Here is the possibility, these are the difficulties, all are welcome and able.

Don DeLillo dedicated his book Mao II to Gordon Lish.

He is a graduate of the Gotham Writers Workshop. He is a winner of the Book of the Century Award. He is an honorary doctor of letters from State University of New York from 1994. He was named one of the 200 major writers of our time by the French periodical Le Nouvel Observateur.

Gordon Lish retired from teaching fiction writing in 1997. Some have named his thirty-year teaching crusade The School of Lish.

One of his students, Tom Spanbauer, in turn taught Chuck Palahniuk, the multi-bestselling author of Fight Club.

Writers who are former proteges of Gordon Lish include Noy Holland, Bruce Ducker, Gary Lutz, and Sam Michel.

Gordon Lish has placed all his papers and manuscripts at the Lilly Library of Indiana University. It has been reported that these papers show how Lish edited manuscripts of the writers he worked with like Raymond Carver, how Lish edited them, and the correspondence about the editorial changes.

John Malkovich plans to direct Gordon Lish's book Dear Mr. Capote as it is being adaptated into a screenplay.

[edit] Books

Gordon Lish is the author of a number of novels and collections of short stories

  • A Man's Work, New York : McGraw-Hill, 1967, OCLC 5855822
  • All our secrets are the same, New York : Norton, 1976, ISBN 393087484 LCCN 76040486 OCLC 2425115
  • Arcade, or, How to write a novel, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1998, ISBN 1568581157 LCCN 98026693
  • Dear Mr. Capote, New York : C. Scribner’s Sons, 1986, ISBN 0684186756 LCCN 85026276
  • Dear Mr. Capote, New York : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1983, ISBN 30614775 LCCN 82015543 OCLC 8762825
  • Dear Mr. Capote, Firecrest, 1989, ISBN 859979814 OCLC 19264905
  • Dear Mr. Capote, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996, ISBN 1568580797 LCCN 96025820 OCLC 59652027
  • English Grammar, Palo Alto, Ca.: Behavioral Research Laboratories, 1964 OCLC 11328343
  • Epigraph, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996, ISBN 1568580762 LCCN 96019753
  • Extravaganza, New York : Putnam, 1989, ISBN 399134174 LCCN 88028146 OCLC 18463582
  • Extravaganza, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1997, ISBN 1568580975 LCCN 97023122
  • Genesis West Volumes 1 to 7, Burlingame : The Chrysalis West Foundation. 1962, ISBN 04352807 LCCN 6323336
  • Krupp’s Lulu, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 2000, ISBN 1568581548 LCCN 99086329 OCLC 43324258
  • Mourner at the door, New York : Penguin Books, 1988, ISBN 140106804 LCCN 88031663
  • Mourner at the door, New York : Viking, 1988, ISBN 067082061X LCCN 87040324 OCLC 16527016
  • Mourner at the door, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1997, ISBN 1568580843 LCCN 96051153
  • My romance, New York : Norton, 1991, ISBN 393030016 LCCN 90024142 OCLC 22766592
  • Mysterium, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 2002, ISBN 1568582277 LCCN 2001055668 OCLC 48450878
  • New sounds in American fiction, Menlo Park : Cummings Pub. Co. 1969, LCCN 68058434 OCLC 4102981
  • Peru, New York : E.P. Dutton, 1986, ISBN 525243755 LCCN 85013015 OCLC 12216053
  • Peru, New York : Scribner, 1986, ISBN 684187647 LCCN 87024317
  • Peru Sevenoaks : Sceptre, 1987, ISBN 340417234 OCLC 16754420
  • Peru, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1997, ISBN 1568580851 LCCN 96037673
  • Self-imitation of myself, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1997, ISBN 1568580983 LCCN 97013200 OCLC 36713172
  • The Quarterly Volumes 1 to 31, New York : Vintage Books, 1987, ISBN 1896356036 OCLC 68143933
  • The secret life of our times, Garden City : Doubleday, 1973, ISBN 038506215X LCCN 73080734 OCLC 754648
  • The Selected Stories of Gordon Lish, Toronto : Somerville House Pub., 1996, ISBN 1895897742 OCLC 35927592
  • What I know so far, New York : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1984, ISBN 30706092 LCCN 83012980 OCLC 9830715
  • What I know so far, New York : Scribner, 1986, ISBN 684186446 LCCN 86001829
  • What I know so far, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1996, ISBN 1568580800 LCCN 96028631
  • Why Work, Palo Alto, Ca.: Behavioral Research Laboratories, 1966, OCLC 62726395
  • Zimzum, New York : Pantheon, 1993, ISBN 067942685X LCCN 93003360 OCLC 27769736
  • Zimzum, Paris : Gallimard, 1994, ISBN 2070738426 OCLC 32748725
  • Zimzum, New York : Four Walls Eight Windows, 1998, ISBN 1568581092 LCCN 97032894

[edit] External links

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