Gordon Lish founded and edited the avant garde literary magazine, The Quarterly in 1987. The Quarterly showcased the work of contemporary authors.
Volume 1 of The Quarterly was published in the Spring of 1987. "The Magazine of New American Writing" featured works by; Amy Hempel, Tom Spanbauer, Matthew Levine, Jane Smiley, Jack Gilbert, Harold Brodkey, Patty Marx and others.
Volume 2 of The Quarterly was published in the Summer of 1987. "The Magazine of New American Writing" featured works by; Noy Holland, Mark Richard, Nancy Lemann, Ann Pyne, Jack Gilbert, Paulette Jiles, Rick Bass and others.
Volume 3 of The Quarterly was published in the Fall of 1987. "The Magazine of New American Writing" featured works by; Mark Richard, Hellen Schulman, Ted Pejovich, Sunny Rogers, Ann Pyne, Diane Williams, Rick Bass and others.
Volume 4 of The Quarterly was published in the Winter of 1987. "The Magazine of New American Writing" featured works by; Sharon Dupree, Mark Richard, Michael Hickins, Yannick Murphy, Patrick McGrath, Jan Pendleton, Rebecca Bondor, George Angel, Stephen O'Connor and others.
Volume 5 of The Quarterly was published in the Spring of 1988. "The Magazine of New American Writing" featured works by; Jennifer Allen, William Tester, Janet Mitchell, Sharon Dupree, Robert Fox, Sheila Kohler and others.
Volume 6 of The Quarterly was published in the Summer of 1988. "The Magazine of New American Writing" featured works by; Ann Pyne, Jan Pendleton, Victor Barall, Jennifer Allen, Harold Brodkey, M. D. Stein and others.
The Quarterly ended with the final publication of volume 31 in the Fall of 1995.