The Paris Review, Issue 222, Fall 2017

by Lorin Stein (Editor)

Maxine Groffsky on the Art of Editing: "At that time, young women were hired as secretaries or copy editors but were not promoted to editor." Dany Laferrière on the Art of Fiction: "For me, writers are what the priest has been throughout history, this person we pay to talk about spirituality." And a conversation between Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis.

New fiction by Ann Beattie, Antonio Di Benedetto, Isabella Hammad, and Sigrid Nunez.

Poems by Peter Gizzi, Patrick Mackie, Ange Mlinko, D. Nurkse, Ezra Pound, Jana Prikryl, Philip Schultz, Frederick Seidel, and Donna Stonecipher.

Nonfiction by David Sedaris; and a portfolio of Duncan Hannah's diaries.

Genres: Poetry, Short Stories, Literature, Fiction

222 pages, Perfectbound

First published September 1, 2017

About the author

Lorin Stein is an American critic, editor, and translator. He was an editor of The Paris Review.

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really solid issue for the most part.

Thoroughly enjoyed the interviews with Maxine Groffsky, and between Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis (I could have read a full book of this).

Loved the short stories by Isabella Hammad, Antonio Di Benedetto, and Sigrid Nunez. Ann Beattie on the other hand was completely unreadable. Gave up 2 pages in.

I often struggle with the poetry in the Paris Review, as is the way with poetry. But the 4 poems on the Ruins of Nostalgia by Donna Stonecipher were marvellous.

Finally, got a real kick out of the excerpts from Duncan Hannah's diaries. Already preordered the book coming out next spring.

[Ramzzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncertain to be the last, this issue of Paris Review (222) nevertheless, aligns the certainty as my first. This issue has been generous of remarkable content which at least defines, time and again, what really makes Paris Review a literary-artworld journal an undeniable vehicle of arts and letters, despite this is American and almost bourgeoise. The strong and notable highlights are the following:

—The Art of Editing No. 3: Maxine Groffsky
—Two Poems by Patrick Mackie
—Ruckersville by Ann Beattie
—“Speech Acts for a Dying World” by Peter Gizzi
—“Mr. Can’aan” by Isabella Hammad (This is the winner of them all.)
—“The Blind” by Sigrid Nunez
—Diaries, 1970-73 by Duncan Hannah
—Four Poems by Donna Stonecipher
—“Irún” by D. Nurkse
—The Art of Fiction No. 237 by Dany Laferrière (The winner among interviews.)

And yes, that Ezra Pound fragment.

[Kaiju Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lackluster start but ultimately another great issue. The Groffsky interview did nothing for me, the Gladwell Lewis interview did even less for me. The Ann Beattie story and Patrick Mackie poems had me thinking I was looking at my first Paris Review fail.

But then the Duncan Hannah diary excerpt pretty much knocked my socks off – and I still haven’t been able to find them. Stonecipher’s nostalgia poems were all terrific, but that first one – haunting and brilliant.

Nunez’s story was good enough to have me add her novel to my want list, and the Sedaris finisher all but erased my sour memories of the start.

Just bought my father a subscription to this terrific journal.

[Ashley Bostrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read many literary mags since university, but this was a nice one to pick up. I especially enjoyed the interviews: Maxine Groffsky, The Art of Editing No. 3 and Malcolm Gladwell & Michael Lewis, Storytelling: An Exchange. The poetry didn't really connect with me this time, but I was surprised by how much I liked David Sedaris' Letter from the Emerald Isle (I'm not usually a fan of his). But my overall favorite was Sigrid Nunez's The Blind and I've already added her novel The Friend (the book the excerpt came from) to my Goodreads queue.

[Scott Wilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife purchased me a subscription for my birthday this year. It’s late, and I’m tired, but not too tired to note this is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

Oodles of good writing in there.
It reminds me of who I want to be.

Highlights included “The Blind” and “Letter from Emerald Isle”. I’m looking forward to re-reading several of these pieces.

[Ned · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Editing no. 3 with Maxine Groffsky is a fun read.
Short stories all give different slices of life I would not have dreamed up and so, refreshing.
The conversation with Michael Lewis and Malcolm Gladwell was surprising in good ways.
And I got to meet a new author I'd like to read, Dany Laferriere.

[Michael Kitchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Art of Editing #3: Maxine Grofsky - 3
Ruckersville by Ann Beattie - 3
Mr. Can'aan by Isabella Hammad - 4
Storytelling: An Exchange with Malcolm Gladwell & Michael Lewis - 2
The Blind by Sigrid Nunez - 5
Ace by Antonio Di Benedetto - 2
The Art of Fiction #237: Dany Laferriere - 3

Average: 3.1

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this issue, best one I have read in a few years.

[A-ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably one of the worst issues of The Paris Review I've read, but it was not without its highlights. When the diaries of a painter you've never heard of are better than most of the other prose selections, that's saying something.

I quite enjoyed the Ruins of Nostalgia by Donna Stonecipher, four poems about memory and nostalgia. I'm typically not too fussed about the poetry in PR, but these were great.

The conversation between Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis was excellent, enough that I'm making a point to read more by both.

Ace by Antonio Di Benedetto was interesting, but didn't quite take off how I wished it would.

I'd never heard of Dany Laferriere, but his interview was dripping with ego in the best way. I'm curious to check out some of his work.

David Sedaris leaves us a fun essay as always.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, good stuff here...