Gordon Lish facts for kids

Gordon Lish (born February 11, 1934) is an American writer and editor. He is well-known for helping many American authors get their start. Some of these writers include Raymond Carver, Barry Hannah, Amy Hempel, and Richard Ford. Gordon Lish is also the father of novelist Atticus Lish.

Early Life and Education

Gordon Lish grew up in Hewlett, New York, on Long Island. His father was a founder of a company that made hats. When he was young, Gordon Lish had a difficult skin condition. This sometimes made him feel left out by other kids.

He went to Phillips Academy but left in 1952 after a disagreement with a classmate. After this, he stayed in a special place for treatment. There, he became friends with the poet Hayden Carruth. Later, he worked as a radio broadcaster in New Haven, Connecticut, using the name Gordo Lockwood.

Lish moved to Tucson, Arizona, because the climate there helped his skin condition. In 1956, he married Loretta Frances Fokes. They had three children: Jennifer, Becca, and Ethan.

Frances encouraged him to go to college. So, Lish enrolled at the University of Arizona. He studied English and German. He graduated in 1959, finishing his degree in just two years.

After college, his family moved to San Francisco. Lish became an English teacher at Mills High School in Millbrae, California. He also joined a new literary magazine called Chrysalis Review. He later took over the magazine, and it became Genesis West.

A Career in Editing

Gordon Lish became famous for his work as a literary editor. He helped many writers improve their stories and get published.

Genesis West Magazine

Genesis West was a literary magazine published from 1961 to 1965. Lish's home became a meeting place for many famous writers. These included Neal Cassady, Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. Even though Lish wasn't part of the famous "Merry Pranksters" group, he often hosted Kesey and Cassady at his house.

The unique style of Genesis West caused some issues with school officials. Lish was not given a permanent teaching position in 1963. After this, he became the editor-in-chief at Behavioral Research Laboratories. There, he created educational texts and recorded readings of short stories.

While working in Menlo Park, Lish became friends with Raymond Carver. Carver was also an editor nearby. Lish edited many of Carver's early stories, helping them get published in national magazines.

Working at Esquire Magazine

In 1969, Gordon Lish moved to New York City. He was hired as the fiction editor at Esquire magazine. He worked there until 1977. At Esquire, he became known as "Captain Fiction." This nickname came from how many authors he helped. He supported writers like Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, Cynthia Ozick, and Don DeLillo.

Lish was known for his strong editing style. For example, in 1971, he heavily edited Raymond Carver's story "Neighbors." He cut many words, which created a very short and direct style. This style later became known as "minimalism." While Carver accepted these changes, some other writers did not.

During his time at Esquire, Lish also edited collections of stories. These included The Secret Life of Our Times and All Our Secrets Are the Same. These books featured works by famous authors like Vladimir Nabokov.

In 1977, Esquire published a story called "For Rupert – with no promises" without an author's name. Many readers thought it was by J. D. Salinger. However, it was actually a clever story written by Lish himself. He said he tried to write in Salinger's style and imagine his life.

Editor at Alfred A. Knopf

After leaving Esquire in 1977, Lish became a senior editor at the publishing company Alfred A. Knopf. He stayed there until 1995. At Knopf, he continued to support new writers. He published works by authors such as Amy Hempel, Noy Holland, and Joy Williams.

Many of Lish's former students went on to become successful writers. For example, Lily Tuck won the National Book Award in 2004. Other students like Christine Schutt and Dana Spiotta were also finalists for the award.

While at Knopf, Lish also wrote several of his own books:

• Dear Mr. Capote, his first novel.
• What I Know So Far, a collection of short stories published in 1984. This book included "For Rupert—with no Promises" and "For Jeromé—with Love and Kisses," which won an O. Henry Award.
• Peru, published in 1986.

In 1987, Lish started his own literary magazine called The Quarterly. This magazine featured works by new authors. It published 31 volumes before it ended in 1995.

Lish continued to write fiction, including Mourner at the Door (1988), Extravaganza (1989), My Romance (1991), and Zimzum (1993). In 1984, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship, which is a special award for artists and scholars.

Impact on Raymond Carver's Work

Gordon Lish's editing of Raymond Carver's stories has been a big topic of discussion. In 1998, The New York Times Magazine published an article about how much Lish changed Carver's short stories. Before he passed away, Carver wrote to Lish, saying, "If I have any standing or reputation or credibility in the world, I owe it to you."

In 2007, The New Yorker published an earlier, longer version of Carver's story "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love." This version was titled "Beginners." The magazine also showed Lish's many edits online. Some critics believe that Lish's editing made Carver's stories stronger. However, others, like Stephen King, felt that Lish's changes were too much.

In 2013, David Winters wrote that the focus on Lish's work with Carver sometimes overshadowed Lish's own unique writing style and the achievements of his other students.

Legacy and Influence

Gordon Lish is considered one of the important writers of our time by the French magazine Le Nouvel Observateur. His writings and papers, which include about 80,000 items from 1951 to 2012, are kept at the Lilly Library at Indiana University.

Teaching and Mentorship

Besides his work in publishing, Lish also taught writing classes in New York City. He was a lecturer at Yale University, New York University, and Columbia University.

Lish stopped teaching fiction writing in 1997. However, he returned to teach during the summers of 2009 and 2010. He also gave lectures at Columbia University in 2013 and 2014.

Many writers have thanked Gordon Lish for his guidance. Don DeLillo dedicated his book Mao II to Lish, acknowledging his influence as a teacher and friend. Lish also dedicated some of his own books to DeLillo.

Diane Williams, a former student, said that Lish helped her understand how to use language to create powerful effects in writing. She felt he gave her the chance to be in charge of her words.

In 1994, Lish received an honorary doctor of letters degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta.

Some authors have even created characters based on Lish in their books. In Barry Hannah's novel Ray, there is a character named Captain Gordon who is based on Lish. Lish also appears as himself in Hannah's book Boomerang. David Leavitt's novel Martin Bauman; or, A Sure Thing features a character named Stanley Flint, who is based on Lish as a writing teacher.

Awards and Recognition

Gordon Lish has received several awards for his contributions to literature:

• The Antioch Review 2005 Awards for Distinguished Prose
• A Guggenheim Fellowship in 1984
• The O. Henry Prize in 1983
• Awards from the Columbia School of Journalism for his work in fiction (1971) and nonfiction (1975)
• An award from the American Society of Magazine Editors in 1971