The New Yorker Celebrates a Hundred Years as a Poetry and Fiction Tastemaker
Feb 4, 2025
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Kevin Young, the poetry editor at The New Yorker and director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, shares his insights on the magazine’s evolution as a literary beacon. He reflects on the thrill of curating a century of poetry and fiction, emphasizing the transformative power of rejection in a writer's journey. Young also discusses the crucial role of poetry during crises, highlighting poignant works like Adam Zagievsky's in the wake of 9/11, and celebrates the fresh voices that continue to shape The New Yorker's narrative landscape.
The New Yorker evolved from a comic publication to a literary powerhouse, publishing thousands of diverse works over a century.
Current efforts emphasize inclusivity in literature, aiming to address historical underrepresentation of black and Asian voices in poetry and fiction.
Deep dives
The New Yorker’s Evolution from Humor to Literature
The New Yorker began primarily as a lighthearted publication under its founding editor, Harold Ross, who envisioned it as a comic paper. However, a significant turning point occurred with the hiring of Catherine White, an editor determined to incorporate high-caliber fiction and poetry into the magazine. This shift led to the publication of nearly 14,000 pieces of fiction and approximately 13,500 poems over a century, showcasing the magazine's commitment to literary quality. The blending of humor and serious literature has allowed The New Yorker to evolve, reflecting changing tastes while maintaining a distinct voice.
Diversity in Poetry and Fiction
The discussion highlights the historical lack of diversity in the magazine's poetry and fiction selections, particularly concerning black and Asian voices. Kevin Young, the poetry editor, reminisces about the 1969 anthology that he discovered as a child, which notably lacked representation from people of color. He emphasizes the missed opportunities to showcase a broader range of American poetry, reflecting on the need for inclusivity in literary spaces. This conversation underscores the ongoing effort within The New Yorker to recognize and publish a more diverse array of voices in both poetry and fiction.
The Challenge of Capturing Contemporary Issues
In the wake of the Trump presidency, fiction submissions to the magazine reflected an overwhelming number of direct satires that lacked nuance and literary quality. However, stories that incorporated the political backdrop as a contextual element in familial or relational narratives proved more compelling and effective. Deborah Treisman, the fiction editor, notes that about 20 to 25 percent of stories published annually are from first-time authors, which highlights the magazine's openness to fresh perspectives. The editors continuously seek submissions that resonate with contemporary experiences, showcasing literature's potential to capture and reflect society's complexities.
David Remnick talks with The New Yorker’s literary guiding lights: the fiction editor Deborah Treisman and the poetry editor Kevin Young. Treisman edited “A Century of Fiction in The New Yorker,” and Young edited “A Century of Poetry in The New Yorker,” both of which were published this month. “When you asked me to do this,” Young remarks to David Remnick, “I think my first response was, I’ve only wanted to do this since I was fifteen. . . . It was kind of a dream come true.” Treisman talks about the way that stories age, and the difficulty of selecting stories. “The thing to remember is that even geniuses don’t always write their best work right right off the bat. People make a lot of noise about rejection letters from The New Yorker that went to famous writers, or later-famous writers. And they were probably justified, those rejections.”
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