May 14, 2012 Bulletin The Art of Poetry, Live By The Paris Review Photograph by Dominique NabokovWatch a Paris Review interview in action! Thursday, May 17, Paris Review poetry editor Robyn Creswell will interview poet James Fenton (both fellows at the Cullman Center) at the New York Public Library in what will, ultimately, become a part of our legendary Art of Poetry series. The interview will be followed by a Q & A with audience members. For details, visit the NYPL’s web site. We’ll see you there.
May 11, 2012 Bulletin Book Perfume, Newspaper Dresses By Sadie Stein Perfumes that smell like books? Depends on the book, really! Prom dresses made of newspapers? Depends on the broadsheet, really! An MRI with John Jeremiah Sullivan. A study finds that literature increases empathy. Thomas Jefferson’s gardening journal. The best audiobooks for a road trip.
May 10, 2012 Bulletin If You Missed the Translation Panel… By Sadie Stein As one of our readers, Ms., pointed out, I didn’t really give readers enough notice about last week’s PEN translation panel. Mea culpa! You can watch the following video of the event—featuring a distinguished assemblage of writers, editors, and translators—from the comfort of your own home. And if you have any burning questions on the topic, I feel safe in saying Lorin will be delighted to answer them, via [email protected]!
May 7, 2012 Bulletin Happy Golden Anniversary! By Sadie Stein We’re delighted to wish a happy fiftieth to an organization we think a lot of: Choice Magazine Listening. Founded in 1962 by the (wonderfully named) philanthropist LuEsther Mertz, CML is a free, nationwide service that provides magazine content to the visually impaired via quarterly audio anthologies in several formats. The anthologies have included the work of everyone from John Updike to Alice Munro, and we’re proud to say that over the years, The Paris Review has been well represented. If you know someone who would enjoy this free service, please call 1-888-724-6423 or e-mail [email protected]. Many happy returns!
May 7, 2012 Bulletin The 1966: Spring’s Smartest Tee By Sadie Stein In celebration of its two-hundredth issue, The Paris Review is proud to present the Winter 1966 T-shirt. Modeled on a nifty shirt that we discovered on the back cover of issue 36, the design is George Plimpton’s own. As he stated in that ad, it’s “the sort of once in a very rare while shirt that makes an editor proud to do his job.” To celebrate the ’66, we took to the street, asking some New York friends to name their favorite Paris Review authors. Watch this space to see their picks. And for a limited time we’re offering a special deal: the T-shirt plus a year’s subscription for $40, giving you access to the greatest writers (and T-shirts!) of today. Printed on American Apparel 50/25/25’s, the shirt comes in men’s (S, M, L) and women’s sizes (M, L). To quote George, we beg you to “share with us the thrill of wearing it.” Offer good for U.S. addresses only.
May 4, 2012 Bulletin Moon Madness By Sadie Stein As Shakespeare said, “It is the very error of the moon … she comes more nearer earth than she wont, and makes men mad.” This weekend will see the biggest full moon of the year. The “supermoon” will be at its most visible Saturday night, and we are already scouting our vantage points! It seems fitting that we should mark the event with a visit to the newly available online picture archive of the venerable Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge. Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific library. It’s easy to lose yourself on the site for a few hours—and you should: whether your tastes run to seventeenth-century botanical studies, early lunar photography, or the history of telescopy, you’ll be rewarded by a collection that, a week ago, might have required a plane ticket. And since 2012 also marks the 110th birthday of the classic silent short A Trip to the Moon, it is meet and right that we pay tribute to Georges Méliès as well! Happy viewing, wherever you are.