The Paris Review: Literature's Most Beautiful Quarterly

There are literary magazines, and then there is The Paris Review. Founded in Paris in 1953 by a group of young Americans — including George Plimpton, who would edit it for 50 years — the Review set out to privilege creative work over criticism. "No reviews, no essays," Plimpton declared. Just the writing itself.

The Interviews

The "Writers at Work" interview series — known simply as "The Paris Review Interviews" — is the magazine's most significant contribution to literary culture. Ernest Hemingway on the craft of revision. Toni Morrison on the moral responsibility of the novelist. Jorge Luis Borges on the nature of infinity. These are not celebrity profiles; they are master classes in how literature gets made, conducted by fellow writers who know what questions to ask.

Fiction and Poetry

Each issue publishes new fiction and poetry, and the magazine has an extraordinary track record of discovering talent. Adrienne Rich, Philip Roth, V.S. Naipaul, and Alice Munro all appeared in the Review early in their careers. The commitment to debut writers continues — the magazine receives thousands of unsolicited submissions and reads every one.

The fiction is diverse in style and subject, united only by quality. A Paris Review story feels like a Paris Review story — not in genre or theme, but in craft. Every sentence has been considered.

The Object

The Paris Review is beautiful as an object. The trim size is smaller than standard magazines, fitting comfortably in one hand. The paper is uncoated, slightly textured. The covers feature original art. The typography is quiet and classical. Reading a physical copy feels like a ritual — which, for a literary magazine, is exactly right.

A quarterly subscription costs $40/year. For access to the world's best literary interviews and a steady stream of remarkable new writing, it's hard to think of a better use of $10 per issue. A rare 9 out of 10.