Description
Collector's Note – Why This Issue Matters
This Winter-Spring 1967 issue of The Paris Review, Number 40, features the landmark "Art of Fiction XXXIX" interview with Jorge Luis Borges, situating this edition within one of the most historically significant and consistently referenced features of the magazine's entire publishing history. The Paris Review's "Art of Fiction" series, conducted across decades with major literary figures, has become an essential primary source for understanding how significant writers discussed their own creative processes, influences, and craft in their own words. A 1967 conversation with Borges captures the Argentine writer at a point when his international literary reputation was firmly established, offering readers and later scholars direct access to his own reflections on fiction at a genuinely significant moment in twentieth-century literature's broader engagement with his work.
This issue's poetry section assembles a notably significant roster of contributors associated with what would later be recognized as central figures of the New York School and related poetry movements of the period, including John Ashbery, Ted Berrigan, and James Schuyler. Ashbery in particular would go on to become one of the most influential and widely studied American poets of the twentieth century, making his inclusion here, alongside Berrigan and Schuyler, a genuinely significant gathering of poets whose work would shape American poetry for decades following this issue's publication. The presence of Ted Hughes within this same poetry section further extends the issue's significance into British poetry of the period, reflecting The Paris Review's consistently international editorial scope.
The issue's inclusion of an experimental diary by composer John Cage, titled "How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse)," reflects The Paris Review's willingness to extend its literary content into genuinely experimental and cross-disciplinary territory, incorporating a major figure from avant-garde music and composition into a publication primarily known for fiction and poetry. Cage's distinctive approach to chance-based and experimental writing techniques made his contribution here a notable departure from conventional literary diary writing, reflecting the kind of formal innovation The Paris Review was willing to platform during this period. Harold Chapman's photographic portfolio of Les Halles, the historic Parisian marketplace, adds a further visual and documentary dimension to the issue's content.
Taken together, this issue offers an extraordinarily significant gathering of literary and artistic talent, anchored by the historically important Borges interview and extended by major poetic voices and genuinely experimental cross-disciplinary content. It sits within the broader context of 1967 magazines and the long editorial history of The Paris Review itself, capturing one of the magazine's most consistently referenced and historically significant individual issues.
About the Publication
The Paris Review was founded in the early 1950s as a literary magazine dedicated to publishing significant fiction, poetry, and interviews with major literary figures, quickly establishing itself as one of the most respected and influential literary publications of the twentieth century. The magazine's "Art of Fiction" interview series became one of its most historically significant and consistently referenced features, providing in-depth conversations with major writers about their creative processes and craft, conducted across decades with figures spanning the breadth of twentieth-century literature. By 1967, reflected in this Number 40 issue, the magazine had built a substantial reputation for assembling significant literary talent within each edition, combining major interviews with fiction, poetry, and visual content from established and emerging artists. The Paris Review's willingness to extend beyond conventional literary content, as reflected in this issue's inclusion of an experimental diary by composer John Cage, demonstrates its broader editorial ambition to platform genuine artistic innovation across multiple disciplines. The magazine's readership consisted of serious literary readers and writers seeking substantive engagement with contemporary fiction, poetry, and literary criticism. This Winter-Spring 1967 issue reflects that established editorial tradition at one of its most historically significant individual moments.
Key Highlights Inside
- "The Art of Fiction XXXIX," the landmark interview with Jorge Luis Borges, photographed by Pino Grassi. This interview represents one of the most historically significant entries in The Paris Review's celebrated interview series. It captures Borges at a point of firmly established international literary reputation.
- Poetry contributions from John Ashbery, including "The Bungalows" and "The Chateau Hardware," alongside work from Ted Berrigan and James Schuyler. This assembly of poets reflects a significant gathering of figures associated with the New York School and related poetry movements of the period. Ashbery in particular would go on to become one of the most influential American poets of the twentieth century.
- "Diary: How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse)," an experimental diary by composer John Cage. This piece reflects The Paris Review's willingness to extend its literary content into genuinely experimental, cross-disciplinary territory. Cage's distinctive approach to chance-based writing techniques made this a notable formal departure within the issue.
- Poetry by Ted Hughes, including "Public Bar T.V." and "The Toughest," extending the issue's significance into contemporary British poetry. This contribution reflects The Paris Review's consistently international editorial scope. It situates the issue within a broader, transatlantic literary conversation of the period.
- "Les Halles Photographs," a photographic portfolio by Harold Chapman documenting the historic Parisian marketplace. This piece adds a significant visual and documentary dimension to the issue's predominantly literary content. It reflects the magazine's attention to visual artistry alongside its fiction and poetry.
- Fiction contributions including "George" by Christina Stead and "Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away" by Frank Conroy, reflecting the issue's substantial short fiction offerings alongside its more widely noted interview and poetry content. These pieces round out the issue's comprehensive literary scope. Together with the issue's other fiction, they reflect The Paris Review's continued commitment to publishing significant short fiction during this period.
Condition & Rarity
Condition for literary magazines of this type and era is generally assessed through cover and binding integrity, page completeness, and the overall legibility of printed text and photography. An issue described as very good condition with only minor edge wear reflects a meaningfully strong outcome for a periodical approaching six decades old, given that paper stock from this period was not designed for indefinite archival stability. The absence of a mailing label is generally viewed favorably among collectors, since unlabeled copies tend to present a cleaner, unobstructed cover presentation without sticker residue or removal marks. A protective plastic covering plays a meaningful role in halting further deterioration, guarding against additional humidity exposure and handling wear going forward. Given this issue's significance as a frequently referenced volume within The Paris Review's overall publishing history, particularly due to its landmark Borges interview, structural completeness and text legibility carry particular weight for collectors and researchers alike. Collectors evaluating any surviving copy of this issue should weigh overall binding integrity and the continued legibility of its printed content as the primary indicators of long-term collectible and reference value.
Looking for More Issues Like This?
A Paris Review issue featuring the landmark Borges "Art of Fiction" interview alongside significant poetry from figures like John Ashbery and Ted Hughes represents one of the most historically notable individual volumes within the magazine's entire publishing run. If this exact Winter-Spring 1967 issue isn't what you're looking for, the broader The Paris Review collection spans material from across the magazine's long publishing history, offering a wider range of issues, interviews, and literary eras for collectors interested in the title's overall legacy. For those more focused on this specific year, the full range of 1967 magazines brings together material from across that year, spanning multiple publications beyond The Paris Review alone. Browsing the Paris Review collection can be especially useful for collectors building a set around the magazine's celebrated "Art of Fiction" interview series or specific decades of its literary history. Browsing by year, on the other hand, suits collectors more interested in capturing a broader cultural and literary snapshot of 1967 across different types of periodicals. Either approach offers a practical way to continue exploring material connected to this issue's particular combination of interview and literary content. Both collections represent solid starting points for finding comparable issues from this period in The Paris Review's distinguished publishing history.