The Art of Editing : Raymond Carver and David Foster Wallace

"The place of the editor in literary production is an ambiguous and often invisible one, requiring close attention to publishing history and (often inaccessible) archival resources to bring it into focus. In The Art of Editing, Tim Groenland shows that the critical tendency to overlook the activities of editors and to focus on the solitary author figure neglects important elements of how literary works are acquired, developed and disseminated. Focusing on selected works of fiction by Raymond Carver and David Foster Wallace, authors who represent stylistic touchstones for US fiction of recent decades, Groenland presents two case studies of editorial collaboration. Carver's early stories were integral to the emergence of the Minimalist movement in the 1980s, while Wallace's novels marked a generational shift towards a more expansive, maximal mode of narrative. The role of their respective editors, however, is often overlooked. Gordon Lish's part in shaping the form of Carver's early stories remains under-explored; analyses of Wallace's fiction, meanwhile, tend to minimise Michael Pietsch's role from the creation of Infinite Jest during the mid-1990s until the present day. Drawing on extensive archival research as well as interviews with editors and collaborators, Groenland illuminates the complex and often conflicting forms of agency involved in the genesis of these influential works. The energies and tensions of the editing process emerge as essential factors in the creation of fictions more commonly understood within the paradigm of solitary authorship. The mediating role of the editor is, Groenland argues, inseparable from the development, form, and reception of these works."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Cover Half title Title Copyrights Contents Preface Acknowledgements 1 ‘Stuff that editors do’ ‘Why not just have the editor write the book?’: Random House versus Joan Collins ‘Imagining what a text can be’: Understanding the editor’s role ‘The workings of the work’: Behind the stable text Posthumous editing and the question of audience Raymond Carver and David Foster Wallace: From Minimalism to maximalism Beyond the Minimal Mambo: The return of maximalism ‘An artist, not a minimalist’: Wallace on Carver 2 ‘My only fear is that it is too thin’: The roots of the Carver controversy 3 Minimalism in action: Making What We Talk About When We Talk About Love ‘My very sanity is on the line here’: The textual history Staying inside the house: From ‘Beginners’ to ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Love’ Little human connections: From ‘A Small, Good Thing’ to ‘The Bath’ ‘Too abrupt?’: Rewriting ‘Friendship’ ‘A total rewrite’: Human connection in ‘If It Please You’ ‘Low-rent tragedies’: The critical legacy ‘Spare, austere, stately’: The beginnings of Carver and Lish’s collaboration ‘A milestone, a turning point’: The development of ‘Neighbors’ ‘The instant you offer an explanation is the instant you have sentimentality’: Lish’s changes to Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? Compression and consecution: ‘Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?’ ‘The dark of the American heart’: Defining Carver’s vision 4 ‘It is his world and no other’: Gordon Lish, authorship and Minimalism Declaring literary independence: Cathedral ‘Winner’s history’: Coming to terms with Carver’s texts A different kind of bleeding: Lish and Minimalism ‘He took what he needed’: Carver and Gallagher 5 ‘Your devoted editee’: David Foster Wallace and Michael Pietsch ‘Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it’: Editing Wallace ‘My gut tells me you can help me’: Wallace’s work with Pietsch ‘Playful combat’: The editing of Infinite Jest ‘I feel like I know him, and I trust him, and that’s priceless’: After Infinite Jest 6 Consider the editor: Assembling Th e Pale King ‘No kind of order’: Assembling The Pale King ‘Fragmentco Unltd’: ‘Cede’ and The Pale King Fragments and variants: The Pale King ’s multiple editions Dead ends and reroutings: Understanding Wallace’s fluid text 7 ‘Magical compression’: Wallace’s return to Minimalism ‘Clarity, precision, plainness, lucidity’: The value of compression ‘Not another word’: Reticence and reserve ‘The monk’s cell and the hermit’s cave’: Wallace’s ‘Via Negativa’ 8 The anxiety of editorial influence ‘The handwriting business’: Carver’s editorial anxiety ‘What if this book just isn’t supposed to be all that long?’: Editing and anxiety in The Pale King Conclusion Bibliography Index The place of the editor in literary production is an ambiguous and often invisible one, requiring close attention to publishing history and (often inaccessible) archival resources to bring it into focus. In The Art of Editing, Tim Groenland shows that the critical tendency to overlook the activities of editors and to focus on the solitary author figure neglects important elements of how literary works are acquired, developed and disseminated. 0Focusing on selected works of fiction by Raymond Carver and David Foster Wallace, authors who represent stylistic touchstones for US fiction of recent decades, Groenland presents two case studies of editorial collaboration. Carver's early stories were integral to the emergence of the Minimalist movement in the 1980s, while Wallace's novels marked a generational shift towards a more expansive, maximal mode of narrative. The role of their respective editors, however, is often overlooked. Gordon Lish's part in shaping the form of Carver's early stories remains under-explored; analyses of Wallace's fiction, meanwhile, tend to minimise Michael Pietsch's role from the creation of Infinite Jest during the mid-1990s until the present day. 0Drawing on extensive archival research as well as interviews with editors and collaborators, Groenland illuminates the complex and often conflicting forms of agency involved in the genesis of these influential works. The energies and tensions of the editing process emerge as essential factors in the creation of fictions more commonly understood within the paradigm of solitary authorship. The mediating role of the editor is, Groenland argues, inseparable from the development, form, and reception of these works The Art Of Editing Contends That Literary Critics Frequently Fail To Consider The Activities Of Editors And Presents Two Case Studies In Order To Show How We Can Benefit From Doing So. It Focuses On Selected Works By Raymond Carver And David Foster Wallace, Two Authors Who Have Had A Profound Influence Upon American Fiction. The Role Of Their Respective Editors, However, Is Often Overlooked. Gordon Lish's Part In Shaping The Aesthetic Of Carver's Early Stories, And His Contribution To The Development And Dissemination Of A Pared-down Prose Model In American Fiction From The 1970s Onwards, Remains Under-explored. Analyses Of Wallace's Fiction, Meanwhile, Tend To Minimise The Editorial Role That Michael Pietsch Has Held From The Creation Of Infinite Jest During The Mid-1990s Until The Present Day. Tim Groenland Focuses On The Activities Of Both Editors, Drawing On Empirical Evidence To Show Their Importance To The Authors With Whom They Worked And Using Archival Material To Illuminate The Complex And Often Conflicting Forms Of Agency Involved In The Genesis Of Several Influential Works. In Lish's Case, The Analysis Highlights The Competing Aesthetic Agendas Behind The Creation Of The Distinctive Minimalist Style And Shows That The Problem Of Editorial Agency Was One With Which Carver Struggled Throughout His Career. With Regards To Pietsch, The Emphasis Is On His Central Role In Assembling And Arranging Wallace's Posthumously-published Novel The Pale King. The Energies And Tensions Of The Editing Process Emerge As Essential Factors In The Meaning And Reception Of The Works Under Scrutiny.