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Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker: The Invisible Art of Editing
A marvelous portrait of "The New Yorker" during the tenure of legendary editor-in-chief William Shawn by one of its most distinguished contributors.
414 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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About the author
Ved Mehta
79 books49 followersIndian-American journalist Ved Parkash Mehta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ved_Mehta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ved_Mehta
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 28, 2010
to be honest, there are few things i enjoy reading about more than elite social circles (bonus points for elite social circles 1. from the past and 2. in new york--i'm sorry, i don't think i will ever get over this city), and the new yorker circle is nothing if not a delicious example of exclusive geniuses being brilliant and elite together in new york, in the past. i die! i enjoyed how mehta, a new yorker staff writer for many years, wrote about his inclusion in this group as though it were no big deal; totally everyday stuff. sure, he was highbrow as hell, but there was no contrived putting on of airs, only honest-to-god belief in the far-reaching pertinence of book-length articles about theologians at oxford or the london school of philosophers. jetsetting all over the world and dining at posh clubs were not luxuries; they were actions necessary to gathering material and to working through articles with others. a couple of times, he mentions financial hardships and a modest background, and it is a bit unclear how he came to be plucked up and championed by mr. shawn seemingly out of obscurity but clearly out of a circle that was already tangentially related to the literary elite scene. i would like to know more about his beginnings for sure.
another really wonderful part of this book was the description of the editorial process at the old guard of the new yorker. mehta paints mr. shawn as a superhuman figure and it is hard to refute that characterization if it really is true that he read every article many, many times and discussed every single edit with every single author every week. as one who spends a LOT of time copyediting for work, the prospect of being an editor somewhere is already exciting, but the beautiful way in which mehta described mr. shawn's process of editing--subtly and considerately encouraging each author to weave in aspects of the new yorker's recognizable style, but in a way that comes from personally knowing each author and completely respecting their own styles--was inspiring in a whole new way.
another really wonderful part of this book was the description of the editorial process at the old guard of the new yorker. mehta paints mr. shawn as a superhuman figure and it is hard to refute that characterization if it really is true that he read every article many, many times and discussed every single edit with every single author every week. as one who spends a LOT of time copyediting for work, the prospect of being an editor somewhere is already exciting, but the beautiful way in which mehta described mr. shawn's process of editing--subtly and considerately encouraging each author to weave in aspects of the new yorker's recognizable style, but in a way that comes from personally knowing each author and completely respecting their own styles--was inspiring in a whole new way.
May 23, 2016
Ved Mehta describes a kind, thoughtful, intelligent William Shawn. One of my favorite characterizations describes a party at the Shawns (p. 160):
"Before the entrance of Mr. Shawn, there had been many little conversations, but now the talk became general and frenzied, with people interrupting one another and vying for his attention. He sat alert, responsive to every change in the current of the conversation, and trying to bring it down to earth when it became increasingly fanciful. But the more rational he was, the more irrational the people around him seemed to become, and there was a part of him that appeared to enjoy this--as if, unable to be outrageous himself, he relished outrageousness in others."
In addition to the intrigue of Mr. Shawn, the book also provides insight into the processes of the writer, the editor, and the creation of the weekly magazine.
Some of the less interesting parts arose near the end of the book when the lines between the editorial staff and business office began to get blurred. And while the talk of the social lives of those surrounding the 'New Yorker' are often fascinating for the glimpse into another life they offer, they do drag on a bit sometimes.
"Before the entrance of Mr. Shawn, there had been many little conversations, but now the talk became general and frenzied, with people interrupting one another and vying for his attention. He sat alert, responsive to every change in the current of the conversation, and trying to bring it down to earth when it became increasingly fanciful. But the more rational he was, the more irrational the people around him seemed to become, and there was a part of him that appeared to enjoy this--as if, unable to be outrageous himself, he relished outrageousness in others."
In addition to the intrigue of Mr. Shawn, the book also provides insight into the processes of the writer, the editor, and the creation of the weekly magazine.
Some of the less interesting parts arose near the end of the book when the lines between the editorial staff and business office began to get blurred. And while the talk of the social lives of those surrounding the 'New Yorker' are often fascinating for the glimpse into another life they offer, they do drag on a bit sometimes.
February 4, 2015
"We have done our work with honesty and love,” editor William Shawn consoled his grieving staff on his last day, having been abruptly fired from The New Yorker by its brash new corporate owner in 1987 after more than three decades. “Remembering Mr. Shawn’s New Yorker” is a very moving and honorable story by Ved Mehta, who spent 33 years writing for the magazine. As “Mr. Shawn” did with many of his writers, he fostered a very close, gentle relationship with the young blind Ved, born in Lahore, British India, having just completed his college studies. Most writers will like this book, especially if they've had the good fortune of working with a good editor who respected, nourished and refined their work. This book is a reminder that for brief shining moments there are times, mentors – and publications – that we once cherished.
September 20, 2014
The taxi whizzed up Fifth Avenue, which was then a two-way. I was so exhausted that I could barely find my tongue, but after a while I said stupidly, "I hope someone will read the piece."
"I'll be happy if twelve people in the country read it," he said.
"You can't mean that," I said. "How could the magazine keep going if people didn't read it?"
"I want any piece to be read by its natural readers--people who will understand and enjoy it."
He went on to say that he edited the magazine as if we were the ideal readers, and assumed that if we liked a piece the readers would. It seemed such a utopian notion that I could scarcely believe he could hold it. But in subsequent years I learned that that was just one of a number of utopian ideas that he held and was somehow able to indulge while still turning out an extremely financially successful magazine.
Fantastic memoir by writer Ved Mehta of his relationship with William Shawn the editor of the New Yorker from 1952 to 1987.
"I'll be happy if twelve people in the country read it," he said.
"You can't mean that," I said. "How could the magazine keep going if people didn't read it?"
"I want any piece to be read by its natural readers--people who will understand and enjoy it."
He went on to say that he edited the magazine as if we were the ideal readers, and assumed that if we liked a piece the readers would. It seemed such a utopian notion that I could scarcely believe he could hold it. But in subsequent years I learned that that was just one of a number of utopian ideas that he held and was somehow able to indulge while still turning out an extremely financially successful magazine.
Fantastic memoir by writer Ved Mehta of his relationship with William Shawn the editor of the New Yorker from 1952 to 1987.
November 5, 2007
I love this book and its portrait of William Shawn. What a world.
December 15, 2017
A warmly affectionate portrayal of William Shawn, long time editor of The New Yorker, and of the author's experiences as a staff writer during the time that Mr. Shawn was the editor in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The author was a native of India, educated at Oxford, and blind, and Mr. Shawn gave him opportunities to write about pretty much anything that interested him. That was part of the Shawn philosophy as editor - he would allow his writers to follow their passions, even if the resulting stories might interest only a handful of people. He was careful to keep the creative side of the magazine separate from the business side, and worked around the clock nurturing writers and editing their work.
The book is also a lament that Mr. Shawn's practices did not survive his term as editor. Eventually, The New Yorker was sold and Mr. Shawn was replaced as editor by first Robert Gottlieb and then Tina Brown, resulting in a more flashy product that, in the view of the author, was inferior to what it replaced. The author does not hide his bitter disagreement with the changes that came to The New Yorker, and I thought that part of the book was its weakest section. The author need not have fretted. The New Yorker lives on under the excellent stewardship of David Remnick, and the changes that have come with time have not diminished the wonderful era of William Shawn.
The author covers a lot of ground, but the best part was learning about Mr. Shawn - his work habits, his family background, his quirks and his dedication to the craft of writing. On those matters, the book is a beautiful tribute and well worth reading.
The book is also a lament that Mr. Shawn's practices did not survive his term as editor. Eventually, The New Yorker was sold and Mr. Shawn was replaced as editor by first Robert Gottlieb and then Tina Brown, resulting in a more flashy product that, in the view of the author, was inferior to what it replaced. The author does not hide his bitter disagreement with the changes that came to The New Yorker, and I thought that part of the book was its weakest section. The author need not have fretted. The New Yorker lives on under the excellent stewardship of David Remnick, and the changes that have come with time have not diminished the wonderful era of William Shawn.
The author covers a lot of ground, but the best part was learning about Mr. Shawn - his work habits, his family background, his quirks and his dedication to the craft of writing. On those matters, the book is a beautiful tribute and well worth reading.
July 30, 2020
The author was a very needy 25-year-old when he came to The New Yorker to serve under William Shawn, editor in chief, and the book is as much about Mehta as it is about Shawn who is portrayed as having the patience of Job in dealing with his insecure acolyte; a relationship that lasted for more than 20 years. Subtitled "The Invisible Art of Editing," the book's tenor is captured in the phrase, "[Shawn] would call down and I would go up." Endlessly.
As incredulous as that relationship sounds now when most writing is self-edited with little more than spell-checking, equally incredulous is The New Yorker structure with proof readers and an O.K.er, a six-man makeup department and an arrangement with the printer for "unlimited alterations' - even though the pages were set in molten type! Plus "a policy of having a double for every person required to get the magazine out, in case someone got sick or dropped dead."
Describing the magazine's culture during the Shawn years (1952-1987) as "plain living and high thinking," Mehta says it could also be a "cauldron of neurosis and frustration." Shawn held it together by sheer force of his personality and reputation for fairness. In one case of staff discontent, Shawn just listened to staffer's arguments and though he did not make any concessions, he managed to quell the rebellion; "the tide of opinion turned, going out to sea as swiftly as it had come in." That's a process as quaint now as Gutenberg's press.
As incredulous as that relationship sounds now when most writing is self-edited with little more than spell-checking, equally incredulous is The New Yorker structure with proof readers and an O.K.er, a six-man makeup department and an arrangement with the printer for "unlimited alterations' - even though the pages were set in molten type! Plus "a policy of having a double for every person required to get the magazine out, in case someone got sick or dropped dead."
Describing the magazine's culture during the Shawn years (1952-1987) as "plain living and high thinking," Mehta says it could also be a "cauldron of neurosis and frustration." Shawn held it together by sheer force of his personality and reputation for fairness. In one case of staff discontent, Shawn just listened to staffer's arguments and though he did not make any concessions, he managed to quell the rebellion; "the tide of opinion turned, going out to sea as swiftly as it had come in." That's a process as quaint now as Gutenberg's press.
June 14, 2022
An extremely loyal -- at times maybe too loyal -- set of memories of William Shawn, that highlights the strength of a caring writer-editor relationship.
"Mr. Shawn’s call went on for about two hours. As I was thanking him and saying goodbye, I remarked that the piece belonged as much to him as to me.
'No, it belongs to you -- I just made it more yours,' he said."
"Mr. Shawn’s call went on for about two hours. As I was thanking him and saying goodbye, I remarked that the piece belonged as much to him as to me.
'No, it belongs to you -- I just made it more yours,' he said."
July 2, 2016
I've been a cover-to-cover reader of the New Yorker for more than 20 years . . . I seem to always be 4-6 weeks behind, but it's a joyful escape from my work. Ved Mehta is methodical in his chronological approach to the tenure of William Shawn as editor. I was inspired by the calm and supportive way that Mr. Shawn is portrayed as leading the magazine and its contributors through three-plus decades of social and economic change. Perhaps the book is directed too closely to groupies like myself, but I'm very glad I picked it up as an impulse buy.
January 17, 2010
A great memoir by New Yorker writer Ved Mehta about working for the magazine in the 60's - 80's with Editor William Shawn. By the way, Mehta is blind and was born in India and went on to Harvard and Oxford.
February 8, 2013
Delicious, mostly if you're easily drawn in to old timey New Yorker gossip. BTW, he's blind. So some people thing he's kind of deceptive, as the author describes the looks of things that he couldn't have seen. Whatever, this is not for thinking, it's glorious gossip.
January 17, 2013
Loved....
January 5, 2014
An Excellent Book.
January 20, 2016
Wonderful insights into the relationship between writer and editor...and beautifully written, of course.
January 30, 2020
one of my favorite books. i've read atleast 5 times and i am in love with mr. shawn.
January 2, 2025
I liked it
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews