The Paris Review Issue 253

by Emily Stokes (Editor), Kelley Deane McKinney (Managing Editor), Dennis Zhou (Senior Editor)

Eliot Weinberger on the Art of the Essay: “I have no interest in first-person investigation. Personally, I’ve never found myself an interesting person.”

Maggie Nelson on the Art of Nonfiction: “It’s important to notice when the spark of magic or curiosity is there and what snuffs it out, and being around too many writers, for me, snuffs it out.”

Prose by Anne Carson, Renny Gong, Aurora Huiza, Jordy Rosenberg, Bud Smith, and Yan Lianke.

Poetry by Roque Dalton, Ishion Hutchinson, Patricia Lockwood, Mariano Melgar, Eileen Myles, Katie Peterson, and authors unknown.

Art by Talia Chetrit, Martha Diamond, and Jamian Juliano-Villani; cover by Issy Wood.

245 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2025

Reviews

[Olivia Kane]

favorite stories

“eiffel towers”
“skyhawks”

favorite poetry

“cave paintings”
“i wasn’t always this ugly”

[hafsah · Rating 3 out of 5]

highlights were aurora huiza’s ‘eiffel towers’ and martha diamond’s paintings

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite edition of The Paris Review I’ve ever read. As far as contemporary everything goes, I am definitely the target demographic of these wonderfully considerate stories, which broach the everyday now with precision, care, and humor. Get this one if you get any!! Skyhawks made me cry, while reading, and while thinking about it while driving. Masterfully, masterfully done. The Maggie Nelson interview probably changed my life. Thank you to the editor for this one <3

[Sarah Foulc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m hooked and want all the seasons 😍

[Raffael Hirt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the interviews with Eliot Weinberger and Maggie Nelson as well as Bud Smith's "Skyhawks."

[Maggi Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Non-Fiction #13 - Maggie Nelson

[Michael Gladish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid issue. I'd give it a 4.5 on my scale. Great, interesting interviews with Eliot Weinberger and Maggie Nelson. Most of the interviews in the review are conducted with people who I know little about, but I truly enjoy them, learn a lot and often follow up reading the authors works. Two short stories were outstanding this time around: Ping Pong Kids by Renny Gong was often funny, but also disturbing in ways. The pressure on children to excel in sports here in the US and especially abroad is on full display here. The second story I loved was Skyhawks, by Bud Smith. A gritty, warty look at the oil refining business in New Jersey. The balance of humor and pathos the author employs worked perfectly for me. It's a story I'll remember for a long time.

[Jerry Muzsik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LIKED (in order of liking):

1. YAN LIANKE: https://www.theparisreview.org/fictio...
2. RENNY GONG (PING PONG STORY): https://www.theparisreview.org/fictio...
3. EVERYTHING ELSE

WHY DO I LIKE CHINESE FICTION SO MUCH????

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Favorites:

Fiction:
• “Plants, Stones, Dirt, and Sky” by Yan Lianke
• “Skyhawks” by Bud Smith

Non-fiction:
• The Art of Nonfiction No. 13 with Maggie Nelson

Poetry:
• “My Nocturne” by Ishion Hutchinson

[Julia Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Nelson's interview stood out, as did Renny Gong's Ping-Pong Kids.

[Jessica Roberts]

poll: is it socially acceptable to add the paris review to my goodreads? still trying to figure that out

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good literature in here this issue

[Bryce]

another solid edition. The Hittite poetry was neat. Interview with Eliot Weinburger appreciative. Every prose story was a delight.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only edition where I have read every single piece. Wonderful, I loved it.

[Joseph Duncan]

Great interviews in this one

[william · Rating 4 out of 5]

so so varied and so so illustrative