How a 1963 newspaper strike birthed the premier journal of the American intellectual elite
In short: Born from a New York City newspaper strike, The New York Review of Books defied the era's trend toward superficiality. By treating long-form literary criticism as an essential, rigorous art, it became a gold standard for writers and a central, often provocative, voice in the English-speaking intellectual world.
Founded in 1963 by Robert B. Silvers, Barbara Epstein, A. Whitney Ellsworth, and Elizabeth Hardwick, the magazine emerged during a city-wide newspaper lockout. The founders sought to replace what Hardwick famously decried as "lobotomized" and passionless book reviews with something lively, probing, and intellectually demanding. Their first issue, which sold out its 100,000-copy printing, featured an array of elite contributors that set a tone of authority and engagement that would define the publication for decades.
For over 40 years, Silvers and Epstein co-edited the journal, maintaining a philosophy that no subject was off-limits. They prioritized political analysis, particularly regarding the nature of power, while also covering literature, science, and the arts. The publication became known for its "fierce democratic edge" and its consistent, often solitary, opposition to major conflicts like the Iraq War. This editorial rigor extended to its famous letters section, which was often described as a form of intellectual bare-knuckle boxing.
Beyond its essays, the Review became a cultural icon through the distinctive pen-and-ink caricatures of David Levine, who contributed over 3,800 drawings between 1963 and 2007. While critics have occasionally accused the journal of insularity or becoming part of the establishment, it remains a vital institution. Following the deaths of its founding editors, the magazine has navigated leadership transitions while continuing its mission to provide critical scrutiny in an age of rapidly expanding, often unexamined, digital discourse.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The New York Review of Books
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