The New York Review of Books turned 50 years old this month. If you’re not familiar, they’re one of the best publications for long-form book criticism, feature-length journalism, and cultural writing. These pieces are penned by some of the best authors and thinkers around. (Some recent contributors: Lorrie Moore, Zadie Smith, J. M. Coetzee.) The New York Review of Books also has a great publishing wing, NYRB, which has released many classic books over the years, including Stoner by John Williams, A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr, and several works by Georges Simenon.
One long-time reader of The New York Review of Books is Martin Scorsese, who was in attendance at the magazine’s 50th anniversary celebration last Monday in Greenwich Village. Scorsese was there with a film crew to document the night, and spent time interviewing past and current contributors. According to publisher Rea Hederman, Scorsese was filming footage for possible future use to commemorate the magazine’s 50th anniversary.
No word on what the fate of this Scorsese footage will be. Hopefully there’s at least some short documentary of some kind about the history of The New York Review of Books, which would be incredibly fascinating if you’re a total book and writer nerd (like me).
[ArtsBeat/The New York Times via The Playlist]
