A Catalog Of Dirty Words Used In "The New Yorker"

The Awl:

Famous story, here recounted by The Daily News:

Harold Brodkey used to tell the tale of how legendary New Yorker magazine editor William Shawn handled his use of a four-letter word: It's up to you, Shawn said, but would you rather be remembered for your story or the first use of that word in this magazine? Brodkey spiked the offending expletive.

Read the whole story: The Awl

Comments

[Erewhon7]

09:44 PM on 06/01/2011

I love New Yorker's urbane wit.
The only other mag I loved equally was much lamented "Punch."
Sometimes at my university library I still re-read a few old Punch issues.
The cartoons were the best and the "Parlez vous Franglais" still makes me chuckle.