The elusive New Yorker list

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I feel as if I'm constantly reading that this or that writer - George Saunders, Jhumpa Lahiri - was named by the New Yorker on their list of the twenty best writers under forty. But my many, many searches for the list have brought up nothing. It seems like just the sort of thing that would be floating somewhere on the web, doesn't it? Does anyone know where this list could once and for all be found?

― David Elinsky (David Elinsky), Sunday, 18 July 2004 22:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, so the only place I could find the list was here. It looks like The New Yorker's list is called "20 WRITERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY" (although, I think all these authors are under 40). I think this list came out in 1999, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Here's The New Yorker list:
- Sherman Alexie
- Donald Antrim
- Ethan Canin
- Michael Chabon
- Edwige Danticat
- Junot Diaz
- Tony Earley
- Nathan Englander
- Jeffrey Eugenides
- Jonathan Franzen
- Allegra Goodman
- A.M. Homes
- Matthew Klam
- Jhumpa Lahiri
- Chang-Rae Lee
- Rick Moody
- Antonya Nelson
- George Saunders
- William T. Vollmann
- David Foster Wallace

On another note, Granta Magazine in the UK comes out w/lots of lists as well. Here's their 1996 list of "Best of the Young American Novelists":

Sherman Alexie
Madison Smartt Bell
Ethan Canin
Edwidge Danticat
Tom Drury
Tony Earley
Jeffrey Eugenides
Jonathan Franzen
David Guterson
David Haynes
Allen Kurzweil
Elizabeth McCracken
Lorrie Moore
Fae Myenne Ng
Robert O'Connor
Chris Offutt
Stewert O'Nan
Mona Simpson
Melanie Rae Thon
Kate Wheeler

― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Monday, 19 July 2004 12:14 (twenty-one years ago)

bless your soul

― David Elinsky (David Elinsky), Monday, 19 July 2004 12:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Go on, bless the rest of VG too.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 19 July 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Whatever happened to Chris Offut?

― x Jeremy (Atila the Honeybun), Monday, 19 July 2004 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Hm, I have only heard of about 7 of those writers, from either list. I did just read the rather good Music for Torching by A.M. Homes though.

― Archel (Archel), Monday, 19 July 2004 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Ethan Canin, Michael Chabon, and Jeffery Eugenides

they make my list too.

― clellie, Monday, 19 July 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

How old IS Madison Smartt Bell anyway? His first book came out in 1983, but he was a "best young novelist" well into the 90's.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 19 July 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Matt Cibula has been left off these lists. Please rectify.

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Monday, 19 July 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Matt, if it means anything, you made my list, pooky. And you're right below me!

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 19 July 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

a. then the list was maybe a countdown list, or faulty like WMD info.
b. don't call me pooky.

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 20 July 2004 00:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Chris Offutt published another memoir, "No Heroes", last year. It was quite good.

― Rabin the Cat (Rabin the Cat), Thursday, 22 July 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

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