Gordon Lish - Editing - As Founder and Editor of Genesis West

As Founder and Editor of Genesis West

In 1960, the Lish family moved to Burlingame, California, where they founded the avant-garde literary magazine Genesis West, which ran between 1961 and 1965. Genesis West was published in seven volumes by The Chrysalis West Foundation. While working on Genesis West, their house and magazine became a focus point, and celebrated and introduced such authors and poets as Neal Cassady, Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Gilbert, and Herbert Gold.

The Lish family often hosted the likes of Ken Kesey and Neal Cassady in their Burlingame home. The Merry Pranksters' wildly painted school bus, 'Further,' driven by Neal Cassady, was often parked in front of their home. Neal Cassady makes note of his time spent at the Lish home on page 151 of his only self-authored book, The First Third. Carolyn Cassady makes note of the Lish home on page 387 of Off The Road.

In 1963, Lish became director of linguistic studies at Behavioral Research Laboratories in Menlo Park, California. There, in 1964, he produced English Grammar, a text for educators; Why Work, a book of interviews; New Sounds in American Fiction, a set of recorded dramatic readings of short stories; and A Man's Work, an information motivation sound system in vocational guidance. It consisted of over 50 translucent albums.

While in Menlo Park, one of Lish's friends was Raymond Carver, who was editing educational materials in an office across the street from Lish's office. Lish edited a number of stories which wound up as Carver's first national magazine publications.