Lorin Stein, the editor of the Paris Review, has resigned his position, the New York Times reports. It’s one of the highest profile fallouts in the literary world of the sexual harassment and assault allegations that have been sounding through Hollywood and other industries.

In a letter of resignation to his board, Stein said that he had dated and expressed interest in women who wrote for or worked at the magazine, acknowledging that it was “an abuse of my position.”

The Paris Review is one of the nation’s most prestigious literary journals. Launched in 1953 by then-expatriate Americans Peter Matthiessen, Harold L. Humes and George Plimpton, it has an uninterrupted track record of publishing top quality literary fiction and poetry, and for its in-depth interviews with authors about the craft of writing. It runs as a nonprofit and is overseen by a board of directors.

That board undertook an investigation into Stein’s activities beginning in October. At least two female writers told the board that they had what the New York Times calls “negative encounters” with Stein.


Stein admitted to the board that, after hours, he had engaged in sexual activity in the office. He said that these encounters were consensual and occurred before he was married in 2015.

The Paris Review did not respond to Times requests for comment.

carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com


@paperhaus