Got a rejection slip from the NY. It came by real post. “We regret that we are unable to use the enclosed material.” An extra message was handwritten underneath: “Thanks for the read. Keep writing.“

Thanks NY. It’s a little courtesy that counts for a lot. Their last rejection (by email) went:

The Paris Review on the other hand have never replied. Their stated policy is not to send a rejection slip at all. If your piece gets accepted, fine, they are good enough to contact you. Otherwise, silence. If on the other hand your submitted piece gets accepted somewhere else in the meantime, you are obliged to inform them.

Well, it happened that indeed my piece was accepted somewhere else several months later. Dutifully I informed them the story was taken. They do not communicate by email, so I brought the letter to the post office, bought a stamp, stuck it on, posted the letter.

It was one of those quirky things you do, like talking to the bolts and clips when you are trying to assemble IKEA furniture.