Welcome to the DNA of literature—over 50 years of literary wisdom rolled up in 300+ Writers-at-Work interviews, now available online—free.

The Paris Review has long been known for its interviews with writers and the US National Endowment for the Arts has provided the monies to move these interviews to the Web, a decade per month, starting with the 1950’s (online now) and ending with the 90’s in May 2005.

The 50’s group brings interviews with Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Graham Greene, Dorothy Parker, Robert Penn Warren, William Faulkner, Nelson Algren, Joyce Cary, Isak Dinesen, Lawrence Durrell, T. S. Elliot, Ralph Ellison, E. M. Forster, Henry Green, Francois Mauriac, Alberto Moravia, Frank O’Connor, Francoise Sagan, Irwin Shaw, Georges Simenon, William Styron, James Thurber, Thornton Wilder, and Angus Wilson.

The NY Times has a nice essay and introduction (login possibly required).