In its first two years, the periodical published a discussion on "Art and Social Struggle", including contributions from Thomas Hart Benton and Diego Rivera, a story by Vance Randolph, a poem by Edgar Lee Masters, and a personal note from Pearl S.

[2] Starting with the Spring 1938 issue, Alexander P. Cappon became editor and remained in that post for the next 33 years.

[2] In 1986, James McKinley became editor, and under his editorship the magazine published new work by Amiri Baraka, Thomas Berger, former President Jimmy Carter, Annie Dillard, Tess Gallagher, William Gass, Charles Simic, John Updike, and Miller Williams.

Since becoming editor, the magazine has published such writers as Brian Doyle, Quincy Troupe, Daniel Woodrell, Sherman Alexie, Sergio Troncoso, Marilyn Hacker, Maxine Kumin and Charlotte Holmes.

[2] New Letters won the National Magazine Award for the essay on May 1, 2008 at Lincoln Center in New York.