Here’s something neat I discovered at the Boston Book Fest … One Story!
One Story is a small press in Brooklyn (the address is “The Old American Can Factory” – you can’t make this stuff up!). They publish ONE STORY for subscribers every three weeks. The reasons for delivering in this format are many – the publisher believes short stories should be read and digested singly; the stand-alone issues allow the spotlight to shine on that one author and his or her fiction; the stories are portable, easier to tuck in a bag than a bulky hardcover.
They have a policy of publishing each author only once, allowing for a continuous influx of new voices. As each issue is published and sent to subscribers, One Story simultaneously posts an interview with the author on their web site.
Maribeth Batcha is publisher and co-founder of One Story; Hannah Tinti (yes, author of The Good Thief) is editor. The staff also includes a handful of readers who vet the stories submitted to One Story.
Braving the elements, One Story was one of dozens of tents set up around Copley Square on October 24. In addition to sharing their story with attendees, One Story invited us to collaborate on an interactive short story. As people stopped to chat at the booth, we were encouraged to add a sentence to the flip chart and to be part of the story that emerged; it was a lot of fun to watch the story grow. The rains and high winds eventually took their toll; read about One Story’s battle with the weather and Copley Square’s version of “mall cop” at the One Story blog. The completed Exquisite Corpse collaborative story can also be found on the blog.
This is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to save the short story.” Are you interested in helping them in that mission by subscribing or purchasing a few back issues? Here’s a look at the bundled collection I purchased at the Boston Book Fest – five stories with a local Boston flavor:
- King of the Empty Kegs by Steve Almond (5 published books, and an LOL header on his website)
- Villanova OR: How I Became a Former Professional Literary Agent by John Hodgman (funny, funny guy!)
- The Strings Attached by James Scott (yikes! This is the leader of the Writing Workshop I’m attending … I’m not worthy [bowing down and grovelling])
- Archangel by Andrea Barrett (enjoyed her The Air We Breathe!)
- Desiderata by Jennifer Haigh (I have yet to read The Condition, it’s on my wish list)
Have you read any new-to-you short story authors this year?
That’s such a cool concept, and what a great find! I actually am generally not a very good short story reader, but I could see getting behind something like this. Just one short story every few weeks isn’t much of a reading commitment, and I bet they get some really good stuff published.
This year I have actually read a few short story collections, which has definitely been a change for me, as I can’t remember the last time prior to this year that I read any! But this year I read Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link, and Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alic Munro. To be honest, none of these collections really knocked my socks off, though they all had a few stories that I really enjoyed! I definitely want to keep trying the short story, so I’m certainly going to look into One Story.
I LOVE this post! What an incredibly cool idea! I especially love the interactive One Story at the festival.
I love One Story. Thanks for reminding me to renew my subscription to this great publication. I love the idea that one story is published to showcase one author’s talents.
I’m so glad that they are getting their name out there and are attending festivals. I haven’t had any short stories published by them, unfortunately–though in their defense, my short stories are probably crap. Just like this nano novel–LOL
Thanks for highlighting One Story!
What sentence did you add?
Yea! Which sentence was yours?
I missed this – we didn’t get much time at the booths, I admit. I love this. Great post.
I’ve been a subscriber to One Story for years. I love it…it’s like getting a letter in the mail every three weeks! They always have several stories in The Best American Short Stories as well. I think they do a terrific job of presenting new writers, and they’ve done a great job of not favoring any one type, really. Some lit journals seem to be a bit cliquish, or seem beyond reach for aspiring writers. Maybe it’s the format that helps…
That’s so cool! I’m not normally a short story reader, but I think I’ll order a few to try them out.
Nope — no new short story authors — but I did read one collection by Sam Shepard.