 | A WRITER'S WIT |
Fifth Annual New Yorker Project
Ninetieth Anniversary for New Yorker In 2015, for the fifth consecutive year, I made a close reading of every short story published by The New Yorker (fifty-one). This undertaking—the reading of 255,714 words or the equivalent of three story collections—involves at least 115-120 clock hours (approximately one and a quarter hours to read and compile critique, an hour to construct my post). The process might be likened to writing a mini-essay over each story and might just have honed my critiquing skills when it comes to examining my own fiction; or perhaps it is a self-indulgent project that interests no one but me. No matter; I’ll probably continue to do it as long as the process provides a certain satisfaction!
In the first year, 2011, I believe my purpose may have been to unearth the elusive key to achieving publication in The New Yorker, and sometimes I was too critical of, say, the bottom third of the stories. In the second and third years, I became more respectful of every writer’s gifts. The longer I’ve persisted in pursuing this project the more I have come to appreciate the broad spectrum of fiction that writers of English throughout the world are creating; there is no one type of New Yorker story, except that it is usually entertaining in one fashion or another.
Moreover, this year’s eight translated stories, not to mention the twenty-seven set in foreign countries, compel me to realize that we are in this global life together. As I move forward through 2016, I hope to deepen my understanding of this humanity and invite the reader to join me. Each week you can read a story for free at The New Yorker Web site.
Rather than spread my analysis over four posts, as I have in the past, this year I’ve limited it to one and set up a file below for STATISTICS: average length of a New Yorker story, the number of male or female authors, for example. I also created a file that discusses THEMES. Below I’ve set up links to my profiles of what I call the Crème de La Crème, what I believe are the top New Yorker stories for 2015. From there you can click on a link to read a particular story, and I hope you will!
In the first year, 2011, I believe my purpose may have been to unearth the elusive key to achieving publication in The New Yorker, and sometimes I was too critical of, say, the bottom third of the stories. In the second and third years, I became more respectful of every writer’s gifts. The longer I’ve persisted in pursuing this project the more I have come to appreciate the broad spectrum of fiction that writers of English throughout the world are creating; there is no one type of New Yorker story, except that it is usually entertaining in one fashion or another.
Moreover, this year’s eight translated stories, not to mention the twenty-seven set in foreign countries, compel me to realize that we are in this global life together. As I move forward through 2016, I hope to deepen my understanding of this humanity and invite the reader to join me. Each week you can read a story for free at The New Yorker Web site.
Rather than spread my analysis over four posts, as I have in the past, this year I’ve limited it to one and set up a file below for STATISTICS: average length of a New Yorker story, the number of male or female authors, for example. I also created a file that discusses THEMES. Below I’ve set up links to my profiles of what I call the Crème de La Crème, what I believe are the top New Yorker stories for 2015. From there you can click on a link to read a particular story, and I hope you will!
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1. January 5, 2014, Colin Barrett, “The Ways”
2. February 23 & March 2, 2015, Haruki Murakami, “Kino”
3. March 9, 2015, Stephen King, “A Death”
4. March 16, 2015, Sarah Braunstein, “All You Have to Do”
5. March 23, 2015, Colm Toibín, “Sleep”
2. February 23 & March 2, 2015, Haruki Murakami, “Kino”
3. March 9, 2015, Stephen King, “A Death”
4. March 16, 2015, Sarah Braunstein, “All You Have to Do”
5. March 23, 2015, Colm Toibín, “Sleep”
6. April 27, 2015, Luke Mogelson, “Peacetime”
7. May 4, 2015, Milan Kundera, “The Apologizer”
8. May 11, 2015, Sheila Heti, “My Life Is a Joke”
9. May 18, 2015, Justin Taylor, “So You’re Just What, Gone?”
10. June 8 & 15, 2015, Jonathan Franzen, “The Republic of Bad Taste”
7. May 4, 2015, Milan Kundera, “The Apologizer”
8. May 11, 2015, Sheila Heti, “My Life Is a Joke”
9. May 18, 2015, Justin Taylor, “So You’re Just What, Gone?”
10. June 8 & 15, 2015, Jonathan Franzen, “The Republic of Bad Taste”
11. June 22, 2015, Ben Marcus, “The Grow-Light Blues”
12. June 29, 2015, Louise Erdrich, “The Flower”
13. August 24, 2015, Alice McDermott, “These Short, Dark Days”
14. August 31, 2015, Jensen Beach, “The Apartment”
15. October 12, 2015, Rivka Galchen,
“Usl at the Stadium”
12. June 29, 2015, Louise Erdrich, “The Flower”
13. August 24, 2015, Alice McDermott, “These Short, Dark Days”
14. August 31, 2015, Jensen Beach, “The Apartment”
15. October 12, 2015, Rivka Galchen,
“Usl at the Stadium”
16. October 19, 2015, Ben Marcus, “Cold Little Bird”
17. November 16, 2015, Mark Haddon, “The Weir”
18. November 30, 2015, Rachel Kushner, “Fifty-Seven”
19. December 7, 2015, Martin Amis, “Oktober”
17. November 16, 2015, Mark Haddon, “The Weir”
18. November 30, 2015, Rachel Kushner, “Fifty-Seven”
19. December 7, 2015, Martin Amis, “Oktober”
NEXT TIME: New Yorker Fiction 2016
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