www.richardjespers.com
  • Home
  • Books
  • Journals
  • Blog

The New Yorker Project 4—Intro

1/4/2015

 
Picture
A WRITER'S WIT
The more human beings proceed by plan the more effectively they may hit by accident.
Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Born January 5, 1921

A Bit of History

Picture
This is the fourth consecutive year that I’ve made a close reading of every story in The New Yorker. Before beginning my first post in this series I decided to read a New Yorker story from the past and removed from my shelf a collection of stories published in the magazine between 1925 to 1940, a used-book-store find I made a number of years ago. I want to share the opening paragraph from a Dorothy Parker story, “Soldiers of the Republic,” from the February 5, 1938 issue:

“That Sunday afternoon we sat with the Swedish girl in the big café in Valencia. We had vermouth in thick goblets, each with a cube of honeycombed gray ice in it. The waiter was so proud of that ice he could hardly bear to leave the glasses on the table, and thus part from it forever. He went to his duty—all over the room they were clapping their hands and hissing to draw his attention—but he looked back over his shoulder” (15).
This opening is quite simple, really, but how much information the author dispenses: day of week and time, setting including the city and country (by inference), the scarcity and kind of ice cubes, the tone, which is established by a slightly elevated diction. Who is telling this story in the first person? we ask ourselves. What’s going to happen? Do we care? The story can’t be more than two thousand words, far shorter than most New Yorker stories published today, but this narrative set in a time of war is dazzling. This literary history is part of the reason why I continue to read every story in the magazine. Will someone dazzle us with his or her word choice, his or her setting, his or her narrative that no one else could have possibly written? I hope so.

It may be that this magazine is the one large-circulation American journal that also distributes the largest number of short stories per year—making it a challenge to any writer to have a story accepted. Each year that I proceed farther into this project the more I appreciate the broad spectrum of fiction being written by writers of English throughout the world. The seven translated stories compel the reader to understand cultural aspects of other cultures, as well. I will continue the practice of posting a profile of the story a week before it hits the stands and then summarizing the year’s fiction at the end of 2015.

The reader can access previous annual posts by going to the side bar and clicking on “January 2011,” “January 2012,” or “ January 2013” and searching for "New Yorker Project."

The Stats for 2014

Picture
  • Average length of a New Yorker story in 2014: 8,870 words
  • Change from 2013: +120 words
  • Percentage of male authors: 67% (66% including writers with multiple stories)
  • Change from 2013: +18% points


  • Percentage of female authors: 33% (34% including writers with multiple stories)
  • Change from 2013: –2% points
  • Average age of a New Yorker fiction author: 52
  • Change from 2013: –2 years
  • Percentage of lead characters who are male: 68%
  • Change from 2013: +11% points
  • Number of lead characters who are female: 32%
  • Change from 2013: –11% points
  • Number of lead characters who are apparently heterosexual: 90%
  • Change from 2013: –8% points
  • Number of lead characters who are apparently LGBT*: 4%
  • Change from 2013: +2% (up from one story to two)
  • Percentage of lead characters who are apparently Caucasian: 76%
  • Change from 2013: +12% points
  • Percentage of lead characters who are apparently “minority” or foreign: 22%
  • Change from 2013: –4% points
  • Percentage of lead characters who are apparently Jewish or Israeli: 2%
  • Change from 2013: –8% points
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 1950s: 1
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 1960s: 3
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 1970s: 4
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 1980s: 1
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 1990s: 1
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 2000s: 2
  • Stories that seem to be set in the 2010s: 31
  • Stories that seem to be set in the future: 1 (2015)
  • Stories set in the United States: 52% — AK-1, AZ-1, CA-7, GA-1, MA-3, MN-1, MS-1, MT-2, NJ-1, NM-3, NY-4, VA-1
  • Change from 2013: +15% points
  • Percentage of stories set in foreign countries: 30% CHILE-1,ENGLAND-3, FRANCE-1, IRELAND-2, ISRAEL-1, JAPAN-2, NORWAY-1, SOUTH AFRICA-1, SOVIET RUSSIA-1, SPAIN-1, UGANDA-1
  • Change from 2013: –19% points
  • Percentage of stories in which there is no apparent setting: 14%
  • Percentage of stories set in cyberspace/outer space: 4% [new category]
  • Percentage of stories set in urban/suburban areas: 70%
  • Percentage of stories set in rural/pastoral areas: 16%
  • Percentage of stories set in urban and rural areas: 14%
  • Authors publishing more than one story: Robert Coover-2, Tessa Hadley-2, Thomas McGuane-2, Haruki Murakami-2, Antonya Nelson-2
  • Percentage of authors who appear to use English in a traditional manner: 98%
  • Percentage of authors who appear to use English in an experimental manner: 2%
  • Percentage of authors who appear to use English both ways: 0
  • Percentage of authors who employ the first-person POV: 34% (up 3%)
  • Percentage of authors who employ the second-person POV: less than 2%
  • Percentage of authors who employ the third-person POV: 64% (down 3% points)
  • Percentage of authors who primarily employ the past tense: 86% (down 2% points)
  • Percentage of authors who primarily employ the present tense: 14% (up 2% points)
*While it was great that the number of central characters who were apparently gay rose from one story to two, both narratives were written by apparently straight writers! Nothing by Edmund White or a host of other fine LGBT writers of various ages?

Theme

Picture
As in the three previous years, I’ve challenged myself to distill the theme of each story to one word or phrase if I could. I made up my mind quickly—believing that, like selecting a character’s name or looking at Rorschach inkblots—first thoughts are the most honest psychologically (those in bold face were also listed in last year’s themes): ABUSE–2%, ADVENTURE­–2%, ALIENATION–6%, COMING-OF-AGE–6%, DEATH–8%, EVANESCENCE OF YOUTH–2%, EVIL–2%, FRIENDSHIP–2%, GREED–2%, INSANITY–2%, LONELINESS–10%, LOSS–10%, LOVE-–10%, MYTHS/TALES–12%, POLITICAL REPRESSION–4%, POST-APOCALYPTIC–2%, RECAPTURING THE PAST–2%, RECONCILIATION/HEALING–6%, REDEMPTION–2%, ROLE OF MAGIC–2%, REVOLUTION–2%, SUPERFICIALITY OF MODERN LIFE–2%, UNRESOLVED CHILDHOOD–2%

Unlike the last three years, in which I was fairly certain what a New Yorker story is supposed to be—urbane, sophisticated, yet accessible—this year I’m not so sure. The editorial staff selected a broad range of stories, some of which were not that urbane or that sophisticated. Themes seemed to be quite varied. One isn’t quite sure where The New Yorker short story is headed. More younger writers? Writers from more diverse backgrounds? More or fewer translations? Stretching the genre? Only 2015 will tell.

Bad Circulation?

Picture
The gods at Circulation must have heard me cursing last year (and the year before). Many more of my hard copies have arrived before the cover date than those that have not (again, two failed to make it to my door at all). My digital copy arrives each week without fail on a Sunday night while reading in bed! I heap great thanks upon the Digital Gods for this advantage; also being able to access every issue at the magazine's archives. Truly a gift in exchange for a measly subscription price.

Picture
In the next three days I shall set up links to my profiles of all fifty-one stories found in the 2014 issues and rank them in three categories: Tuesday, Crème de La Crème (1-20); Wednesday, The Big Middle (21-39); and Thursday, The Stories I Least Liked and Why (40-50). I urge you to peruse my profiles, but most of all, the stories.

NEXT TIME: The New Yorker Project 4,
Crème de La Crème


Comments are closed.
    AUTHOR
    Richard Jespers is a writer living in Lubbock, Texas, USA.

    See my profile at Author Central:
    http://amazon.com/author/rjespers


    Richard Jespers's books on Goodreads
    My Long-Playing Records My Long-Playing Records
    ratings: 1 (avg rating 5.00)


    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011



    Categories

    All
    Acting
    Actors
    African American History
    Alabama
    Alaska
    Aldo Leopold
    Andy Warhol
    Arizona
    Arkansas
    Art
    Atrial Fibrillation
    Authors
    Authors' Words
    Barcelona
    Blogging About Books
    Blogs
    Books
    California
    Cars
    Catalonia
    Colorado
    Cooking
    Creative Nonfiction
    Culinary Arts
    Deleting Facebook
    Ecology
    Education
    Environment
    Epigraphs
    Essays
    Fiction
    Fifty States
    Film
    Florida
    Georgia
    Grammar
    Greece
    Gun Violence
    Hawaii
    Heart Health
    Historic Postcards
    History
    Idaho
    Iowa
    LGBTQ
    Libraries
    Literary Biography
    Literary Journals
    Literary Topics
    Literature
    Maine
    Massachusetts
    Memoir
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    M K Rawlings
    Musicians
    Nevada
    New Hampshire
    New Mexico
    New Yorker Stories
    Nonfiction
    North Carolina
    Novelist
    Ohio
    Pam Houston
    Parker Posey
    Photography
    Playwrights
    Poetry
    Politics
    Psychology
    Publishing
    Quotations
    Race
    Reading
    Recipes
    Seattle
    Short Story
    South Carolina
    Spain
    Susan Faludi
    Teaching
    Tennessee
    Texas
    The Novel
    Travel
    Travel Photographs
    #TuesdayThoughts
    TV
    U.S.
    Vermont
    Voting
    War
    Washington
    Wisconsin
    World War II
    Writer's Wit
    Writing


    RSS Feed

    Blogroll

    alicefrench.wordpress.com
    kendixonartblog.com
    Valyakomkova.blogspot.com

    Websites

    Caprock Writers' Alliance
    kendixonart.com

    tedkincaid.com
    www.trackingwonder.com
    www.skans.edu
    www.ttu.edu
    www.newpages.com
    www.marianszczepanski.com
    William Campbell Contemporary Art, Inc.
    Barbara Brannon.com
    Artsy.net
WWW.RICHARDJESPERS.COM  ©2011-2023
                    BOOKS  PHOTOS  PODCASTS  JOURNALS  BLOG