I’ve spent half a lifetime reading, writing, and thinking about short stories. A lot of that time was given to figuring out what makes a great story - and (Big Surprise) there’s no right answer. It’s all - as Justice Potter Stewart said of pornography - “I know when I see it.”
“Herman Melville, Volume I” by Victor Lodato in the March 27 issue of The New Yorker is a great work of fiction. It has character, plot, language and theme. It pulls you in, keeps you reading, then forces you to reread because there’s just so much there.
“Herman Melville, Volume I” by Victor Lodato in the March 27 issue of The New Yorker is a great work of fiction. It has character, plot, language and theme. It pulls you in, keeps you reading, then forces you to reread because there’s just so much there.