Short stories from Life: The 81 prize stories in "Life's" Shortest Story Contest

Short stories from Life: The 81 prize stories in "Life's" Shortest Story Contest

It was at a luncheon party that the idea of Lifes Short Story Contest was first suggested by Mr. Lincoln Steffens. He propounded this interesting query: It was thereupon determined to discover, if possible, a practical answer to this interesting question. The columns of Life were thrown open to contributors for many months, prizes aggregating $1,750 were offered and eighty-one short stories were published. This book contains these stories, including the four prize winners. The contest cost in round numbers a little less than $12,000. Over thirty thousand manuscripts were received. They came from all over the worldfrom sufferers on hospital cots, from literary toilers in the Philippines, from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and from every State in the Union. One manuscript was sent from a trench at the French battle front, where the story had been written between hand grenades. Every kind of story was represented, the war story and the love story being the leaders. Every kind of writing was represented, from the short compound of trite banalities to the terse, dramatic, carefully wrought out climax. Back of many of these efforts the spectral forms of Guy de Maupassant and O. Henry hovered in sardonic triumph. Tragedy predominated. The light touch was few and far between. But it was still there, as the stories published show. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 68085
Author: Masson, Thomas L.
Release Date: May 15, 2022
Format: eBook
Language: English
Publisher: Doubleday, Page & Company
Publication Date: 1916
Publisher Country: United States