The Half-life of Stories

 

In 2006 I bought a copy of Best American Short Stories and read the whole thing, marveling at the range of voices showcased in the anthology, the writers’ skillful execution of narrative. Until then I had not been a regular consumer of the BASS series, but Ann Patchett was the editor that year. I loved her novel Bel Canto. It was probably Patchett’s name on the cover, more than anything else, which moved me to pick up that particular edition of BASS.  

I was also hoping to figure out which literary journals were recognized for publishing the best work. The 2006 collection included the usual big names—The New Yorkers and Atlantic Monthlies of the world—as well as a handful of “little magazines”. I took note of the fact that out of twenty stories selected from thousands published in US and Canadian journals that year, two had originally appeared in One Story. Although One Story was founded in 2002, I had never heard of it, being clueless and about as far from New York City, geographically and psychologically, as one could get. I was impressed by One Story’s disproportionate representation in the pages of BASS.

And the stories themselves were stunning—Paul Yoon’s Once the Shore and Patrick Ryan’s So Much for Artemis had the power to transport a reader to an island in South Korea and Nixon-era Florida, respectively. I ingested them along with other stories by writers such as Yiyun Li and Edith Pearlman and David Bezmozgis, favorites of mine ever since. Their stories remain inside me, available at any moment for recall and examination. The character details or author names might fade, but they never disappear entirely. While my workaday life is full of forgetfulness, somehow it’s always easy for me to remember books and stories I’ve read.

One Story office

So I began to read One Story, to pay attention to the carefully published issues that appeared every few weeks in the mail. I referenced some of them as examples for the college class I teach and highlighted others in a recent post, Goodbye, 2013 Books. When One Story began offering online education programs I tried one, starting with Will Allison's excellent class on revision. That led me to apply for The Workshop for Writers, certain to be an intense experience.

Which brings me to last week. I’m still flying from the wonders of last week. Workshops run by Will and Marie-Helene Bertino (find an excerpt from her forthcoming novel on the Guernica site) anchored each morning with thoughtful, generous critiques of works in progress. Strangers newly arrived from Saskatchewan, Ontario, California, Brooklyn, wherever, turned into close readers and then friends—the funny, frank, supersmart friends you can trust with your work. Inspiring panel discussions, excursions and craft talks by Hannah Tinti and others rounded out the days with fresh insights and laughter. Heaps of practical advice and encouragement, superb organization, a beautiful venue in The Center for Fiction—who could ask for more? 

Final night, reading at the Old American Can Factory

Yet part of me was skeptical, at first. Wondering about the investment of time and money, worrying about my writing and getting along with others and—well, everything.

Until the third afternoon, in the middle of Patrick Ryan’s craft talk on merging two “okay” story ideas to create one compelling idea. I can mark the precise moment when I began to feel at home. It was halfway through his talk. He distributed a pamphlet, which turned out to be the 2012 prototype issue for One Teen Story, the journal of which he is now Editor-in-Chief. The featured story? My old friend, So Much for Artemis, showing up for a visit. Patrick’s story, which I remembered well but hadn’t connected with the entertaining speaker at the front of the room. The life of the original has been extended through, first, the BASS selection, and then re-publication in One Teen Story. I'm sure it has found a new audience with each appearance. Afterward, I asked Patrick to sign my copy, and he told an anecdote about how he learned that Patchett had chosen his work for BASS 2006. I told him I had just finished her new collection of essays, This is the Story of a Happy Marriage (so good—read it). 

How strange is it that eight years after I first read the tale that introduced me to One Story, One Story handed it back to me? Call it coincidence if you like, but I know the explanation. That story's life isn't over.