Featured Stories

Searching for Summer

Searching for Summer: Short story by Joan AikenPublished in 1958, ten years into the Cold War, this Jane Aiken story is set in the aftermath of an unstated nuclear event. Massive clouds surround the Earth, blocking out the sun and stars. People crave the sun’s warmth and light, which only penetrate the clouds on rare, short-lived occasions. A newlywed couple set off on their honeymoon in search of one of these “bits of sun”. An act of kindness along the way leads them to more sun and starlight than many people see in their lives. Themes: taking things for granted, consequences of war, kindness, consideration for others.

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Désirée’s Baby

Desiree's Baby: Short story by Kate ChopinKate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby reflects the culture of America’s ‘Deep South’ in the mid-1800s. The name Désirée originates from the French word for desire. Armand Aubigny, a young plantation owner who is proud, bigoted and harsh on his slaves, marries the orphaned Désirée for her beauty. He is not concerned about her unknown background until she has a mixed-race baby. His reaction causes Désirée to run from the house and flee with the baby into the bayou. Some weeks later, Armand uncovers an even more devastating secret. Themes (see below) include love, impulsiveness, racism, elitism, shame and/or vindictiveness, and identity.

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This Blessed House

This Blessed House: Short story by Jhumpa LahiriThe major theme of this Jhumpa Lahiri story is the personality clashes that can arise in hasty or arranged marriages. Sanjeev is a conservative, up-and-coming corporate engineer. “Twinkle”, his free-spirited, scatty wife is completing her master’s thesis in poetry. They have known each other for only four months, and both are used to getting their own way. A battle of wills arises over the fate of several Christian items left by the former occupants of their new house. The key questions: Who will win, and will the marriage survive? Other themes: love, cultural adjustment (male dominance vs. shared decision-making), understanding/tolerance.

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A Vermont Tale

A Vermont Tale: Short story by Mark HelprinIn this Mark Helprin story, two children from a distressed marriage are sent to live for a period on their grandparents’ idyllic Vermont farm. One night, they are frightened by the call of two Arctic loons. To calm them and perhaps provide hope about the future, the grandfather tells a tale about two loons. The story is an allegory of his marriage with themes of love, infidelity, separation, despair and reunion. Unfortunately, we learn later that the story’s “happily ever after” ending does not match reality. Themes of the frame story include natural beauty, childhood innocence, appearance vs. reality.

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The Bet

The Bet: Short story by Anton ChekhovThis Anton Chekhov opens with a dinner discussion about capital punishment. A banker claims the death penalty is kind because a lifetime in prison is not worth living. A lawyer argues that any life is better than no life at all. To prove his point, the banker bets the lawyer a small fortune that he couldn’t survive being locked up for many years with minimal contact with the outside world. Towards the end of the period, the banker visits him with murderous intent. Themes include crime and punishment, idealism and conviction, isolation and dehumanization, acquired wisdom, greed and excess.

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Chickamauga

Chickamauga: Short story by Ambrose BierceThis American Civil War story by Ambrose Bierce develops an increasingly ominous tone after a six-year-old boy becomes lost in the woods while playing soldier. He mysteriously sleeps through a bloody battle, wakes to find himself confronted by hundreds of badly wounded and dying soldiers, and silently “leads” them towards a red glow, which turns out to be his burning home. As he stands making “animal noises” over the gory remains of his dead mother, we learn the reason for some of his unusual behavior. Themes: the fantasy (glory) vs. reality (horror) of war, perception (childhood innocence vs. adult awareness).

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Her Hands That Held the Stars

Her Hands That Held the Stars: Short story by Rebecca BirchThis story by Rebecca Birch for Cricket Magazine takes place in a future world where people live in tall towers and the air is so polluted that they cannot see stars through their windows. The only way to see them is to get above the “eversmog” by standing on top of one of the towers. This is so dangerous that it requires a special key. A disobedient but determined twelve-year-old “borrows” one of these keys. While gazing at the stars in awe, she learns that she has a special destiny. Themes: the wonder of nature, environmental degradation, courage, ambition, destiny.

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Going Steady

Going Steady: Short story by Adam BagdasarianIn this story by Adam Bagdasarian, a boy cruelly asks a girl to go steady in order to win a bet. The girl, who he knew liked him, is free-spirited, controlling, and has highly romantic perceptions of what going steady should entail. He wasn’t looking for such a commitment, likening her to a boa constrictor, and after four days decides to call it off. He finds this easier said than done and, after finally plucking up the courage to do so, immediately puts himself in a similar position. Themes include teenage relationships and expectations, insensitivity, honesty, control, commitment.

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