Despite not originally planning this short story for our “Fallen Women” season, in a weird way, it may fit…Spoilers, ahoy!

If you have not read Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story, “The Lottery,” go treat yourself to a very special reading experience. It will take you just a few minutes, and it’s one of the greatest short stories EVER.

Then, join Sonja and Vanessa to learn the origins of this legendary story. Was it based on real events? What did contemporary readers make of it? Why did it puzzle critics? Does the fact that a woman wrote it matter? What does this brief piece reveal about Jackson’s larger views on humanity? Nearly 80 years later, is it still relevant today? Could it be said that we, too, conduct our own deadly “lotteries”?

Along the way, Sonja reveals her surprising knowledge of mid-twentieth century game shows, and Vanessa, not-so-surprisingly, finds another opportunity to diss Papa Hemingway.

REFERENCES:

Again, we owe a debt of gratitude to Ruth Franklin biography, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life. If you are a Jackson fan, you just have to go get a copy of this thoroughly researched, insightfully-written study of a complicated woman living in a challenging time for women in American history and literature. We promise that you’ll find it tremendously rewarding.