a lot of people wanted to know what shirley jackson meant with this story. she told all who asked different meanings; it’s about small town life, the holocaust, antisemitism, the myth of the scapegoat… she told one high school student: “if you can’t figure it out, i’m not going to tell you.”

she approved one message to be published in the the new yorker, written by a young kip orr;

everyone asked about you!!

tobias wolff - bullet in the brain

christopher sorrentino - condition

ottessa moshfegh - bettering myself

david foster wallace - forever overhead

don delillo - human moments in ww3

denis johnson - the starlight on idaho

lakeisha carr - tomorrows

sandra cisneros - woman hollering creek

angie sijun lou - android girl just wants to have a baby