One Story

One Story is a little literary mag that comes out every three weeks and contains just one excellent short story. Go to the One Story Web site, and for only $21 you can subscribe to a year’s worth, or 18 issues, or 18 short stories. Publisher Maribeth Batcha and Editor Hannah Tinti (Atlantic Monthly, etc.) “believe that short stories are best read alone … not sandwiched in between a review and an exposé on liposuction, or placed after another work of fiction that is so sad or funny or long that the reader is worn out by the time they turn to it.” I recently read Issue #49, “One Small Man,” by Daniel Wallace, whose credits include the novel Big Fish (made into the 2003 Tim Burton film). The well-written, thought-provoking story concerns Carla, a small-town hotel/restaurant owner, who is still trying to live down her reputation as former town slut; a small, mysterious Japanese man who shows up; and the local Indian mounds, upon which the town’s developer-types would like to see a big factory built. The magazine’s Web site also contains interesting author interviews as well as guidelines for submissions of stories to be considered for future issues.