First published in the 1940's in a respected American magazine, this famous and macabre short story, set in a small town, stunned its early readers, who sent torrents of abuse -- or merely bewildered inquiries -- to the author. It was also banned in South Africa. Today, it is regularly anthologized and has been fodder for many interpretations, though the author herself once admitted that she'd had no specific meaning in mind. What is it, and who wrote it?

Czolgolz

Sounds like Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lottery You wouldn't want to win this one. Jun 05 06, 6:53 PM

lanfranco

But you've won this little competition, Czolgolz. A yay! One of my favorite short stories, "The Lottery" was a great shocker when it was published. See Ben Yagoda, "About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made," published in 2000. Jun 05 06, 7:17 PM

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A famous April's Fool's Day hoax in the U.S. involved an adventurous writer, a respected magazine, a well-known and cooperative sports team (and, in particular, one of its coaches), and an unusual guy who liked to play the French horn. Who wrote this story, where did it appear, and whom was it about? It has inspired a song, an opera, several parodies, and a couple of Disney films, while people in both California and Massachusetts are convinced that their towns were the models for the famous locale. What is this American classic, published almost 120 years ago today, and who wrote it? The Scots seem to pot them. The Italians put them in a box. It has also been suggested that it featured in a macabre illustration featuring a Dutch restaurant by someone who once drew for one of Hans Christian Anderson's books. What is it, and what do the Danish do with it? His first novel sold in 1912. He then wrote over 70 books and many short stories until his death in 1950. His range went from adventures to romance, in the past and in the future. He is best remembered for one specific character which has been seen in print, movies and television, becoming one of the most popular characters in fiction. Who is this author?

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