Second Chances: Rejected F. Scott Fitzgerald Story Published
Via The Huffington Post:
F. Scott Fitzgerald just got a little more relatable: eleven years after The Great Gatsby came out, he was still getting the "thanks but no thanks" treatment from high-level magazines—which makes sense in a way, as his masterpiece didn't receive public attention until after his death in 1940. His short piece "Thank You For The Light" was rejected in 1936, according to a spokesperson at The New Yorker. The magazine noted that it was "altogether out of the question. It seems to us so curious and so unlike the kind of thing we associate with him and really too fantastic."
But now, on the eve of his seminal novel becoming Hollywood gold, the story was retrieved from "the vault" by Fitzgerald's grandchildren, and The New Yorker has changed their tune. They plan on publishing the piece in their upcoming issue.
As you obviously want to read it, you can check it out here.
News by Dave Reuss
Dave Reuss manages Outside Bozeman Magazine. He showcases his work and prostitutes himself to freelance clients at reusswriting.com.
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Huh. That was unexpected. Kind of fun and different, though I suppose I can see why it might not have been one that he got published initially.
That was enjoyable-- I believe that a contemporary audience would be more appreciative of this piece than a pre-WWII audience. Even though the struggle between social conscious in regards to habits considered offensive is common, to set the crisis alongside a seeking of faith or guidance in this near fantastical form transfroms the story into a type of quest. And, in turn is not reduced to banality.
It adds another element to witness that the efficacy of the subject is relevant 75+ years after written.
The story definitely works better now than it would have in the thirties, but it never should have been published anyway. They were right to reject it back then. If it didn't say F. Scott Fitzgerald on the bottom, they never would have even considered it.