Let’s All Read More Fiction
Over the centuries, our magazine has prized great storytelling. Now we’re recommitting ourselves to publishing short fiction, beginning with a story by Lauren Groff.
Editor’s Note: Read Lauren Groff’s new short story, “Birdie,” and an interview with Groff about her writing process.
In 1858, a year after the founding of , 26-year-old Louisa May Alcott’s literary confidence was growing. “I even think of trying the ‘Atlantic,’” she wrote in her journal. “There’s ambition for you!” The magazine “of Literature, Art, and Politics” had staked out an enthusiastic commitment to publishing fiction: Four stories—one of them by Harriet Beecher Stowe—appeared in the first issue. In a rapidly expanding magazine market, was soon a, and .)
