A CONTEST.- - - - During F. Scott Fitzgerald's time at Princeton, he began keeping a notebook of musings, sketches, snippets of conversation, descriptions of girls, and story ideas for future use, all meticulously cataloged. Time ran out before he was able to realize many of those ideas. Over the past year, we presented his list of 31 unwritten stories to a select group of writers—Sam Lipsyte, Judy Budnitz, Salvador Plascencia, Diane Williams, and 13 others. Each writer chose a premise and wrote his or her own realization of it. The resulting stories are featured in a section of McSweeney's Issue 22, due out in a few weeks. For a taste, Sam Lipsyte's contribution can be read here. (A few more facts about Issue 22: It's three books—this Fitzgerald collection and two other experiments—held together in a hardcover case by an actual magnet. Our print run dipped a little with this one, so we're expecting it to sell out. Subscriptions are still beginning with this issue, and you can sign yourself up here.) In celebration of this moment of destiny fulfilled, we are today announcing a new contest. Our writers took on half of Fitzgerald's ideas; the rest we've left to you. Choose one of the remaining premises and write your own story, in no more than 2,000 words. The full list of premises, with the ones that have already been used indicated, is right here. Our favorite entry will be published on this site and its writer will receive a free subscription to the McSweeney's Book Release Club (our next 10 books, delivered to your door—retail value $214, sold here for $100). Send stories to printsubs@mcsweeneys.net, with the subject line "FITZGERALD"—that last part is important. The deadline is January 15, 2007. The deadline has been extended to January 22, 2007. - - - - OTHER McSWEENEY'S FEATURES: - - - - A ContestNora Ephron Feels Bad About Barack Obama's Neck By Rick Moranis Alice Walker Meets Roy G. Biv By Laurence Hughes To: Peter Criss; From: Beth By John Moe The Azande Tribesman Makes His Weekly Football Picks By Eric Silver |
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