Shirley Jackson

Laurie started kindergarten, renounced corduroy overalls with bibs, spilled his baby sister's milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not to take the name of the Lord in vain. Laurie...

Mr. John Philip Johnson went several blocks uptown, cut across the avenue, and went along a side street, where he met a stray dog. Miss Kent was extremely cross with Mr. Johnson and tried to brush...

She had not slept well, so she made the bed, sat down to read, thought that she might write a letter to her sister instead, but realized that she had forgotten to put clean sheets on the bed. She...

Mr. Halloran Beresford, tired after a good day in the office, waved at a taxi and was almost run down by a delivery truck. Mr. Beresford was walking downtown, his candy box under his arm, when a...

Christopher went on down the road, hating the trees that moved slowly against his progress, and remarked that he hadn't seen a house since entering the forest. Christopher and the cat approached a...

The greatest menace to a writer is the reader. The writer has to reach out and grab the reader. Beginning writers often write stories that are not very interesting, but short stories allow them to...

Emily Johnson came home one evening to find three of her best handkerchiefs missing from the dresser drawer. She decided to complain to the landlady after her dinner and tapped softly on the door...

The people of the village began to gather in the square around ten o'clock, and began speaking of planting and rain, tractors and taxes. Mr. Summers conducted the lottery, the square dances, the...