As C. S. Lewis reminds us in An Experiment in Criticism, reading can be an exercise in Christ’s command: “You must lose your life to save it.” In this issue, the winners of our short story prize (and all of our contributors) present us with endless opportunities to lose ourselves in the lives of others. The little girl who untangles the hair of the lonely housewife next door; the son who is enthralled by his mother as he watches her leaned head in the light of dusk. The lonely man finding himself under the dim lights of the bowling alley.
The poignant images and the movement of each of the stories create little worlds for us to be enveloped by. In this issue, our contributors offer us countless passages where we can linger, rest, and imagine. In lingering, we may just find ourselves captivated—and transformed.
FEATURING The 2009 Short Story Prize Winner
