Harper Perennial announced last Wednesday that it will offer a free short story every week throughout 2009. Each Sunday night the HarperCollins imprint will post a new short story on the blog Fifty-Two Stories. Eight stories, including "Wish Fulfillment" by Mary Gaitskill, "Burn Me Up" by Tom Piazza, and "Beauty Stolen From Another World" by Louise Erdrich, have already been published. The stories, selected by Harper Perennial's editorial director Cal Morgan, are taken from books in the imprint's backlist as well as forthcoming titles. The blog also includes an e-mail prompt for readers to submit their own stories to Morgan.
Publishers Weekly recently reported that future selections include stories by Dennis Cooper, Katherine Dunn, Mark Twain, and Jess Walter. Harper Perennial is also set to launch 2009: Summer of the Short Story—a campaign to celebrate the form as well as six new collections due out this summer and fall—on May 1.
