The Plot Thins – Frank McNally on France’s latest contribution to civilisation: the short-story dispenser

  • 📰 IrishTimes
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 53 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Qulity Score:
  • News: 25%
  • Publisher: 98%

Among the facilities on the campus of Maynooth University these days is a small machine that looks it might sell bus tickets to Dublin. In fact, it dispenses literature, in short-story format.

Ireland Headlines News

Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines

. But apart from railway stations, the machines have also been installed in airports, hotels, libraries, and shopping malls.

Although stories are randomly dispensed, readers can vote for favourites, boosting their reach. The system also lends itself to localised competitions, like one held recently on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit network. Anyway, the still-sober Bart celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Celebrations included a movement-themed short story competition, inspired by the dispensers, in which 30 finalists won publication and $200 each.

The city of Joyce and Beckett, in which “What’s the story?” is a typical conversation starter, remains virgin territory. The typical Real Édition story veers towards the longer end of the prescribed spectrum, at between three and five minutes. An exception is a one-minute piece I read somewhere, translated from French, called “Drowned”.

The tragic vignette reads in full: “For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.” And it appears to have roots in old US newspaper ads, one of which stretched to 12 words, no less desolate: “Baby’s hand made trousseau and baby’s bed for sale. Never been used.”

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 3. in İE
 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

NarangTapasya have you found this on campus?

Think of the Planet! 🤣

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Baggot Street Georgian on extensive site primed for development at €3mThe selling agent for this Baggot Street Georgian says the rear garden could offer potential for the development of a residential or commercial mews of up to three storeys
Source: IrishTimesBiz - 🏆 6. / 77 Read more »

Housing completions to drop 8% in 2023, falling short of government target, analysts sayDavy predicts 27,500 home completions this year – even as the government targets 29,000
Source: businessposthq - 🏆 8. / 71 Read more »

Far-flung destinations top 2023 travel trends as Greece and Italy remain short-haul favouritesA great holiday is too important to leave to chance, especially if it’s a bucket-list trip. With their in-depth knowledge Oroko travel experts can create the dream itinerary On the Amalfi coast, we had a romantic escape With Oroko travel experts, our itinerary was first rate From thrill-seeking adventures, to charming coastal towns Thanks to the Irish Times, our trip was unforgettable, now we're hooked and found!
Source: IrishTimes - 🏆 3. / 98 Read more »

New hedge fund takes short bet against Smurfit KappaAlmost €180 million of the paper company’s shares are now held by two funds taking a short bet
Source: businessposthq - 🏆 8. / 71 Read more »

Love Actually star reveals incredibly emotional behind-the-scenes story | JOE.ieLove Actually star reveals incredibly emotional behind-the-scenes story
Source: JOEdotie - 🏆 31. / 51 Read more »

True story of world's richest dog unveiled in new Netflix seriesSPOILER ALERT! Mind boggling four-parter tells the 'tail' of a pampered pooch worth £328m and living the high life - but is everything really quite as it seems?
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »