Hi Neighbor!

Sometimes I feel badly for the short story. I picture it all alone at some swanky book launch, ignored and shoved aside by its more glamorous cousin, the novel. But whenever I read one, I remember just how rich and satisfying a short story can be. Some have even moved me to tears!

Have you heard of the Short Story Dispenser? Located in the Philadelphia airport’s Virtual Library (D/E Terminal Connector), this magical machine spits out complimentary one-, three- and five-minute short stories on eco-friendly paper (sort of like an ATM receipt). The stories are hand-picked by the dispenser’s manufacturer and include a range of genres. During its first month of operation, the machine dispensed 1,500 stories to travelers!

If you’d rather go the short film route, I have you covered there too. Click here to watch The Neighbor’s Window, the 2020 Academy Award Winner for Best Live Action Short. Inspired by a true story, the film follows a sleep-deprived mother of three young children as she spies on the free-spirited young couple across the street. Besides being a gem of a film, IT’S ONLY 20 MINUTES LONG, FRIENDS. In other words, it’s just long enough to get invested—and just short enough to wrap up before bedtime.

PS Craving more short stories? This collection is fantastic and you can’t go wrong with this classic.
Cheers!
Kate