"My young mind, no doubt like so many others, was trained to associate the absence of light, with ghosts, goblins and the simple satisfactions of being scared in safety."
So writes Peter Tonguette in his incisive article from THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER (October 29, 2019). He goes on to reflect on his multiple readings of Shirley Jackson's short story, "The Lottery" over the years, and how it's quiet narrative with the legendary shock ending has stuck with him.
Miss Jackson's story, first published in THE NEW YORKER in June 1948, was so disturbing that among the over 300 letters that she received by readers, only about 13 were positive -- and those were mostly by friends.
So, if you've never read what I consider the most important short horror story ever written, stop now and go read it, then come back to this article. It is the penultimate example of how horror can find us. . . even in the broad daylight of a beautiful summer day.
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