The short story concentrates on its grain of sand, in the fierce belief that there — right there, in the palm of its hand — lies the universe. It seeks to know that grain of sand the way a lover seeks to know the face of the beloved. It looks for the moment when the grain of sand reveals its true nature. In that moment of mystic expansion, when the macrocosmic flower bursts from the microcosmic seed, the short story feels its power. It becomes bigger than itself. It becomes bigger than the novel. It becomes as big as the universe. Therein lies the immodesty of the short story, its secret aggression. Its method is revelation. Its littleness is the agency of its power.
To read the rest of Millhauser's essay on the short story and the novel, click here.
3 comments:
Definitely a good find! Thank you for sharing the link.,
That's marvelous, I'm clicking to the link for the rest!
An excellent quote. I find that's very, very true.
Reminds me of the poet Blake speaking of the joy and importance of seeing "a world in a grain of sand" and "infinity in the palm of your hand"...
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