Villanova (short story)

Last updated
"Villanova"
Author John Hodgman
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Short story
Published in One Story
Publication type Periodical
Publisher One Story, Inc.
Media type Print (Magazine)
Publication date April 1, 2002

"Villanova" (or "How I Became a Former Professional Literary Agent") is a short story by American humorist John Hodgman. It was first published in the first issue of One Story on April 1, 2002. [1] [2]

Short story Brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose

A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a "single effect" or mood, however there are many exceptions to this.

John Hodgman American author and humorist

John Kellogg Hodgman is an American author, actor, and humorist. In addition to his published written works, such as The Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require, and That Is All, he is known for his personification of a PC in contrast to Justin Long's personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" advertising campaign, and for his work as a contributor on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

<i>One Story</i>

One Story is a literary magazine which publishes 12 issues a year, each issue containing a single short story. The magazine was founded in 2002 by writers Hannah Tinti and Maribeth Batcha. "Villanova" by John Hodgman was the first short story published by One Story.

Contents

Premise

While attending a 1998 romance and western fiction writers' conference in an Oklahoma City Embassy Suites, an unnamed literary agent stumbles across an elusive science fiction writer who has largely disappeared since the 1970s after publishing an incomplete trilogy.

This article presents lists of the literary events and publications in 1998.

Romance novel literary genre

Although the genre is very old, the romance novel or romantic novel discussed in this article is the mass-market version. Novels of this type of genre fiction place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." There are many subgenres of the romance novel, including fantasy, historical romance, paranormal fiction, and science fiction. Romance novels are read primarily by women.

Western fiction literary genre

Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and Louis L'Amour from the mid 20th century. The genre peaked around the early 1960s, largely due to the popularity of televised Westerns such as Bonanza. Readership began to drop off in the mid- to late 1970s and has reached a new low in the 2000s. Most bookstores, outside a few west American states, only carry a small number of Western fiction books.

The story is interspersed with excerpts from a fictional June 1979 Playboy magazine article called "Where Is Darling Egan?"

<i>Playboy</i> Mens lifestyle and entertainment magazine based in Chicago

Playboy is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. Notable for its centerfolds of nude and semi-nude models (Playmates), Playboy played an important role in the sexual revolution and remains one of the world's best-known brands, having grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (PEI), with a presence in nearly every medium. In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide.

Publication

The original publication of Villanova was limited to a print run of 600 with an over-all cost of $1,000. [3]

Villanova was republished as "How I Became a Former Professional Literary Agent" in the final chapter "The Beginning" for Hodgman's 2011 satirical almanac That Is All .

This article presents lists of the literary events and publications in 2011.

<i>That Is All</i> (book) book by John Hodgman

That Is All is a 2011 satirical almanac by John Hodgman. It is the follow-up to Hodgman's 2008 book More Information Than You Require. It was released November 1, 2011.

Reception

New York Journal of Books's Vinton Rafe McCabe reviewed the story (along with the penultimate That Is All chapter "The End") as "honestly, in and of themselves, worth the cost of all three books." [4]

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References

  1. ""Villanova or: How I Became a Former Professional Literary Agent" by John Hodgman". One Story . 1 April 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  2. Travis Kurowski (1 May 2014). "Literary MagNet". Poets & Writers . Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. Dinitia Smith (23 March 2004). "A Little Start-Up Entertains, One Story at a Time". The New York Times . Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  4. Vinton Rafe McCabe (1 November 2011). "a book review by Vinton Rafe McCabe: That Is All". New York Journal of Books. Retrieved 28 August 2015.