The Lottery

New York: The New Yorker. NF/NONE. 1948. 1st Edition. Magazine; 1st Printing. 13, 14, 20, 24, 80, 93. 1st edition/1st printing. True first appearance in print of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, preceding the book version. It is rumored that fewer than 100 copies of this magazine in complete, collectible condition still exist. This magazine is indeed complete, and in excellent condition. Many consider The Lottery to be among the finest short stories ever published. The Lottery was originally published in this June 26, 1948 'The New Yorker Magazine', before being published as one of the short stories contained in the book titled The Lottery published by Farrar Straus in 1949. The New Yorker got quite a reaction to the story, ranging from people wanting to attend such a lottery to threats that the magazine should be shut down for publishing this type of story. Instant fame for Ms. Jackson, and no doubt what well and truly launched her book career. The story is contained on pages 25 through 28 in the magazine, and the condition of those pages is excellent. The magazine itself is in overall excellent condition, firmly bound, unfaded, crisp paper, with just very slight edgewear to the binding paper and a 'soft' crease (no fold line or sharp bend) to the middle vertically, probably from being inserted into a mail box on original delivery (there is no address label on the magazine, so no doubt delivered in a plastic sleeve). Aside from Ms. Jackson's story, the magazine contains a lot of news of that time, including mention of President Truman and Congress, travel news, and is chock full of wonderful display ads, including both B&W and color. An important slice of history, and an incredible chance to own The Lottery's first appearance in print in excellent condition. Such pieces of fragile ephemeral material are rarely passed on to us in this condition. .