SCANDAL! The New Yorker Rejects Its Own Story

This was bound to happen sooner or later. At The Review Review, author David Cameron reveals that he disguised an old New Yorker story, re-submitted it with a new title and byline, and was rejected at every turn.

The logic? “If the New Yorker is the most desirable literary magazine in the world, and if the New Yorker can have any short story the New Yorker wants, then whatever story the New Yorker gets would — logically — be so intrinsically desirable that all lesser literary pubs (e.g., everyone) would pine for it. Just like the prettiest girl at the dance: the guy she picks is the guy chicks dig. Basic deduction 101.”

What do the results say about the subjectivity of art? The fallibility of editors? The slushpile quagmire? Who knows, but everyone loves a scandal. Refresh your schadenfreude here.

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 — Benjamin Samuel is the co-editor of Electric Literature. He plagiarizes Justin Bieber’s tweets here.