Shirley Jackson

Actress Maureen Stapleton reads Shirley Jackson's timeless short story, "The Lottery." The story takes place in a small town not unlike that inhabited by Jackson herself, who taught at Bennington, Vermont. The strength of this story lies in Jackson's ability to expose the unquestioned existence of evil in everyday life. When Jackson was asked about the meaning of this story, which was published in the 1940s, she replied, "Why, it's about the Jews, of course." In reality, the story goes much deeper than that to the root of human nature itself.

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