First published 2012
The Significant Objects project posed a simple question: can fiction transform worthless trinkets into coveted treasures? The experiment worked like this. Project founders collected random items from thrift stores and yard sales, paying a dollar or two for each piece of forgotten junk. They then recruited accomplished writers to craft original short stories about these objects. Each invented tale accompanied its object on eBay, where bidders could purchase both the item and its newly minted fictional history. The results proved remarkable. Items originally worth almost nothing sold for thousands of dollars combined, with all profits donated to charity. More importantly, the challenge of creating meaning from meaninglessness inspired writers to produce surprising and inventive work. This collection presents one hundred of the finest stories that emerged from the experiment, featuring contributions from literary heavyweights like William Gibson, Jonathan Lethem, Colson Whitehead, and Curtis Sittenfeld alongside emerging voices. The stories demonstrate how narrative can manufacture significance from the most mundane objects, whether a plastic figurine or a forgotten kitchen gadget.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, transformation
232 pages · Paperback · Fantagraphics Books