- By The World’s Work (The World’s Work (June 1921), p. 192) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
- Get your hope chests of sad short stories ready: ~*F. Scott Fitzgerald*~ has a new posthumous story coming out.
Today, in literary mysteries, a story known to have been written by F. Scott Fitzgerald but commonly thought to be lost—”mentioned in correspondence but no surviving transcript or manuscript”—has been found. Originally reported by the AP on Friday, the story can be found at the literary magazine The Strand, a publication that’s so delightfully old-school it looks like the story might not have a web presence. Die-hard Fitzgerald fans hoping to round out their hope chests of sad short stories (I feel u!) can subscribe here.
What’s interesting about “Temperature,” the 8,000-word story, is that—unlike with SOME “lost” manuscripts—it appears Fitzgerald really wanted it to be published, but was unsuccessful in placing it while he was alive. Though his work was agented at the time the story was completed, he submitted it himself to The Saturday Evening Post, where it was rejected. It also sounds like one of Fitzgerald’s most autobiographical works—it’s about a writerly alcoholic with heart disease, written by a writerly alcoholic with heart disease. Here’s how Fitzgerald puts it: “And as for that current dodge ‘No reference to any living character is intended’—no use even trying that.”
You guys, I think that’s an F. Scott Fitzgerald JOKE. What other wonders will he impart?