Shirley Jackson

“The Intoxicated” is a short story by Shirley Jackson, published in 1949 in The Lottery, or, The Adventures of James Harris. During a party, a slightly drunk man slips into the kitchen to escape the noise and sober up a little. There he finds Eileen, the hosts’ teenage daughter, who offers him coffee. Somewhat uncomfortable, the man strikes up a conversation he intends to keep trivial. Gradually, however, the exchange takes a disturbing turn when the girl begins to reveal her dark vision of the world’s future.

“Jack the Ripper” is a short story by the American writer Shirley Jackson, published posthumously in 1996 in the book Just an Ordinary Day. On a New York night, a man walks down a deserted street when he comes upon a young woman who has fainted beside a bar, apparently drunk. Alarmed by her condition, he goes inside the establishment and tries to get help for her, but he encounters the indifference of the bartender and the other men present, who prefer to wash their hands of the matter, claiming they know her and that she usually sleeps on the street. Faced with this general apathy, the man decides to take matters into his own hands and help the young woman himself.

“The Witch” (The Witch) is a short story by Shirley Jackson, published in 1949 in the collection The Lottery or The Adventures of James Harris. The story takes place inside a train carriage, where a boy is traveling with his mother and baby sister. While the mother tries to remain calm by reading a book, the boy watches the landscape, talks to the passengers, and lets his imagination run wild, populated by witches and fantastical creatures. The atmosphere changes when a stranger sits down next to the boy and begins to tell him a disturbing story.

“The Summer People” is a disturbing story by the acclaimed American author Shirley Jackson, published in September 1950 in the magazine Charm. The story explores the story of an elderly couple, the Allisons, who, after years of spending their summers in a quiet country cottage, decide to extend their stay beyond the usual season. However, this harmless decision triggers a series of unexpected events.