3-1-52 Ray Bradbury Challenge log
I recently read an article in the January 2027 issue of Writer's Digest in which
the author, Michael La Ronn, recounts his life-changing experience over his year-long journey to complete the Ray Bradbury Challenge. A simple search of the web will provide numerous pieces about it, so I won't go into detail here. The basics are simple: read one short story, one poem, and one essay daily for a year (365 of each) AND write one short story each week (52 short stories).
In an effort to make writing a daily habit while also focusing on completing pieces (not perfection), I am undertaking the same challenge.
To make this a little easier on myself, I have preselected the books or texts I will use.
For short stories selections, I will be using the following books:
- Sudden Fiction edited by Robert Shepard and James Thomas
- Talk Stories by Jamaica Kincaid
For poetry:
- Granta Magazine: I have a subscription and will be using some of the print issues I have as well as the digitals ones I read on my iPad.
- Poetry Foundation's Poem of the Day
Essays:
- Ian Frazier's Forward to Talk Stories by Jamaica Kincaid
- Essays by any author whose short story I also read
The log below will follow my progress.
Progress
Day 1 of 365. Read so far: 1 short story, 1 essay, 1 poem. Stories written: 0 of 52.
Reading log
Week 1
- Day 1, November 5, 2026
- Short story: Say Yes, Tobias Wolff, in Sudden Fiction
- Essay: Foreword, Ian Frazier, in Talk Stories: Jamaica Kincaid
- Poem: Though I Have Never Been To Ostia, I Have Seen the Place Where Our Dreams Died, Momtaza Mehri, in Granta 144: genericlovestory
Short Story WIP
- Week 1: Even if my heart stops beating (draft)