Shelf Control: There's No Shortage Of Great Stories With Paragraph Shorts
January 14, 2013
If you're anything like me, then you must also enjoy reading short stories nearly as much as novels. And if you're anything like me, then you must also like Paragraph Shorts, which is the subject of this week's installment of Shelf Control.
Developed by Paragraph and recently released in the App Store, Paragraph Shorts is an iPad app that serves as a great way to discover, read, and share short stories.
In this day and age, exceptional short fiction is often just a click or tap away. But that's only if you already know where to find it.
If, for the most part, you're at a loss to know where to look, Paragraph Shorts is just the thing for you. But if not, you're nonetheless invited to try Paragraph Shorts and be delighted by the new discoveries you're bound to find.
"While the future of the book might be in question, the future of the story is not," said Paragraph founding CEO Ziv Navoth. "The short story is the perfect antidote for today's stream of ephemeral, trivial updates. But finding a good story requires sifting through hundreds of different sources and unearthing the real gems. That's where Paragraph Shorts comes in."
Paragraph Shorts recommends a weekly selection of the world's best short stories in text, audio, and video.
What's more, each featured story is accompanied by an evocative image from an outstanding illustrator or photographer. Also, every issue of Paragraph Shorts features new music from an up-and-coming band, which you can support by purchasing the featured music or simply by listening to it.
But going back to Paragraph Shorts' focus … The short stories included in the app may be from revered masters of the form, such as John Cheever, Donald Barthelme, and Flannery O'Connor. As well, they may be from talented storytellers of younger generations, such as Etgar Keret, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and April Ayers Lawson.
Either way, with Paragraph Shorts, you're guaranteed to encounter great fiction from some of the world's finest literary publications, including "The New Yorker," "The Paris Review," "The Guardian," and "The Moth."
In Paragraph Shorts, you can choose to read a story on its original webpage or in a cleaner, uncluttered Read mode.
Flipping your iPad to landscape turns on Paragraph Shorts' social features. These features let you receive real-time Twitter and Facebook updates from authors and the publications they appear in.
Compatible with iPad and iPad mini running iOS 5.0 or later, Paragraph Shorts is available in the App Store as a free Newsstand app offering free weekly subscriptions. Download it now and experience great handpicked short fiction on your device.
As always, if you have suggestions for Shelf Control, please feel free to email me at aldrin@appadvice.com or simply leave a comment below.
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