Does anybody have a success story about finding a writer in a literary magazine?
STEINBERG: I read a great short story in the Southern Review a few years ago and called the writer and eventually sold the novel-in-stories to Ann Patty at Harcourt, who’s great and who unfortunately is no longer at Harcourt. It was called The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day. It’s funny because I originally looked at the story because I liked the author’s last name. I don’t know if that means I’m superficial, but at the time I was interested in writers whose last names were words, and her last name was Day, so— RUTMAN: This was a phase you went through? STEINBERG: It was! I also went through a phase of looking for names with alliteration. STEIN: Note to readers. STEINBERG: For example, I represent a guy named Brad Barkley. STEIN: What’s your phase right now? What are you into? STEINBERG: Now I’m in the supporting-my-three-children phase. How’s that going? STEINBERG: It’s going okay. [Laughter.] How do you guys feel about short stories? STEIN: If they’re awesome, they’re awesome. Even if
