short stories

Tom Hanks Has a Short Story in The New Yorker

Actor Tom Hanks poses in the press room during the 66th Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on January 25, 2014 in Century City, California.
“But questions arose about what we were going to do upon our return, apart from making some bitchin’ posts on Instagram.” Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Noted typewriter enthusiast (and actor) Tom Hanks has a short story, “Alan Bean Plus Four,” in The New Yorker this week. It’s got selfies, a guy named MDash who “shortened his long tribal name to rap-star length,” and references to Apollo 13, apps, and selfies: “We took hundreds of selfies with the Earth in the window and, plinking a Ping-Pong ball off the center seat, played a tableless table-tennis tournament …” All in all, it’s short, sweet, and pretty much perfect. (They’ve even included a recording of Hanks reading his piece aloud.) The only thing that could make this better would be an accompanying photo of Hanks click-clacking away at his typewriter. Maybe it’s finally time for Larry Crowne 2?

Tom Hanks Has a Short Story in The New Yorker