Tell Me a Riddle


"Tell Me a Riddle" is a short story by Tillie Olsen. It was published in 1956 as the title story of a collection of four Olsen short stories.

Reception

The short story "Tell Me a Riddle" has been called "a powerful study of the politics of voice", "an American Classic", and described as "beautifully crafted and painfully real in the issues of family that it raises".
It received the 1961 O. Henry Award.

Adaptations

Tell Me a Riddle, a film based on the short story collection, was released in 1980.