Whit Burnett (August 14, 1899 – April 22, 1973) was an American writer and educator who founded and edited the literary magazine Story.
[1] Burnett's plan to publish a book of Salinger's short stories in 1946 fell through, straining their relationship.
In addition to Salinger, major authors introduced in Story included Charles Bukowski, Erskine Caldwell, John Cheever, James T. Farrell, Joseph Heller, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Wright.
The magazine sponsored various awards (WPA, Armed Forces), and it held an annual college fiction contest.
During this period, Story published the early work of Truman Capote, John Knowles, and Norman Mailer.