Storylandia 39

These days we fret that intrusive technology is invading our privacy. But is this something new? Not according to "Philly Is Listening " During radio's golden era, a waggish program host brings live eavesdropping to home listeners, with eye-popping results."The Dancing Chameleon" tells the tale of two children in Virginia who are adopted at the turn of the twentieth century by a cranky wealthy widow. The troubles of one of the children, a girl named Alma, are described including her difficulty with a pair of red shoes, which come alive after she lies to her mother. "Keep away from People" is the story of a father and son struggling to survive in a world where being near others brings monstrous horrors. The father is forced to make an unthinkable decision-stay with his son and put the boy's life at risk, or leave him and give the child some chance of surviving.According to Japanese legend, folding 1000 paper cranes grants a wish. In "Mrs. Meriweather"-one of 9 connected stories on origami-the title character wishes for freedom from her wheelchair and nursing home environment, embarking on a journey of folding.Seemingly disparate lives intersect at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, a setting as beautiful as it is remote and haunting. Old ghosts arise, mingle, and are confronted in unexpected ways.www.WapshottPress.org