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