Philly Fiction 2In the second edition of the Philly Fiction series, editors Josh McIlvain, Christopher Munden, Greg November, and Tracy Parker selected nineteen stories inspired by the city of Philadelphia and its surrounding landscape. Each story represents how the people, the buildings, and the spirit of Philadelphia have aroused the creative energy in all kinds of storytellers – but the reader does not have to be familiar with the city in order to enjoy the stories in Philly Fiction 2. “Piece of Mind,” by Benjamin Matvey, is a wickedly bizarre and entertaining story that juxtaposes cannibalistic desires with those of the libido. Elise Juska’s “Northeast Philly Girls” expertly examines the differences between North Philly girls and their suburban counterparts, as well as showing the reader scenes of universal adolescent awkwardness and familial tension. Jan Kargulewicz’s story, “A Cormorant Dries its Wings,” is a moving tale of a newly pregnant young woman trying to establish a solid relationship with her father. “Return to Ithaca,” a nominee for the 2008 Pushcart Prize and originally published in Philadelphia Stories, is a well-told story chronicling the falling apart and attempted reconciliation of a family. These stories and many others make Philly Fiction 2 well worth the reasonable $12 price.
-John Drain
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