WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 7pm – FICTION
PHILLY FICTION 2
Believing that there is no better backdrop for fiction than Philadelphia, Don Ron Books recently released Philly Fiction 2 (Don Ron Books, July 2009, $12), a follow-up to its highly successful Philly Fiction (Don Ron Books, 2006). The new book is a new collection of short stories all set in Philadelphia, by 19 Philly writers. Come out as four of the authors read selections from their stories, and reveal their favorite “strange” Philadelphia spots.

Beth Goldner was born and raised in King of Prussia, when Woolworth’s still sold parakeets and shotguns. Her fondest memories are of going to the Franklin Institute with her dad. She loved running through the worn-out giant heart that smelled of bacteria, urine, and candy wrappers. As a true filly from Philly, she still has her elephant key from the zoo. She is the author of Wake: Stories (Counterpoint Press, 2003) and The Number We End Up With (Counterpoint Press, 2005).

“Ambrosia” by Beth Goldner
Finding his wife dead from a fall in the bathroom, a local car salesman joins the block party instead of calling the police. He wants to see his neighbors try his wife’s ambrosia one last time and to confront the man who had been sleeping with his wife.

Jan Kargulewicz is a full-time sociology student and a resident of Roxborough. Before returning to school, Jan worked as a bartender, television salesman, math tutor, freelance journalist, and reggae musician and wrote fiction in his spare time. An amateur urban geographer, he is available for free walking tours of Center City. Jan is currently at work on his first nonfiction book.

“A Cormorant Dries its Wings” by Jan Kargulewicz
A young slacker couple spend their days acting as prospective buyers of condos when they should be out looking for jobs. When she realizes she’s pregnant it becomes even clearer just how lost and helpless they are.

Liz Kerr, a Philadelphia native, holds dual Irish and American citizenship. She is a registered nurse on the Heart Transplant Team at a Philadelphia hospital and is pursuing a master’s degree in English. She is a cofounder of Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund, a non-profit dedicated to building public skateboard parks in Philadelphia, and is an officer in the Ancient Order of Hibernians. She lives with her family in Jenkintown.

“The Summer of Dark Shadows” by Liz Kerr
Set during the Vietnam War, a large family leaves the city for the shore and tries to survive the tensions of having a son in the war, a rebellious daughter who often indulges in the vices she criticizes, a father who sells illegal cigarettes to help pay for everything, and a young girl who sees life through the lens of bubble gum music and the vampire soap opera Dark Shadows.

Annie Wilson came to Philly in 2004 to study dance and three-dollar hoagies. Since attending the University of the Arts, she has performed in the Fringe and Live Arts festivals, and has directed and evening-length, site-specific performance, in memory of the deathtrap.

“Hoagie” by Annie Wilson
A plumber who loves his hoagies discovers a South Philly corner deli that makes an Italian hoagie so good he has an orgasm. The hoagies take over his life, and try as he might to break his sexual fixation with this roll of meat and cheeses, it only leads him to unleash all of his life’s unhappiness.

Hosted by Josh McIlvain and Christopher Munden (editors).

HEAR WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:

“Philly Fiction 2 is as varied as the city it’s set in.” – Monica Weymouth, Metro

“This collection does a wonderful job of gathering some of the area’s finest writers to conjure a vision of Philadelphia that is both realistic and touching… The end result is a highly engaging collection that paints a moving picture of the City of Brotherly Love.” – Marc Schuster, Small Press Reviews

“What I love about all of these stories is that they could be happening to anyone, anywhere. But there is also something uniquely Philadelphia about them and the fact that their stories take place here make them that much richer.” – Autumn Konopka, Philly2Philly.com

“If you want to feel connected to your city in a nostalgic way then I suggest you pick yourself up a copy of Philly Fiction or Philly Fiction 2. Hell, pick up both editions, they’re only twelve bucks!” – Kerri Schmanek, paparazziphilly.com

“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” – John Drain, Philadelphia Stories