Philly Fiction

2006’s Philly Fiction was published, as its subtitle suggests, to “highlight Philadelphia as a city of literary inspiration.” It features 19 stories set in Philadelphia, all written by authors who are from Philly or who live in the city. The cover features a stylized sketch of Philadelphia’s ubiquitous icon Benjamin Franklin, rendered by West Philly artist Theron Warren in a cartoonish deconstructionist style that seems to straddle homage and mockery. (There’s a Septa train on the back cover, too!)

Philly Fiction is an ideal gift book for area readers. The stories are diverse and of a generally very high quality and present Philadelphia tenderly, while keeping a knowing eye on its peculiar flaws. As Philadelphia Magazine put it: "[t]he writing sings; in 'The Shanghai Ship to Love,' Edward P. Clapp hilariously describes a trip on the Chinatown Express. There’s genuine emotion in Michael Aronovitz’s 'The Big Picture' …. In Greg November’s 'Dinnertime at 42B,' a loser pays a hooker for her company, but the woman isn’t pretty, and the ending isn’t Hollywood. Welcome to Philadelphia."

Other reviews at the time, such as this extended piece in the Inky, were full of praise. It is available through area bookstores and online at PhillyFiction.com and Amazon.com. A second volume of tales was released earlier this year.

Philadelphia in Art: Paintings by Lilliana Didovic

Philly-based artist Lilliana Didovic finds inspiration in the streetscapes and skylines of her adopted city (she was born in Croatia and lived in Bosnia before finding a home here). Her paintings depict city landmarks like the Betsy Ross House (one of Didovic’s renderings of this is in the possession of Mayor Michael Nutter), South Street, the Friendship Arch in Chinatown, and the Ben Franklin Bridge. Recent work has incorporated shining stones to capture the lights of the city. Didovic also has a series of paintings of the Philadelphia skyline that straddle a border between representative painting and abstract expressionism, with Philly skyscapes hovering surreally over single-color backgrounds.

Didovic's work has appeared in numerous galleries around town: Smile Gallery, Skylight 307, and the Davinci Art Alliance Gallery, among others. The paintings are affordable: many of them can be had for less than $1,000. For a cheaper option, consider purchasing a set of Didovic’s postcards of her art. Contact Lilliana@lillianadidovic.us for more information.

[This article has been corrected. It originally incorrectly identified Lilliana's place of birth. Many apologies for the mistake.]