Also this issue: Dancing in the Rain Leah Stein faced downpours and language barriers to teach improvisational dance in Poland. -Anastacia Wilde Customs Design -Susan Hagen Viva Variety -Ashlea Halpern Chaos, Theories Take Two -Deborah Bolling

August 1- 7, 2002

artpicks

Miller Time

Would you believe a story about incest can be heavily weighted and balanced? Former Inky writer Karen Quinones Miller uses a light hand to tell the rough story of twin sisters in I'm Telling (Simon & Schuster), her second novel. The sisters, Faith and Hope, are haunted by memories of their sexual predator father in different ways. Faith, who witnessed the acts as a child (they seemed consensual to her young eyes), is now the responsible adult who works hard and takes care of her mom. Hope, the more direct victim, is a crack-smoking, man-izing sometimes-whore, which Faith feels has to be a result of her father's actions. Their mother is solidly in denial, and makes a lot of unfair jabs at her daughters, not easing tensions.

In between the conflict and strife is a lot of other real-life stuff -- the good stuff, like Faith's hot and heavy relationship with longtime boyfriend Henry, long discussions about favorite Harlem Renaissance writers, and who's cuter, Sidney or Denzel. Miller's novel is more Rosie than Oprah, in that it's more uplifting and breezy than grim. Of course, there are the expected screaming accusations and confrontations, but I'm Telling is mostly an uplifting story about survival and refusing to be a victim.

Karen Quinones Miller reads Tue., Aug. 6, 7 p.m., Robin’s Book Store, 108 S. 13th St., 215-735-9600.

—Alex Richmond