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Subtitled Cages of Mind and Body, this collection of short pieces by critically acclaimed young adult writers explores the plethora of ways in which human beings can feel like trapped animals. Lois Duncan edited the collection, and in her introduction she tells readers that the theme was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," a story she still finds "resurfacing in fever dreams i... More

Subtitled Cages of Mind and Body, this collection of short pieces by critically acclaimed young adult writers explores the plethora of ways in which human beings can feel like trapped animals. Lois Duncan edited the collection, and in her introduction she tells readers that the theme was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado," a story she still finds "resurfacing in fever dreams in hideous detail." Poe's terrifying tale is about a character being sealed alive into a crypt, but Duncan has not limited her foray into claustrophobia to horror. Humor, romance, fantasy, and adventure all make appearances here, as do a variety of literary forms, including the traditional short story; a play by Rita Williams-Garcia; an unusual dual-perspective piece by Walter Dean Myers; and poetry written by Duncan during her teenage years. Topics range from physical to emotional to mental entrapment--Francesca Lia Block writes about the shackles of anorexia, Rob Thomas explores a day of upheaval at a battered-women's shelter, and Joan Bauer takes a humorous look at a fastidious pancake-house waitress overwhelmed by a sudden Sunday morning rush. Readers will not only find the stories compelling, but are also sure to recognize the queasy sensation of being trapped. --Brangien Davis

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