Telephone by Paul Hong

There was a click and a buzzing noise. An operator cut in:

"Sir, on behalf of the National Phone Company and Dial-A-Services Incorporated, I am excited to inform you that you are our one millionth caller from this phone booth! Congratulations sir, you've just won a fabulous prize!"

Joseph said nothing.

"Hello?"

"Is this a joke?"

"This is most certainly not a joke, sir. We have been holding a special contest where the millionth caller of a randomly chosen phone booth is awarded a prize of a lifetime and I'm happy to say that special winner is you! Congratulations again and I am certain that this will change your life for the better. Sir, are you excited? How do you feel?"

Joseph hesitated for a moment. "I didn't even know there was a contest… what do I win?"

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This is an excerpt of Paul Hong's story, which takes place inside the booth on Yonge Street, south of Churchill, in front of Thai Bistro, next to Mezzanotte on the south and Owl of Minerva on the north. The full story is in Tel-talk, with copies of the book available at the Telephone Booth Gallery and soon on Amazon Books.

  

Lizz Aston's Lace Flag: up, up and away

Stuart Keeler's curated project for Tel-talk, entitled Flagpole (a meta-conversation), has involved a really diverse raising of flags over the recent weeks. The flags are being raised up between twin booths located at Jarvis and Wellesley Street East. The booths have a unique metal pole jutting up between them.

Two nights ago, Lizz Aston's Lace Flag was covertly raised at about 1:30 am. Here is an image of Lizz just before that, with flag outside her studio. The flag, alas, has already gone MIA and no images of it in-situ exist. Peace and love, flag. We miss you, butterfly wing.

Jamison Food Mart by Alison Fleming

See this bold little oil painting at The Telephone Booth Gallery tomorrow night at the opening of the Tel-talk exhibition.

See this stoic pedestal booth in Winnipeg, in front of Jamison Food Mart at 498 Jamison Avenue.

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Charity Miskelly opens shop Saturday...

On June 16th, during London, ON's nuit blanche celebrations, Charity Miskelly will occupy the telephone booth on Dundas Street, between Richmond and Clarence.

She is arming herself with some of her own painting references and a series of questions: Do the spaces we inhabit absorb out conversations? Are telephone booths really time capsules of past exchanges? Are our secrets and memories forever embedded in our environment? 

She writes, "Lost thoughts, ideas, feelings and moments may be captured in the objects we surround ourselves with. In a place where excerpts of discussions, thoughts and ideas are told, the telephone booth is a container, storing a collection of moments."

Charity invites you to visit the "Pop-up Memory Shop" to remember, think, feel and leave your thoughts behind.