I’m pretty sure August is the most depressing month of the year. It’s hellishly hot outside, and in southwestern Ontario, it’s positively moist as well. Walk outside and it feels like you’re swimming your way through a pot of boiling soup. The grass has turned into decaying husks of crispy brown, the plants are withered, and those plaintive cries you hear? Young students, dreading the return to school.

That’s me, swimmin’ through the soupy weather, avoiding the peas and chunks of turnip, ignoring the tortured cries of the neighbourhood 5th graders and wishing there was more to life than being poached…

The only relief from that damp lethargy? Cranking up the AC to max and hunkering down in a cool, dry place for some summer reading.

Actually, that sounds pretty good after all!

What’s happening this month?

At PQL.

We’re happy to be promoting Tom Smart’s latest book, Jack Chambers’ Red and Green as well as Laurie Lewis’ Love, and all that jazz. The feedback’s been pretty great so far—don’t forget to check them out in print (at your favourite indie bookstore, through AbeBooks) or in ebook form (at the PQL ebook store, through Google Play.)

In Sudbury.

If you haven’t yet seen  George Walker’s Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson exhibition at the Art Gallery of Sudbury, what are you waiting for? Be sure to see the lovely prints before they’re gone at the end of August. (You can also check them out on our Pinterest page here and here.)

When: June 21 – September 2, 2013
Where:Art Gallery of Sudbury, 251 John St., Sudbury, ON

Letterpress edition of The Mysterious Death of Tom Thomson. You can drool over it for a limited time at the Art Gallery of Sudbury.

In Kingston.

Laurie Lewis will be celebrating the launch of her memoir, Love and all that jazz, in Kingston with help from The Novel Idea. Stop by, say hi, and get a book signed by this lovely and dynamic lady.

When: August 25, 2013
Where: TBA

In the world.

August is one of those months that just doesn’t seem to have any super-important, universal holidays. So people make them up. Looking for an alternative holiday to celebrate? Try one of these:

• August 1: Spider-Man Day (Your day to do whatever a spider can. Enjoy your flies.)
• August 5: Work Like a Dog Day (Isn’t that every day?)
• August 15: National Relaxation Day (I propose we promote this to a statutory holiday.)
• August 18: Bad Poetry Day (Challenge accepted. Let’s all write our own bad poetry.)
• August 28: Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day AND Crackers over the Keyboard Day (Clearly, a day of unparallelled productivity.)

Ode to Bad Poetry:
Oh. bad poetry… / You stink like smelly things / You sound like unpleasant noise / And you taste mildly of old fish that has been too long left in the sun the rot and stick and generally make an unpleasant bother all around. / Please desist. / Upon this I really must insist.

From the Intern’s Corner

July was a month of celebrations, festivals and all-around summer awesomeness. Art and music were on tap. ComicCon brought about some Canadian comics action, featuring George Walker. R. Murray Schafer celebrated a very special birthday (and his work), and an intrepid reviewer is working his way through several interesting PQL titles. In all, a pretty good month.

This porcupette is deeming July Manuscript Month. A sudden deluge of manuscripts made their way through the mysterious ether of cyberspace to find they way to us. I’ve been having fun reading and replying to all the fiction, poetry, short stories and so on. Add to that a little copy editing, and hey presto! Manuscript Month.

I’ve also been enjoying the push for fall. Launch plans, review mailings and getting those books ready for their events is the stuff of dreams for a marketing-minded porcupette.

In other news, I found myself with a slightly better work-life balance, cutting back a bit on the freelance, doing a bit of travelling, enjoying new restaurants and bars with friends and attending some seriously great concerts.

Gotta love summer fun!