Maple leaves are a-turnin’ and a-fallin’. Remember those keys? I remember peeling those suckers apart by the dozen. *sigh* Youth. (Oh, wait … some of us may have done that last year….)

Ah, fall. Vibrant colour starts to seep into nature, and there’s an invigorating nip to the breeze. A hint of sunshine, the rustle of leaves, the smell of ink and paper…

Wait, what?

That’s right, Quill fans. Nature may be getting ready for a bit of a break, but we at the Porcupine’s Quill sure aren’t. As you might have guessed, there’s lots of printing happening at the shop in Erin; the presses have been humming these last few weeks as they churn out covers and book blocks for Jefferey Donaldson’s upcoming book of poetry Slack Action. (Billed as “poetry of the middle,” Slack Action is anything but middle-of-the-road poetry—Donaldson’s talent and experience shine through in this collection. Check it out for sure.)

But that’s not all. We’re excited for some of the great fall events coming up, as well as some fantastic new releases that we think you’re going to love.

What’s happening this month?

In Toronto.

George A. Walker fans will be happy to know that we will be holding an exciting book launch for his latest work of art, The Life and Times of Conrad Black. Join us at the Arts and Letters Club for some scintillating conversation, fantastic artwork, delicious refreshments, and of course, books! There may even be a special guest or two. Can’t wait!

If you can’t make the launch, don’t despair. Walker’s work is still on display at Open Studio in Toronto until October 12. “The Image of Conrad Black” contains a great selection of images from. Not sure when to go? You can’t beat Nuit Blanche on October 5!

In Stratford.

Laurie Lewis continues her short Love, and all that jazz tour in Stratford this month, with an appearance at the Stratford Public Library. If you missed her in Kingston and Toronto, now’s your chance to pick up a copy and hear first hand about life in 1950s New York, Toronto, and of course, Stratford.

In London.

If you find yourself in London on October 17^th, you’re in luck. We have a special literary double-header planned at the London Public Library. Tom Gerry will read from his book, The Emblems of James Reaney, while Tom Smart will present his attempt at decrypting Jack Chambers’ ‘unpublishable manuscript’ in Jack Chambers’ Red and Green.

See our Upcoming Events page for all the information on these exciting upcoming events.

From the intern’s corner.

“Rockin'” editors and authors on their white (ish) horses can really save the day when it comes to preparing that all important book blurb.

Fall may be in the air, but it’s been springtime in our hearts lately as we prepare for the next batch of fresh new titles. You know what that means—the oft-discussed title information sheets; battles with The Beast, PExOD; that singular pleasure of writing, re-writing, and re-writing yet again, every product description and book blurb that comes your way. (And rejoicing when certain canny authors and editors ride in on metaphorical white horses to save the day and come up with some brilliant turn of phrase that makes the whole thing gel in a way that had up until that very moment seems impossible.)

It’s a time for nitpicky details and big picture thinking. A time to adopt “out with the old and in with the new” attitude. (Only not really out with the old, because the “old” is still current, you know, and we don’t really want to be “out” with it, because let’s face it, we’re still putting events in motion…)

It’s a time for expectation—anticipation if you will. I’m on the edge of my seat, and you should be, too!

Details, big picture stuff. All I need is a really giant quill and maybe my to-do list would be well on it’s way…