Pass the Pumpkin Pie

"Action expresses priorities.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Anyone remember the back room at Nickelby's bookstore? I attended a booksigning there one October more than twenty years ago. I hadn't intended to stay, but as I leafed through a Writer's Digest text on magazine articles, a man began reading a poem about a tree he'd cut down by hand. As his voice brought the words to life, I fell into the nearest overstuffed chair and spent the evening sipping mulled cider as he read.

This month there are twenty-three writing-related events listed on the Write Now Newsletter website. As the leaves turn, authors will read from their work, professors will lecture, and writers will conduct workshops on everything from creative journaling to making a living as a writer. Ohio State will host Dave Eggers and Margaret Atwood will trek to Gambier for the Kenyon Review Literary Festival.

We might not be able to sit by the fire at Nickelby's anymore, but we have a bounty of alternatives. We can listen from a plush seat at the King Arts Complex, write at a conference table in the Upper Arlington Municipal Building, or lean forward in a wooden chair in Denny Hall 311. We can still hear an author read aloud, bringing the words to life.

I hope you'll take time away from leaf raking and join me at one of the many upcoming events. The horn of plenty has long been a symbol for Autumn. What better reminder of the wealth of opportunities we still have here in our own backyard.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,