Looking for a book to spark visions of the past? The Argo Bookshop, in conjunction with the JET Alumni Association of Quebec and Atlantic Canada, will be hosting its July Japan Book Club on September 29.

For this meeting, we'll be discussing The Pillow Book. Written by the tenth-century court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, The Pillow Book offers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the Heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. Moving elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society, and her own flirtations, Sei Shonagon provides a witty and intimate window on a woman's life at court in classical Japan.

Join us online via Zoom for a lively discussion! Email us at events @ argobookshop.ca for the link. You can read the book in any language. You're also welcome to come if you haven't read the book, but there will be spoilers.

Join us on Thursday, October 6th for an evening of verse, prose, and song, curated as always by the inimitable Ilona Martonfi! Free and captioned; email events @ argobookshop . ca to get the Zoom link.

Hugh Hazelton is a writer and translator and professor emeritus of Spanish at Concordia.

Susan Elmslie has published three poetry collections. Museum of Kindness (2017) was shortlisted for the Klein and Lowther prizes. www.susanelmslie.org

John Kerkhoven is a writer and a blues and folk musician based in Matane. Working on a book of stories.

Tom Abray has made a number of short films and published poetry and fiction, including the books Pollen and Where I Wanted to Be.

Karen Ocaña is a literary translator and author. Her work has recently appeared in ellipse, Kola and Jonah magazines.

Tommy Schnurmacher is an award winning broadcaster and raconteur. His latest memoir Makeup Tips from Auschwitz is available on Audible.