I'm relieved to report that I am quieting down for a while. No more book tours or readings or interviews. No more talking; I'm tired of hearing myself. Now as the hibernation months approach (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), I'm going to focus on the written word.

Of all the places I've been and all the quilts I've seen this year (The Last Runaway being in part about quilts), the one that struck me most was this:

Pine Winter was made by a young quilter called Molly Upton in the early 1970s. Tragically she took her life at the age of 23. I find the colors, the tone, the geometry, the subject (trees - love 'em), all work together perfectly. She has done with fabric what I am always trying to do with words. Thank you to the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts for displaying it in a temporary exhibition. It was a highlight of my recent trip to the US.