If you’re reading this, you probably know what I’m going to say: it’s nearly time!

Time to make your MARM selection to read this November! Time to gather the ingredients for the cake recipe you’re planning to enjoy on November 18th (her 87th)! Time to pull your handmaid’s bonnet and gown out of storage!

And, if you’re reading this, you probably already have a plan. After all, this is the ninth year. Some of you, I know, have been planning since before last November ended. Some of you usually do that, but you’re between MARM projects just now. (Hmm, that’s actually where I fit, this year.) Some of you keep a variety of possibilities in your backpocket, and pluck one out to suit your mood when November rolls around. Some of you suss out the reading landscape of your November and choose almost whimsically with its approach.

But it’s also possible that you’re reading this and you’ve never heard of MARM. Simply choose one work by Margaret Atwood and declare that you are MARMing, by reading something short (poems, stories, comics, essays, etc.)  or something long (novels, non-fiction, etc.) or several somethings, during the month of November, and stop by for cake on the 18th. Also welcome are the MARM-related options: like prefaces or introductions she’s contributed to other works, works by Graham Gibson (or, say, another Gibson, for instance), TV shows with which she’s involved (“The Handmaid’s Tale”, etc.), or books she’s strongly recommended over the years (say, Lewis Hyde’s The Gift). Then, post your links in comments on a MARM post here on BIP.

I absolutely love our cosy little group, the easy camaraderie amongst MARM readers, across the spectrum of enthusiasm for her work. On one end, casual interest because she’s an “important” figure in literature; on the other end, dedicated reader—which might mean one stellar reading experience that’s made you curious about her other books, or several selections with some “fines” and some “favourites”;  and everything between.

Many people count “A word after a word after a word is power” among their favourite Atwood quotes. Her work is a great opportunity to flex your reading muscle, a reminder that what you find (on the page) can inspire you to act (off the page). To write a different ending for a story that you see playing out around you, on the broader stage, beyond your comfortable chair.

This year it feels particularly important that… we who value the power that resides in telling stories, in reading stories, in sharing stores… we join and celebrate their importance. We must remind one another that, with this thing we do so much of—this reading thing, we ARE often alone, but we are not as alone as we (sometimes) feel.

It has taken me an extraordinarily long time to choose my MARM read for this November. It’s Survival, subtitled A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature. First published in 1972, it’s a book I’ve not centred during MARM previously, because most MARMers are not Canadian. But, this year, when Canada has been in the international news more than usual, it seems appropriate.

It will be easy to portion throughout the month, as it’s divided into four parts, so I can dabble in some poems around the edges, and maybe I will finally watch the last season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” (and the first season of “The Testaments”…has anyone seen it?). Maaaaayyyyybe.

How about you?

I remember what some of you mentioned last year, but perhaps your reading moods have shifted.

And maybe some of you, who haven’t felt pulled to take part in the past, will find yourself thinking that this year is different, and what you really need is a bit of Margaret Atwood to pull you through November 2026.

Do tell!