“People coming into the store said, ‘It’s so spacious and calm. It’s like walking into Canada.'” – Bookseller Sarah McNally recalling customers’ first impressions of her Manhattan McNally Robinson store.

“It’s kind of like going to someone else’s cottage without a book and learning to live with what’s there.” – BookNet Canada CEO Michael Tamblyn on the poor state of e-book selection.

“If BNC [weekly data] is the firehose, how do we give everyone a drink without getting their lips blown off?” – Tamblyn puts in a strong showing in the Metaphor of the Show sweepstakes.

“There’s no reason not to be a platform slut. You want to be everywhere.” – Wayne MacPhail recommends Internet promiscuity in the quest for better promotion.

“Who’s that I just waved at and said ‘see you soon’ to?” – Author.
“That’s someone from your publisher.” – Friend of author.

“My son told me I was the only black man in North America with a combover.” – A balding Christopher Paul Curtis explains why he dropped his dreadlocks and got his hair cropped short.

“It’s so nice to see so many of you here.” – Bill Richardson, before gamely reading and singing The Aunts Come Marching to five kids Saturday morning in the CBC Atrium.

“We seem to be ahead of time, so I think I’ll read you some of my poems.” – Nick Pashley, wrapping up the author lunch featuring Richard Wright, Elizabeth Hay, and Rona Maynard. (He didn’t.)