I've written five pieces, including a personal essay posted in my magazine section here, for RiseUp, a new 8 million circ. weekly national magazine distributed by newspapers like my former employer, the New York Daily News, to the Washington Post. It's a terrific publication, focused on issues of multiculturalism and diversity.

On October 9, at the Ryerson University School of Journalism, 80 Gould Street, in Toronto, I'll be speaking with former Toronto writers Clive Thompson and Duff McDonald on "Cracking the 49th Parallel: Selling to American Markets." All are welcome; admission is $20, $10 for students.

On October 18, in New Haven, I present my research on girls and gun use at Southern Connecticut State University. It's the work from my book Blown Away: American Women and Guns (Pocket Books 2004), which explains why 11 to 18 million American women own a firearm, for hunting, sport, work, or self-defense. It also includes the voices of the many women touched by gun violence, with 104 original interviews from 29 states, from Olympic gold medalists to convicted felons. As we head to the polls in November - no matter your feelings about gun ownership - it’s worth understanding why 30 percent of American homes contain a firearm.

“Very accessible... well worth reading,” wrote University of Pittsburgh sociology professor Lisa Brush in the journal “Women and Violence.” Criminology professor Thomas Gabor, of the University of Ottawa said, “Sure to become a standard on the topic.” So far, 591 libraries, from Yale, Princeton, Brown, and Harvard Law School to The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, have chosen it.

In late October, back to Paris! Five of my photos from last year’s visit are on display at Le Jardin du Roi, a Chappaqua, NY bistro favored by the Clintons. You can see some at 6thfloorpix.com