Our Blog

Breathing Life Into Clay: Famous Golems in Literature

Michael Chabon wrote that the myth of the golem endures because it mirrors the creative act itself. While there are many legends about what makes a golem go, they usually involve a learned practitioner of faith, a lot of chanting, a lump of clay and a word. As Chabon puts it, it is not the act of breathing life into the lifeless that makes the story of the golem so interesting, but the element of danger in bringing something to life.

If the danger of creation intrigues you, then you might dig these books where men give life to clay.

Posted by Brady Dale

Swissted’s Mike Joyce on Inspiration, Influences, and Punk Rock History

We asked Mike Joyce, the creative force behind Swissted, the awesome new book of rock and roll posters remixed in Swiss Modernist style, to share some of the people, places, and things that shaped him into the punk fan he is today.

Posted by Mike Joyce

Cooking with Flowers at the Philadelphia Flower Show with author Miche Bacher on March 9th!

Join Cooking with Flowers author Miche Bacher this Saturday, March 9 at the Philadelphia Flower Show for a tasty floral demonstration!

This year's awesome Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center will feature a Garden to Table Studio with fantastic, flowery demos from chefs including Miche Bacher: pastry chef, flower connoisseur, and Quirk author! Miche will be serving a lovely hibiscus chutney to celebrate the show's theme of all things British: Brilliant! 

Do stop by on Saturday, March 9th at 3 PM for a taste of spring to come! Admission to the Studio is included with the price of a ticket.

Garden to Table Studio at the Philadelphia Flower Show
Pennsylvania Convention Center
12th and Arch Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107 (map)

Cooking with Flowers will hit stores April 2.

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Why We Adore Book Series

We’re no strangers to book series. There have been numerous series to capture our hearts: The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables. However, the books I’m talking about today are part of a different category of serialized books. These are the books that you spent many weekend hours trying to collect, searching for that one you were missing, hoping to finish a complete set.

These books don’t need to be read in a specified order. Sure they’re numbered, but only to hook us collectors and make us feel incomplete if the books on our shelf don’t follow the perfect sequence. No, each title is a new adventure with familiar characters and they create a certain kind of charm that we still can’t resist.

Posted by Maria Vicente

Brooklyn Craft Camp with Craft-A-Day’s Sarah Goldschadt and Quirk Giveaway on March 16!

Come join Craft-A-Day's Sarah Goldschadt in Brooklyn on March 16 for a craft-packed day of DIY and a giveaway from Quirk Books!

We're thrilled to share that the wonderful Sarah Goldschadt will be hosting a Craft-A-Day bar at the Brooklyn Craft Camp in Greenpoint, a daylong festival of activites, food, and awesome crafting–all with your fellow do-it-yourselfers. Stop by to see Sarah and whip up a little something for yourself, then stay for the day and enjoy four 90-minute sessions with other knitters, painters, glue-ers, and makers. The day begins with coffee & donuts and ends with cocktails & snacks, and features a keynote lunch in between with Jay McCarroll of Project Runway fame. 

And since we're so excited to be part of all the craftitutde, Quirk will be giving away some awesome prizes: tote bags, a pack of all our craft books, and–of course–copies of Craft-A-Day

In short: it's like camp, for grown-ups, with only Arts & Crafts (and food) plus a chance to win craft books from Quirk. Don't miss out!

Brooklyn Craft Camp
Saturday, March 16th
10 AM — 7 PM

Greenpoint Lutheran Church of the Messiah
129 Russell Street
(between Driggs and Nassau Avenue)
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY 11222 (map)

Advance registration is required, with a $275 fee to cover food and supplies.

Craft-A-Day is available now.

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Batman & Kerouac: Brothers From Another Mother

One is the Dark Knight, a vigilante hero that fights to bring sanity to his world and peace to his life. After watching the brutal murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne made the decision to dedicate his life to bringing the scum and insanity that had taken over his home of Gotham City to justice. Along with Robin, the Boy Wonder, he operates in darkness and calls himself The Batman.

The other is the King of the Beats, a writer who helped create a new way to write and a new way to live. He spent the bulk of his life traveling cross country, on the road with assorted fellow travelers who helped him to shape his prose and populated his novels, all becoming part of his legend; the legend of Jack Kerouac.
At first glance, these two icons of literature would seem to have absolutely nothing in common; one of them isn’t even a real person. But upon further inspection, you would be very surprised to discover that Batman and Jack Kerouac are much more similar than you would ever begin to imagine.

Posted by David Goodman