Fonds consists of correspondence with authors, editors, publishers and educators and on various subjects as well as editorial correspondence relating to Biblioasis, Canadian Notes & Queries and Porcupine's Quill; notes and drafts of novels, short stories, prose, essays and memoirs, and documentation relating to anthologies edited by J. Metcalf; notebooks, scrapbooks, photographs and sound recordings including readings and discussions by the Montreal Storyteller Fiction Performance Group; works on J. Metcalf including awards; published works; and works by others.
Accession 895/12.12 highlights Metcalf's work as an editor and mentor of new literary voices. The records cover the period from 2008-2011, including the tumultuous period of 2008-2009 following the publishing of the Jane Urquhart edited Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories; Metcalf spearheaded a backlash to Urquhart's story choices, efforts that included an issue of Canadian Notes & Queries with the title "Salon des Refusés." This accession includes correspondence with authors, publishers, rare book dealers and artists, samples of author's work and editorial critiques, personal correspondence and photographs. The accession also includes works by Metcalf including drafts of his short story "Ceazar Salad," and the novella "The Museum at the End of the World."
