When the leaves change color, authors of poetry, nonfiction and fiction come to Pitt-Johsntown’s campus for the annual Fall Reading Series to read their work, which is to conclude with Penn-State-Erie (Behrend) professor Tom Noyes Nov. 9.

According to senior Jeffrey Adams, the series gives him a sense of comradery and shows that Pitt-Johnstown’s Humanities Division is thriving.

“The Fall Reading Series is a phenomenal display that the humanities are alive and well on (Pitt-Johnstown’s) campus.

“It is always enjoyable to be in a room of people who have been brought together to watch and listen to the creative output of another person; there is a sense of community that cannot be denied, which the series provides.”

To achieve this requires planning.

With a small budget, the first step in searching for authors is to find those who are within about a three-hour drive, according to professor Michael Cox, who conducts the series with help from other Humanities administrators.

There’s been authors from Ohio University, Penn State-Erie and Altoona and Pitt-Oakland. There also have been authors from West Virginia University and Frostburg State University, said Cox.

The authors are usually academics, as well, because they teach a master class before the reading, according to Cox.

Cox said that the readings take place on Thursday evenings so that his Advanced Seminar in Writing course students can attend as a part of the course. The course is held 6 to 8:40 p.m. Thursdays.

Each series, the goal is to have different genres for each reading.

“We always try to have nonfiction, fiction and poetry,” Cox said.

For this series’ poetry, Sheila Squillante, a Chatham University professor, read from her book, “Beautiful Nerve.” For nonfiction, Pitt-Johnstown’s Marissa Landrigan read from her book, “The Vegetarian’s Guide to Eating Meat: A Young Woman’s Search for Ethical Food.”

Squillante read Sept. 28 and Landrigan read Oct. 19 and both ended with a long round of applause.

To conclude the series, Penn State-Erie professor, Tom Noyes, is to read Thursday, Nov. 9 from his most recent work of fiction, “Come by Here: A Novella and Stories.”

According to Cox, Noyes’ writing is descriptive and full.

“His writing is really detailed in a classical way.

“He leaves no stone unturned.”

Noyes is to read at 7 p.m. in Blackington 131.