12 April 2010

My Bloody AWP (which wasn't bloody after all)

I don't know what the deal was with this year's AWP, but the manic, hectic, grotesque vibe that usually pervades the conference was somehow gone. Maybe we're all feeling luckier, and nicer. Perhaps bad AWP mojo can't survive mile high. At any rate, I'm back in my office after a vile 17-hour trip back (by plane, not stagecoach), and feeling as if I've just had a vacation, not endured a major conference. Here are some highlights. Everything went great. I'm ready to be home, but strangely energized. Perhaps it was all of the parlor games.

I took this picture on a bridge, at night.


This AWP, by far, had the finest Parlor Games of any AWP.


There is some very good food in Denver. I even ate the head off the cherub behind me.


In a taxi with Oliver (aren't you jealous, Gallaher?) on the way to the UA Press + CSU Poetry Center offsite, which many people told me was the best reading ever.


You wouldn't know it from this picture of me with Michael, but everything at the offiste reading went according to plan. All of the poets were on time! Everyone read for six minutes! It was amazing. Thanks to all who read, and attended.


No highlights would be complete without pictures of the tables.

NEOMFA TABLE


UA PRESS TABLE


BARN OWL REVIEW TABLE, HOME OF THE OWL EX MACHINA


We did a really cool panel with the amazing Erika Meitner, featured below dazzling the crowd (we actually had one!) with her power point.


As mentioned above, our return travels were dreadful, with a 6+ hour unexpected layover in Hotlanta, but we survived. The good vibe has even made that fiasco seem like a fond memory (almost).

I will hopefully write more soon about all of the awesome people I got to meet, and tell you the story of how I mustered up the courage to ask Rachel Dacus to blurb Saint Monica (she said yes! so excited!). Right now I need to get ready to teach my night class. I annotated all of my poems on the plane, including one during a rather bumpy landing. Dedication: I has it. AWP 10, you were pretty damn cool.

6 comments:

Matthew Thorburn said...

Looks like a great time, MB. Hope to make it to AWP next year and see you there.

That pic of you and Dumanis looks like you're in a U2 video, circa Achtung Baby!

Shanti Perez said...

Thanks for sharing this. Interesting account of your AWP experience. :)

Jeannine said...

Blurb your Saint Monica - wait, have you announced you have a new book coming out yet? I love those poems, btw!

Lyle Daggett said...

17 hours to get home?! Yipe! (And Denver to Akron by way of Atlanta -- double yipe!!)

I had a late flight, but direct non-stop, Denver to Minneapolis, ca. 1 hr 40 mins. Go figure...

Fun meeting you, briefly as it was. I've posted about AWP in my blog, here.

Louise Mathias said...

i heard many people say this was a kinder, gentler AWP. it did have a good vibe. it was great to finally meet you.

Steven D. Schroeder said...

It was a good AWP. Sorry I didn't see you more!

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