I just got back from the AWP conference in Denver and I'm newly inspired! My new resolution is to post a new poem or comment on this blog every Monday. I'm trying to balance actual writing time with writing about writing; once a week posts feels like a reasonable goal.
So I'll share here conference highlights. AWP is the largest creative writing conference held annually; 8,000 people came this year. My favorite moments:
- My publisher asked me if I had a manuscript because she wants to publish my 2nd book (that really holds the 1-10 spots as favorite moments!!).
- Hanging out at the Salmon Poetry table with the other Salmon poets who attended. I made new friends with Tyler Farrell and Susan Miller DuMar and reconnected with old Salmon buddies Simmons Buntin, Eamon Wall, and Kevin Higgins.
- Watching Terry Tempest Williams read a beautiful, heartbreaking essay.
- Watching Gary Snyder read.
- Attending a panel on "Mamas and poetry" and discovering I'm not alone in my obsession with writing about babies; I got so many good ideas about how to do it and encouragement not to hide it any longer!
- Meeting up with other Alaskan writers Erin Hollowell, Barbara Shepherd, and Carol Schirmer.
All in all, an amazing, productive, inspiring week for me!
2 comments:
I would be jazzed too, Emily! Wow! Do you have another book on the way soon? Looking forward to that...
I'm also looking forward to your Monday posts. Posting once per week about writing, so as to have time to actually write is a great idea.
Thanks Alonzo!
I do have a new book on the way...I'm feeling totally euphoric about it this week. Once I get into the grit of revision I bet I'll feel differently...but for now it's pretty fun. I'll write about the revision process in my Monday posts. Thanks for the encouragement!
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