AWP Day Two

Yesterday: The FUSE panel with all my SU folks went very well. I was very proud of Melissa and Silvana, everything went smoothly! Afterwards, Nadia, Silv, Melissa, and I went to Einstein’s Bagels for lunch and then saw Vanessa Place and other’s read about the materiality and immateriality of words which was absolutely wonderful. Nadia went home, and Silv, Melissa, and I went to the book fair, where I got a bunch of copies of Sonora Review for five bucks. I also purchased a subscription of Gulf Coast for ten bucks because Joe Scap got published in it and because they had an awesome T-shirt with a flying lizard on the front. Then, got Karla’s chapbook published by Pilot Books, 3 Movements, which is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever held in my hands. Last, I was given a free copy of Booth. I’ve read the whole thing already–it was amazing and also the first print issue. Seriously awesome.

Tried to go to this panel about what Editor’s want from writers, but the motherfucker was so packed there wasn’t evens standing room, and people were standing outside of the door craning their necks. We were going to look at all the artisan chapbooks then, but THAT was canceled (Srsly, the TWO things I wanted to see that afternoon), so we went back to the hotel room to read and sleep and etc. Walked all around Denver in search of food (I’m a goddamn trooper), and finally settled on Noodles, which need to exist everywhere (maybe where the old writer’s house was). Went to the George Saunders and Etger Keret reading which was absolutely incredible–I didn’t get tired at such a long reading with only two people! Okay, that’s a lie–I was exhausted and falling asleep, but I was very interested when awake.

Then, talked to Melissa, stumbled to the train. Slept. Now still exhausted.

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AWP Denver 2010

So, yesterday was the first day of AWP Denver 2010. Awesome things that have happened:

1) While volunteering at the pre-registration booth giving out badges, I met Malachi Black, author of “Drifting at Midday,” this poem: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=237480
This poem was VERY important to me last semester, so when Nadia handed me his ID to look up his badge I had to pause and say, “Are you, ‘Now I can see: even the trees / are tired’?”
His jaw dropped and he said something like, “Oh my god, you know that.”
We continued having this sort of double awestruck conversation, him saying that if I recited any more of his poem he would cry and me saying about how much it meant to me and shaking hands, mouths hanging open. It was amazing. Absolutely amazing. More over, dude’s only six years older than I am. What the fuck?

2) Went to a panel with Marya Hornbacher on it, author of Madness and Wasted. I had just read the former over winter break. She was fantastically funny. Nadia was just as starstruck as I was with darling Malachi.

3) Saw Katie Pierce and Joe Scap while resting before going back to Nadia’s (Oh. yeah. I’m on crutches because I fucked up my knee. You know, the reg.)

4) Went home, slept, went to Katie Pierce’s reading, which was wonderful!!!!

Anyway, today is the FUSE panel and many other lovely things and I need to get dressed!

:)

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