AWP Roundup
At the risk of sounding like an Academy Awards acceptance speech, the first thing I need to do is thank the tremendous number of people who helped make my recent Austin trip so wonderful and special.
Doctortina for a super-rad panel that I felt honored to be a part of, and then too for being a good whisky-buddy-very important while our respective others, jacqueleena and Ernie-poo (sorry, I don’t know his LJ handle) were off doing their smoky thing and presumably geeking out about Star Wars. While we’ve been acquaintances over the years, this trip marked the first time we really got to hang out-and it was fun fun fun.
slomosexual for general-purpose goodness and introducing J and I to the new, improved Ruta Maya.
pinata for 1) assisting J in the very important, and very expensive particulars of cowboy boot shopping, and 2) coming through big-time with the Texas barbeque. You introduced my little lady to her very first rib. And she didn’t even know what animal she was consuming. 3) For having a hellaciously cute wife and son.
poetryslam for gracefully scrolling the text of “Muppet Howl” on his ibook, thereby allowing me to read it at the Austin Slam to what was clearly The Best Audience Ever Created for this particular piece, which I had stupidly neglected to bring to Austin in hard copy form. Lucky for me, I had my pen drive, and Big Poppa E had a computer. The rest was magic, baby, pure magic.
And Mikey, for an awesome SlamPlanet party and what I hear is great movie and of course the always excellent Austin Slam. Wish I could have stayed for the screening.
and lowhumcrush for being the best bitch-partner ever,, and reminiscing about the olde days at the LBC slam.
And Jim Coppoc, who put together the simply fantastic slam reading at AWP. One of the best readings I’ve seen in a long long time.
And I’m sure I’m forgetting plenty of other good peeps.
*
Next, I can report that AWP, while enjoyable, is not AS fun as SXSW. But really, how could it be? 1000 bands in a rock and roll bacchanalia versus 3000 aspiring and/or successful writers of literary fiction and poetry…
I enjoyed my time meandering the conference floor, schmoozing where I needed to shmooze and perusing the endless stacks of journals.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to escape the thick veneer of dorkery that coats the entire enterprise. There are very few social interactions untinged by at least a slight awkwardness, and man, the fashion leaves something to be desired. I would characterize it as a PhD exercise in “studied dishevelment” as each conference attendee had clearly packed only their most literary outfits.
*
Things were a mite hectic for me schedule-wise as I juggled 1) attending the conference for personal gain 2) attending the conference as an employee of PEN USA and 3) visiting Austin with my fiancé.
In the end, I believe a fine balance was struck. Delicious Mexican food was consumed. The PEN booth was manned. I got a seven book publishing deal and sold the rights to my next chapbook to Universal.
It was a good trip.
Doctortina for a super-rad panel that I felt honored to be a part of, and then too for being a good whisky-buddy-very important while our respective others, jacqueleena and Ernie-poo (sorry, I don’t know his LJ handle) were off doing their smoky thing and presumably geeking out about Star Wars. While we’ve been acquaintances over the years, this trip marked the first time we really got to hang out-and it was fun fun fun.
slomosexual for general-purpose goodness and introducing J and I to the new, improved Ruta Maya.
pinata for 1) assisting J in the very important, and very expensive particulars of cowboy boot shopping, and 2) coming through big-time with the Texas barbeque. You introduced my little lady to her very first rib. And she didn’t even know what animal she was consuming. 3) For having a hellaciously cute wife and son.
poetryslam for gracefully scrolling the text of “Muppet Howl” on his ibook, thereby allowing me to read it at the Austin Slam to what was clearly The Best Audience Ever Created for this particular piece, which I had stupidly neglected to bring to Austin in hard copy form. Lucky for me, I had my pen drive, and Big Poppa E had a computer. The rest was magic, baby, pure magic.
And Mikey, for an awesome SlamPlanet party and what I hear is great movie and of course the always excellent Austin Slam. Wish I could have stayed for the screening.
and lowhumcrush for being the best bitch-partner ever,, and reminiscing about the olde days at the LBC slam.
And Jim Coppoc, who put together the simply fantastic slam reading at AWP. One of the best readings I’ve seen in a long long time.
And I’m sure I’m forgetting plenty of other good peeps.
*
Next, I can report that AWP, while enjoyable, is not AS fun as SXSW. But really, how could it be? 1000 bands in a rock and roll bacchanalia versus 3000 aspiring and/or successful writers of literary fiction and poetry…
I enjoyed my time meandering the conference floor, schmoozing where I needed to shmooze and perusing the endless stacks of journals.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to escape the thick veneer of dorkery that coats the entire enterprise. There are very few social interactions untinged by at least a slight awkwardness, and man, the fashion leaves something to be desired. I would characterize it as a PhD exercise in “studied dishevelment” as each conference attendee had clearly packed only their most literary outfits.
*
Things were a mite hectic for me schedule-wise as I juggled 1) attending the conference for personal gain 2) attending the conference as an employee of PEN USA and 3) visiting Austin with my fiancé.
In the end, I believe a fine balance was struck. Delicious Mexican food was consumed. The PEN booth was manned. I got a seven book publishing deal and sold the rights to my next chapbook to Universal.
It was a good trip.