Good Night, Denver

56 º ~ night falling over Denver

Day Three at AWP, more, more, more.

Here's a photo of my loot from Day Two: several button from various journals, a little blue plastic policeman that I won from the Barrelhouse table, and one of the Easter eggs the folks at Redivider hid around the conference. A week or so ago, the editors of Redivider sent out a call for poets to submit a line of one of their poems for this project. The editors printed out the individual lines and put them in the eggs with other fun stuff. I sent them a line, and then, while at the Sarabande table, picked up an egg and opened it. I picked up my own line. No lie. What are the odds?

Stacey Lynn Brown

Suzanne Frischkorn

First stop today was the bookfair. On the way over, I ran into Stacey Lynn Brown, and once in the fair, we stumbled on Suzanne Frischkorn and Susan Rich.
Since I didn't get pictures of Stacey or Suzanne yesterday, I snapped them up while they signed copies of their books for each other. Even with 8,000+ writers swirling all around, these chance meetings happen over and over all day long. Lovely.

Oliver de la Paz

My original reason for stopping at the bookfair was to buy a copy of Requiem for an Orchard during Oliver de la Paz' signing. He was gracious enough to let me take a photo as well, although he'd only met me the night before.

Chelsea Rathburn

Another lucky bookfair moment: running into Chelsea Rathburn, great poet and fellow University of Arkansas grad. I have really grown to enjoy the bookfair, not something I would have said the last few years. I didn't have time to take pictures of all the wonderful journal editors I chatted with the past two days, but they were numerous and to a fault kind and generous, even when I fumbled.

Sherman Alexie

Next stop was the Beloit Poetry Journal reading, featuring: Karl Elder (new to me and a delight), Albert Goldbarth, Janet Holmes, Susan Tichy, and one of my writing heroes, Sherman Alexie. All of the readings were wonderful and the house was packed. I only wish the time had been longer so we could have heard more.

Then, I stopped in at the AWP Award Series reading and heard Beth Bachmann read from Temper, which I've already written about here. Sadly, no photo op presented itself.

Jason Lee Brown

Back at the bookfair, I just had time to catch Jason Lee Brown and get him to sign my copy of his new chapbook, Blue Collar Fathers. I was honored that Jason asked me to blurb his chapbook.

Adrian Matejka

Onward to the From the Fishouse reading, which was a real highlight to a day when everything was amazing. Here's the lineup: Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Oliver de la Paz, Major Jackson, Adrian Matejka (pictured here), Erika Meitner, and Jeffrey Thomson. Given the mission of From the Fishouse and its focus on the sound of poetry, it's no surprise that each reading was electric. The poets each read two of their poems featured in the From the Fishouse Anthology and two poems by other folks in the book. A very cool way to multiply the event.




Finally, I was going to join some of my new writer friends for an off-site reading, but my brain was full and my body was all done in. I crashed and slept for two hours. I know some will find it lame that I'm in my hotel room blogging while more readings are going on all around me, but this is who I am. I need some space and time alone each day. So far, I have no regrets about the trip save one...I left my Birks at home because I thought it'd be too cold for sandals, and now I wish I had them. :)

Now, more sleep before Day Four.