Associated Writing Programs (AWP) in Denver

It was, as someone quipped to me, a tornado inside a whirlwind of activity. Too many panel discussions and readings all going on at once, too many people to meet and have coffee with, many I didn't get to and will have to catch at another conference or retreat. The Bookfair alone was a blast of meeting and greeting, not to mention picking up cheap or even free books. I just wish I could have packed in more of all of it.

I did two readings, one at Cannonmine Coffee in Lafayette, CO as the featured reader. There I met many lovely, welcoming, and talented poets. The other was an offsite AWP reading,  a group reading for Beyond Forgetting, Poetry and Prose About Alzheimer's Disease, organized by the indefatigable, wonderful Holly Hughes, editor of the book. I'm so pleased to have had those opportunities, and thrilled to have gone to my first AWP. Everyone told me I'd be overwhelmed, but they didn't mention what a delightful overwhelm it would be. And hearing Gary Snyder read was a special thrill.