Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #15

My fifteenth poem for 30/30, “Measure” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

I’m halfway through 30/30 and so far it has been a tremendous experience. I’m exhausted but in a good way. If you’re waiting on a poem, know that I’m going in order of request, so fear not. I have not forgotten you. There’s still plenty of time.

Also, thank you to all the generous folks who have sponsored me so far. You’re all rock stars.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #14

My fourteenth poem for 30/30, “Reunion Elegy” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Poem #13

My thirteenth poem for 30/30, “Postcard Portrait” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

A Debrief of AWP 2015 Minneapolis

For me, AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) is usually a mix of excellence and exhaustion, so I give you a list of all the excellent I encountered at this year’s conference.

1. Welcome booth sponsored by Rain Taxi at the Minneapolis airport

2. Fun sights seen on my way from airport to hotel: giant mural of sheet music on a brick building, penguins from the film Madagascar peering out of an office window, statue of Mary Richards & a little boy in a batman costume.

3. Friendly helpful staff at the Millennium Hotel where I made my home for four nights.

4. A king sized bed. Hello.

5. Electronic AWP registration via email confirmation #

6. The AWP app.

7. The skywalk. YES.

8. A sturdy tote.

9. Dinner with Sam Snoek Brown

10. An absolutely amazing reading by the the Dark Noise Collective Thursday morning & purchasing The Break Beat Poets Anthology immediately upon leaving said reading.

11. Participating as contributor to “The Full Time Professorship: From Application to Hire to Continuing Life as Writer” panel.

12. The Two-Year College Caucus and networking with community college colleagues.

13. The book fair.

14. Attending the “The Bigness of the Small Poem” panel.

15. Seeing my former mentor & poetry professor from Allegheny, Christopher Bakken.

16. Buying books and having them signed by amazing poets.

17. Meeting folks face to face to that I know through Twitter & Facebook.

18. Attending the “Publishing Sucks, Even When You’re Good At It” panel. I laughed. A lot.

19. Meeting Marie, Kaylie and a bunch of previous contributors at the 30/30 Meet & Greet.

20. Walking the greenway through Loring Park on a beautiful, spring Saturday in Minneapolis.

21. Spending a few hours at the Walker Art Center & Sculpture Garden. Free admission!

22. Writing a 30/30 poem inspired by a sculpture in the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. I also drafted said poem sitting outdoors, in the sunshine at a picnic table when it was snowing the day before.

23. Attending the “Finding Voice” panel with Roxane Gay, Pablo Medina & Michael Thomas.

24. Attending the Kevin Young & Carolyn Forché reading. This was my final event at this year’s AWP and it was incredible.

25. Discovering a plethora of moose merchandise at the Minnesota gift shop at the airport.

I am now home, sitting on my couch while my dog sleeps on the love seat, my finches chatter from the kitchen and my husband types on his computer. I had a glorious time in Minneapolis but I’m glad to be home and I can’t wait to start working through the stack of books I brought home from the book fair. Below is a list of titles and books I picked up (complete with links):

A Sweeter Water, by Sara Henning

Confluence, by Sandra Marchetti

The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, by Maggie Smith

The Octopus Game, by Nicky Beer

Train to Agra, by Vandana Khanna

Citizen, by Claudia Rankine

The Middle, Angela Hume

Bat, Renee Beauregard Lute with paintings by Susan Solomon

Chthonic, by John James

Blood Dazzler, by Patricia Smith

The Last Two Seconds, by Mary Jo Bang

The Breakbeat Poets, Kevin Coval, Quraysh Ali Lansana & Nate Marshall (Eds.)

The Art of Syntax, Ellen Bryant Voigt

Streaming, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke

Book of Hours, by Kevin Young

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #12

My twelfth poem for 30/30, “Reflection” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

I wrote this poem while in Minneapolis for AWP. I was able to sit outside at a picnic table and free write for about an hour. There was sunshine and a breeze. It was glorious.

11033869_10153148328270791_9061341782718937056_n — Standing Glass Fish by Frank Ghery in the Cowles Conservatory at the Walker Art Center.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #11

My eleventh poem for 30/30, “Wedgwood” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

Today is my last day in Minneapolis for AWP and it has been lovely. I’ve met so many wonderful writers, attended many inspiring readings/panels and connected with new and old friends. I even got to explore the city a bit and check out the Walker Art Center, which was amazing.

247992_10150270439895791_1643157_n — Actual piece of wedgwood from my grandmother’s collection.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #10

My tenth poem for 30/30, “Raspberrying” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

I’ll be writing and updating from AWP through Sunday, so if you’re around Minneapolis, don’t hesitate to say hello.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #9

My ninth poem for 30/30, “Ars Poetica in Spring,” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

I’ll be writing and updating from AWP through Sunday, so if you’re around Minneapolis, don’t hesitate to say hello.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #8

My eighth poem for 30/30, “Interconnection,” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.

Tupelo Press 30/30 Project: Day #7

My seventh poem for 30/30, “Bee Maidens,” is live. For more information about Tupelo Press, 30/30 & donations and incentives, please see my previous post or visit the project blog.