- Wasted by Marya Hornbacher
- The Marrowbone Marble Company by Glenn Taylor
- How Things Fit Together by Kevin Oderman
- A signed copy of American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
- Free copies of The Crab Orchard Review, The Missouri Review, and The Writer's Magazine
- The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliot
- Two copies of the new lit mag The Coffin Factory
- Two copies of Bayou Magazine
- An AWP totebag and an N+1 magazine totebag
- A new copy of N+1
- A free Bayou Magazine T-shirt
- Numerous free bookmarks, flyers, and pamphlets
Events I attended:
The Interlochen Arts Academy Creative Writing reading, with all 14 current seniors and postgrads reading from their work (lots of wonderful, familiar faces at this one)
"Selling Out Everyone You Love: The Ethics of Nonfiction" with Stephen Elliot, Cheryl Strayed, Lee Martin, and Krista Bremer
The Interlochen Arts Academy 50th Anniversary Alumni Reading, with Marya Hornbacher, Doug Stanton, Karin Gottshall, Faith Shearin, and Mohammed Naseehu Ali
"Approaches to Research for Fiction Writers" with Jason Brown, Marjorie Sandor, Keith Scribner, Skip Horack, and Aurelie Sheehan
The Tumblr Writers meetup party at Uncharted Books in Logan Square (free booze!)
"Apocalypse Now: A Multi-Genre Reading of Apocalyptic Literature" with Brian Barker, Pinckney Benedict, Judy Jordan, and Kevin Brockmeier
"The Rankings Game: MFA Programs Respond to the Poets & Writers Creative Writing Program Rankings" with Elise Blackwell, Allison Joseph, Brighde Mullins, Frederick Reiken, and Robin Behn
"Ambitious Fiction: Tackling Big Ideas, Lots of Characters, and/or Lush Language" with Lucy Jane Bledsoe, Jane Smiley, Achy Obejas, Allen Gee, and Brian Bouldrey
Things I witnessed/overheard:
- Lee Martin behind me in the line at Starbucks, immediately after he did a reading wherein he discussed his penis
- Numerous, hilarious Jonathan Franzen look-alikes
- Someone wearing a sign that said "THE HUMAN POEM"
- Someone in a banana costume
- Someone in an elaborate bird costume
- "My thing for 2012 is getting male writers I love to admit they love me."
- (sobbing in the middle of the lobby) "IT'S LIKE I'M NEVER GOING TO BELONG IN THIS WORLD!"
- "I'm such a lit mag snob."
- "I'm so over Tin House."
It was a very fun, whirlwind three days. I couldn't get over how many people were there - about 10,000, I think. Both hotels were packed. But even though it was overwhelming at times (especially in the bookfair), I'm so glad I had the experience. There was obviously a lot of self-promoting going on, which instinctively turns me off, but I understand that for most of these lit mags and small presses, this group is the core audience, so of course they are going to take advantage of that. It struck me that while right now I'm comfortable merely observing, in a few years I'm probably going to be marketing myself and my work in the same way (at least I hope so!) The entire experience was edifying on many levels. I also got to see some old friends, meet some new ones, and enjoy three days of Chicago's most schizophrenic weather (sunshine, blinding wind, driving rain, blowing snow, and bone-chilling cold).
Now I go back to wedding planning and waiting on my ten remaining MFA programs to call. I can't believe I'm getting married in less than four months...I guess I should get on that, huh?
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder