favorite moments from my weekend at the awp conference

1. listening to michael chabon speak (or shall we say “perform”) about his goal of inserting himself into the whole of literature.
2. watching knock down fights from sci-fi/fantasy writers who think they’re being suppressed by the establishment.
3. walking around downtown denver ALONE.
4. walking around downtown denver with old friends.
5. seeing juicebox named in the awp catalog.
6. being stopped by modcloth at the bookfair for my picture to be featured (possibly) on their streetstyle blog. [i know, seriously. i thought they were talking to the girl behind me too.]
7. feeling the seeds of a novel stirring inside me.
8. eating at le central.
9. bumbling by accident into a reading by carolyn forche and being absolutely stunned.
10. sitting at the feet of the leading scholars on mahmoud darwish, listening to his poetry in english and arabic, and crying like a silly baby.
11. having lunch with john. and eating a grilled cesaer salad. [grilling romaine. what a great idea.]
12. seeing the litter of writers: piles of ballpoint pens and cigarettes and busking poetry on the street.
13. being in the same room as real, live cowboy poets.