AWP 2012 Chicago - Roundup

The Emperor in his new digs at The Poetry Foundation

OK, so AWP 2012 in Chicago has come and gone. I'm still buzzing from all that the AWP and the "Windy City" had to offer. I tried Chicago deep dish pizza and fell in love with Al's Italian beef sandwich.

The conference locations at the Chicago Hilton and Palmer house were overwhelming and the bookfair was labyrinthine, but I was selective with the panels I attended and knew which bookfair stands I wanted to check out, so I think I came out of it all pretty unscathed and eager to get back to writing, writing, writing. Of course, the free lit swag and candy was a bonus!

I met some amazing new friends, caught up with old buddies like Steve Roggenbuck and Lauren Hunter, and finally met some online folks that I've never the pleasure of meeting IRL. Was really happy to meet Ben Tanzer, Jason Behrends, DJ Berndt, and Stephen Tully Dierks.

I was graciously invited by Smarie Clay and Sam Hawk Schaefer, the lovely and talented co-editors of Black Tongue Review to do a reading at the lavish Pregnant Buffalo Lounge of the Chopin Theatre. What an event! There I met Perrin Carrell, founder of the community driven allwritethen, and all around rad guy. I was honoured to be in the same company as George Kalamaras, Chad Sweeney, Adam Clay, Bruce Covey, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, as well as some amazing up-and-coming poets from Columbia College Chicago. Be on the lookout for Joshua Young, Tom Nowak, and Raul R. Alvarez. They are the future of poetry! Thank you Smarie and Sam for a magical and unforgettable evening!

Lastly, here's a list of books I picked up at the AWP Bookfair and am so stoked about reading:

Counting Sheep Till Doomsday by Carlo Matos (BlazeVOX, 2011)

This American Life by Ben Tanzer (Achilles Chapbook Series, 2011)

Vortexts by Ben Mirov (Supermachine, 2011)

Revenge Poems by Christie Ann Reynolds (Supermachine, 2011)

Hurt Others by Sam Pink (Lazy Fascist Press, 2011)

I Want To Open The Mouth God Gave You Beautiful Mutant (Factory Hollow, 2012)

Tongue of War by Tony Barnstone (BkMk, 2009)

A Face to Meet the Faces: An Anthology of Contemporary Persona Poetry (University of Akron, 2012) - My poem "Hulk Smash!" is in here! Really happy to be a part of this very, very rad anthology!

That's all for now, peeps. Thanks for reading.

G