Seven things I learned at AWP

So I was at AWP this weekend.

It was pretty awesome. You should certainly come next year.

I learned seven things, a complete number:

7: Paul Muldoon is a very thoughtful person: Marie Ponsot was giving a speech on the role of a poet at AWP when she started coughing (she is not young, you know). PM produced a quick glass of water, handing it to her at the podium. Writing it now, it doesn't seem like much, but it was nice at the time.

6: There is this thing, called the West Chester Poetry Conference, that's gone on for 15 years without me knowing about it. They're focused on narrative and form. David Mason goes there. From now on, I will too. Oh, and all the poets hang out late at night and play the white-man's blues. Can I get a w00t w00t?

5: David Yezzi (also a West Chester person, and the editor of The New Criterion) preaches the awesomeness of Tom Disch (he's right -- see here -- "I have decided I'm devine").

4: Speaking of West Chester folk (and David Mason), DM has already read my review of Ludlow on this blog (that's where the link above goes to -- BUY HIS BOOK!). Woooo!

3: One last WC person, Kim Addonizio is a harmonica-playing rock star surrounded by groupies. I didn't know poets had groupies. Rock.

2: Drinking is far, far more important than any panel. I mean networking.

1: Everything is free in the final hour of the bookfair (no one wants to pack up that stuff and cart it home).