AWP: The Bookfair

I don't think it's quite worth spending the conference fee just to go to the bookfair, but it's close. I had a fantastic time walking around and talking to some great people about their presses, lit mags, and schools. I took home some great resources and books as well:

• Saltfront, a lit mag that focuses on place, had an amazing first story that made me burst into tears.
• I'm working through Sue Hertz's book Write Choices, which is all about nonfiction narrative and includes detail examples of drafts.
• The Sun also had a powerful story that reduced me to blubber. Maybe this is a theme?

I have a stack of lit mags to read and several others to check out online. I've been a sporadic and random lit mag reader, usually reading to check out voice and aesthetic rather than attaching myself to a few favorites, but I think it's time to subscribe in a more regular way and support the magazines I love.

It's gotten to the point where I'm familiar with a lot of lit mags because of submission guideline research. Buying one-offs is always fun, and I'd like to leave some room in the budget for that, but I like having some special markets, not necessarily the big names either, that I can support with pride.

I'll be posting more on AWP and on my reading list in the next few days. I've just been, well, reading...