Wow.

So AWP is over (well, there’s more readings and a dance late tonight, but I am NOT going) and I finally have time to write again. Yesterday I was on the run from 8am til midnight, and today until 9, so I’m finally catching up.

Wow. Wow wow wow. It was good. My brain is completely liquefied, but in a good way, you know?

First, my panel yesterday morning. I was nervous about it, nervous about being in a big room with no audience, or tiny audience, but yeah, we had a HUGE audience, and they were incredibly receptive. My fellow panelists were Bich Minh Nguyen, Lorraine Lopez, and Karen McElmurray, and it was moderated by the brilliant, wonderful Joy Castro, who put it all together and then introduced in the most eloquent way. Afterward, so many people came up and said good things. It was a huge relief, validating, encouraging. Very good stuff.

After the panel I got to have lunch with Masha and my Literary Mama Creative Nonfiction co-editor, Sonya Huber. What a thrill! I have loved getting to know and working with Sonya online, and it was fantastic to meet her in person, too. Then I got to purchase and have her sign her hot-off-the-press memoir, Opa Nobody. I can’t wait to read it.

I hung out with the great editors of Choice at the Bookfair (which was so incredibly huge and overwhelming I really couldn’t deal with it at all, although I knew there were great giveaways and amazing books; I even brought an extra piece of LUGGAGE for all the books and things I thought I’d be bringing home, but that did not happen).

Yesterday afternoon I popped into a panel on Writing & Motherhood (note to self: Literary Mama NEEDS to have an AWP panel next year!!) and another on the craft of Creative Nonfiction, where I got to hear and meet Meredith Hall, whose memoir has just blown away and inspired me recently. She gave a great talk about the “segmented essay” that is like a snapshot collection or collage.

Before I start writing about today (new post), did I mention the John Irving keynote address?  I’m just looking at my notes. He said some good things that I need to constantly remember.

“That question of talent vs. stamina – which is more important? You can’t really judge people’s talent, but you can judge their laziness.” (ouch)

“Three quarters of writing is about rewriting. Revision is constant. You can’t be a novelist if you don’t like repetition, just like being a great athlete – you have to do the same motions over and over. I have little confidence in first drafts or “inspiration” but great belief in revision.  I’ve never regretted a single revision I’ve ever done, but I’ve often regretted NOT revising. You have to love doing the thing itself (writing). You have to love sentences.”

Last night, after yesterday’s sessions I met up with a great bunch of people I met at Blue Mountain five years ago. We all felt so instantly comfortable and happy together again, even though we have not seen in other in five years. There’s an incredible intimacy that develops when you live with people who are all working on their art/craft together, eating meals together, swimming or canoeing across a lake. It was a wonderful reunion and we all laughed ourselves silly and drank a lot of sangria. It’s a very nice thing not to have to drive in NYC.