"Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God. I don't know but today seems kinda odd." I'll let the family friendly movie star formally known as Ice Cube take it from there. (If you know the song, then you can understand why). But, this opening line sums up my day pretty well on its own.
I have spent my weekend at the AWP conference in San Antonio, and it has been such a cup filling experience that thankful doesn't begin to describe how I feel that I am able to be here. I wasn't originally planning to come to the conference. That was until two weeks ago when I was notified of my acceptance into the AWP Writer to Writer Mentorship program. I then decided that since it was only a four hour drive from my home, I would attend.
A few days after my decision, the coronavirus became a national emergency and the conference was almost cancelled. However, the amazing folks at AWP decided that the show would indeed go on, while giving those with concerns the opportunity for a refund. Many, many people took them up on that, and a conference which normally boasts 10,000 plus attendees, might have had 2,000. As a result, many panels and readings had to be cancelled because there were not enough panelists and/or readers. And here is where it gets odd.
On Thursday, I attended the Writer to Writer reception and had the great pleasure to meet many current and former mentors and mentees. One of those former mentors was the organizer of a reading for program alumni to take place on Saturday, on the main stage in the exhibit hall. Problem was, the scheduled 25 reader roster was down to 3. No, that is not a typo. Not wanting to cancel the event, the organizer went around the room asking for volunteers to read their work at the event.
Unfortunately for me (okay perhaps fortunately), I was sitting at a table with the lovely writer, Jarika Tucker. We were deeply engaged in a conversation about cultural appropriation in publishing, and when is it okay to write someone else's story. Like many writers, I am a card carrying introvert. So in depth one on one conversations are my jam, and I was excited to genuinely connect with a new writer friend. All was well, then it happened. The event organizer made her way over to our table and asked if any of us would like to volunteer for the reading. My new friend Jarika betrayed me and said yes right away.
I had never read any of my work in public and was not ready to make my debut with a last minute, cobbled together excerpt of my work-in-progress, which has basically only been read by my mama. She loved it of course, because that's what mama's are for. But, in the words of the indelible Erykah Badu, "I'm an artist, and I'm sensitive about my shit." However, Jarika must have channeled my mama because she gave me that, "you're doing it and I don't wanna hear another word" look that mothers are so innately good at giving. So, I too said yes.
I came to San Antonio to attend the AWP Conference & Book Fair for the very first time in my life. I only decided to come a couple of weeks ago. My only hopes were to meet a few fellow writers with whom I could exchange twitter handles, and maybe pick up a craft tip or two at one of the panel discussions. Yet, this afternoon I stood at a microphone, in front of a crowd of about fifty people, and read an excerpt from my novel. I have been writing and dreaming about being a writer for well over twenty years and for the first time in my life, I felt like that dream could really come true.
Thank you AWP. Thank you Jarika Tucker. Thank you God(dess). Today was a good day!
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