AWP Wrap Up: What People Are Saying

Things have been a little crazy in Split This Rock's post-AWP world. In many ways we're still recovering from our mini-festival, and in the lull we sometimes forget to mention how tremendously pleased we are that our programs were well received. Rather than rehash anything we've already said, we opted to share what other bloggers have been saying- enjoy:

(click on each excerpt to read the rest of the post)

Jessica Vooris
From The Bucknell Afterword

This conference made me remember how much I love writing and has made me want to finish some new poems. Hopefully this newfound determination will help me produce some new things. Also, with the political poet panelists voices in my ear, perhaps I can rekindle both my activism and writing at the same time. Here’s to a productive 2011!

Barbara Jane Reyes
From barbarajanereyes.com

Espada does not romanticize the existence of the poet dissident, and neither should we; we should recognize this as the power of the word, a potential all of us poets have when we take pen to paper, indeed why we come to poetry in the first place.

Adam Pellegrini
From THEthe

Nor do I think, looking back on my full experience, that AWP should be cornered as some sort of backwoods, yet fancy, family reunion, rife with inbreeding, as was my initial cynicism. I did hear moments of life, feel excitement, swallow poetry and sweat it out.

Lyle Daggett
From A Burning Patience

The events I found particularly worthwhile included Undivided: Poet as Public Citizen, sponsored by Split This Rock, an excellent panel featuring Martín Espada, Carolyn Forché, Toi Derricotte, and Mark Nowak, and emceed by Melissa Tuckey of Split This Rock. Each of the panelists talked about various ways in which politically conscious poetry, and poetry in general, has engaged with the larger world; each quoted from the work of other poets as examples of the relevance of poetry in people's lives.

Sandra Beasley
From Chicks Dig Poetry

Most moving moment: Hearing Sonia Sanchez read Langston Hughes' work and reflect on his legacy. I got the shivers.

Serena Agusto-Cox
From The Examiner

Among some of the featured presenters this year are keynote speaker Jhumpa Lahiri, Sarah Browning of Split This Rock, Former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Eric Webb
From TriQuarterly Online

The next panel, in the same room, “Dream the Dreamers Dreamed: A Tribute to Langston Hughes,” reinforced that understanding, and also sparked a need to express political outrage in my own work.


Thanks again to everyone who helped make AWP a success- we'll see you there next year!