By Mattie Lugar
From Mar. 4-7, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) was held in Baltimore, Maryland, and I had the absolute privilege of attending. I was not only there to represent the university, but also FUSE: Society for Student Editors where I am currently an intern. This was an event I have been prepping for since the beginning of this academic year, so the nerves were a little high.
If you don’t know what AWP is, it is the largest gathering of writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers in North America. I met many interesting people from all over the country, and I even met an author that traveled all the way from Alaska. This was a great networking event, getting to meet people in different disciplines, but also seeing so many people who are all interested in literature in some way really made me happy.
There were panels, discussions, author signings, and a book fair that spanned an entire convention hall, so it’s safe to say it was a jam-packed weekend. I was also able to stop by the National Aquarium that was only a 5-minute walk from the bustling convention center. (Truth be told, that might have been my favorite part of the trip).
This was my first professional , so I really didn’t know what to expect. I initially was planning on attending a few panels but instead opted to just sit and read during the days I was free or otherwise roam around the book fair. I came out of this conference with more books, stickers, tote bags, and wall decor than I thought possible, but this was a very cool experience that I’m glad I got to have.
Thursday was the first day of the conference and for me, that meant tabling all day. FUSE was having our caucus on that Saturday, so tabling was very important to try and get people interested. Our caucus was open to both undergraduate and graduate student editors and their advisors to talk about the current challenges faced by university-affiliated literary magazines, presses, and publications. FUSE serves as an advocacy group for these different magazines and journals, and our caucus was a way to try and connect with people across the country about these interests.
After Thursday, I really didn’t have any obligations until the caucus Saturday afternoon. I had all day Friday and part of Saturday morning to really do whatever I wanted, as the caucus wasn’t until 1:45 p.m. The convention center could be very overwhelming at times, so finding a quiet corner where I could just sit and either read or relax for a few minutes was a gamechanger. I mentioned earlier that I managed to go to the National Aquarium, where they sell half-priced tickets on Fridays, so I spent a solid two and a half hours just wandering through the aquarium; it was incredibly peaceful.
The caucus itself on Saturday was relatively calm, with a small group of people in attendance. This was a great way to gauge what FUSE can focus on in the coming years as we rebuild the nonprofit from the ground up.
If you are ever interested in attending AWP and you have the chance, I highly suggest you take the opportunity and go.