AWP 2026

Wow, hey!

I am writing you today from my booth at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair in Baltimore, Maryland. As of five minutes ago, the conference has officially started. People are milling about and starting to file in to the convention center.

I am fucking terrified.

I was really worried about the prospect of not being able to use my materials for the setup because they can be considered "flammable". However, when I was talking to my husband, he brought up the great point that BOOKS ARE FLAMMABLE!

Yesterday was the setup day so I set up all of my materials. Amazingly, they are still here today! I must've done something right, then.

So far, so good.

I actually got most of my exploring done, so I may be able to attend an additional day of the conference. The only things that I have yet to do are the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, the Library of Congress, Folger Library, and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Okay... That might actually be a lot to do.

I am also going to see The Wonder Years and Knucklepuck this evening, so it will be a late night. We will see if I am actually able to commit to another day of the conference. I do hope so, sincerely. We will see how today goes.

I have had a few pretentious encounters with other writers. I do hope that the entire community isn't like this. If I thought that publishing my innermost, vulnerable self was terrifying before... Fuck, this is a different beast. This is professional. This is polished. It's a side of writing that I have underestimated, severely.

So, it would seem, this is the threshold. I have officially taken my author capacity from hobby to semi-professional.

It's jarring. Marketing myself is exhausting. We're only a few minutes in and I am already terrified. Truly shaking in my proverbial boots.

I am starting to appreciate the boundary of only solidly committing to a day of this conference. I am glad that I have given myself enough time and space to explore the area. My traveler heart all but demands it.

In a desperate effort to keep my heart from leaping out of my chest, I will probably continue to write throughout the day. You, my dear reader, will be my companion for this trip.

As always, stay tuned for more.