OMG OMG OMG AWP

oh how I miss drinking from a Reza mug in front of a wall of Rezas early in the morning

Monday I heard 4 spectacular poems in response to Brendan Constantine’s “The Needs of the Many,” and Brendan himself will join my groups Tuesday and Wednesday. And then AWP, the best/worst annual conference where all these people I love on the page and in person are in one place and there are so many books and thinkers and parties and readings to attend.

And here’s your (okay my) schedule for the rest of the week.

1. Thursday February 9th 7-8 pm Flashpoint/Mead Theater (916 G Street, NW) Warrior Writers 10th anniversary birthday party. Everyone will be there. Seriously. Even Kevin Basl. You should come
2. Thursday February 9th 9 pm Driftwood Kitchen (400 H St NE) Steamroller: A Night of Unapologetic Art. I get to read with some of the very most bad ass women I know. Cynthia Oka, Mahogany L. Browne, Yessenia Montilla. I’m going to read some brand new shit that will maybe make some folks uncomfortable (including myself, but the places that are uncomfortable are the places we need to go. And I’m not going to apologize. I. Can’t. Wait.
3. Saturday February 11th 9 am Putting Madness to Work: The Politics and Poetics of Recovery at the Washington Convention Center I’m excited and honored to be a part of this conversation with Vincent Toro, Cynthia Dewi Oka, Jeffery Allen & Rickey Laurentis
4. Saturday February 11th 2 pm East City Bookshop (645 Pennsylvania Ave SE) Reading & Conversation (about writing sex…) with Liz Kay & Amy Hassinger
5. Saturday February 11th at 1:30 pm Reading and Conversation with Aracelis Girmay, Tim Seibles, & Danez Smith at the Convention Center I’m not involved in this, but I think you should all go to it, I can’t.
6. Also lots of other things. If there’s something amazing on the AWP Conference schedule that you find, please let me know.

Do you see how much I get to hang out with Cynthia Dewi Oka? Be jealous AF.

Actually don’t be, just come hang out with us. If I was 20 IQ points smarter and 3x tougher, I’d try to be Cynthia. For now I just bask in proximity to her, which works for both of us.

I’m not giving you a prompt. This week, your prompt is to come out and hear some living poets/writers read their work. There will be so many geniuses in DC this week. Be one of them.