Now that I’ve had a chance to recover from my first ever AWP, I thought I’d post a few photos. I presented in “‘Memory of Wounds’: Memoirists Tell Truth, Lies, and Memory” with Joy Castro (The Truth Book), Karen McElmurry (The Motel of Stars), Kelly Gray Carlisle (former managing editor of Prairie Schooner), Lucy Ferriss, and Carrie Anne Tocci. We had a great turn out. Here’s a few:

Besides my panel, I heard Jeanne Leiby (of The Southern Review) and Jocelyn Bartkevicius (of The Florida Review) share their wisdom in creative nonfiction, both in writing and as publishers. Also in nonfiction, Carrie Pomeroy explained her process in writing an essay about her mother. Robin Becker (my favorite of her books is All-American Girl), Katharine Haake, and others discussed creative writing pedagogy. And, I heard many, many more excellent writers, teachers, and editors speak, read, and advise. A great time all around.

Of course, I also took advantage of Chicago’s beautiful waterfront walk, museums, buildings, Michigan Avenue, and other pleasures. A few more concluding images: