Bruce Covey writes about AWP for Best American Poetry

Poet and Coconut Poetry editor Bruce Covey is guest blogging over at Best American Poetry, and today he's got us early birds thinking about the independent publishing giantess that is AWP:

Each year I seem to see nearly every poet I know. Or I note the absences. This year I proposed a panel on cognition, neurobiology, and memory, mostly with the hope of hanging out with co-panelists Amy Gerstler, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Lee Ann Roripaugh, Megan Kaminski, and Danielle Pafunda; AWP, having received more proposals than ever before, sadly declined (no bitterness here—I understand the challenge of accepting only a small percentage of submissions)....

AWP is when all of our independently begotten communities—physical and virtual—get stuffed into the same city, and usually even into the same hotel, when unlikely cross-sections (and with them, new poetic combinations / aesthetic combinations) thrive. My favorite memories are of people—hanging out with Reb Livingston and Rauan Klassnik; having my fortune told (cards) with Jen Knox and Gina Myers; meeting Kristi Maxwell and Michael Rerick for the first time; reading for 1913 with Edwin Torres and Lynn Xu (and meeting Ben and Sandra Doller).

This year Coconut will be cohosting two off-site AWP readings—Thursday from 6-8 and Saturday from 7-10. Thursday co-hosts are Shanna Compton’s Bloof Books and Amber Nelson’s Alice Blue; Saturday’s partners are Switchback (Hanna Andrews and Becca Klaver, eds.) and Horse Less Press (Jen Tynes). I’ve been sending out reading invitations over the past few days, focusing primarily on forthcoming Coconut book authors.

Speaking of Coconut Books, if all goes according to plan, I’ll have two books and a chapbook printed and available at the conference. Megan Kaminski’s Desiring Map is first and almost finished—typesetting and design by Lauren Schimming. Megan teaches at the University of Kansas and is amazing—one of the kindest, most wonderful people I’ve ever met.

Covey continues with this generous spirit here.