Tom Williams

Posts Tagged ‘The Book Cellar’

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Apres AWP

In Uncategorized on March 4, 2012 at 8:14 pm

I’ll get the negative out first: I lost some very cool RayBans.

Other than that, this AWP was one of my favorites, as I was able to spend time with old friends, make new ones, and read and yak and holler until I was hoarse.

Higlights? In no particular order:

  1. An insanely large hot dog called Dogzilla. One pound with all the Chicago requisites: onion, pickle, relish, tomato, mustard, celery salt. Needed a fork. Led to the hot dog stand, Byron’s, by Mike Czyzniejewski and further accompanied by Barry Graham.
  2. Rooming with Alan Heathcock, who in addition to being a writer of astonishing courage and inestimable grace, as well as sartorially splendid from the top of his hat to the soles of his Stacey Adamses, is a dude I could talk to for hours and never tire.
  3. Meeting briefly, Jim Greer, xtx, Alissa Nutting, Jacob Knapp, Victor David Giron, Kevin Sampsell.
  4. Meeting and hanging out with Jesus Angel Garcia, BL Pawelek, Gabe Blackwell, Matty Byloos and Rae Bryant.
  5. Hanging out with Ryan Bradley, David McNamara, Amber Sparks and Ben Tanzer (wednesday)
  6. Hanging out with Jensen Beach, Brian Allen Carr, Gabe Durham, Eric Miles Williamson, Joe Haske (Thursday)
  7. Hanging out with the Barrelhouse crew: Joe K, Tom M, and Dave H. (every night)
  8. Reading at Brando’s Speakeasy, where I learned later an obnoxious drunk, who more or less heckled every reader that night, told Dave Housley that I was “pretty good.”
  9. Reading with Phong Nguyen, Debra Brenegan, Amina Gautier, Christine Sneed and William Giraldi at the Book Cellar.
  10. Dinner prior to said reading with William Giraldi, with whom I’ve been having a conversation about literature, life, and, of late, fatherhood, since about 2004.

I was supposed to see a lot more people and didn’t. So sorry, Caleb, Heidi, Matt, Michael and more.

I saw and only spoke briefly to a number of others, to all of whom I said “I’m sure I’ll run into you later”: Rhett, Ann, Brock, Keith, Tim, Cary, Jo, John B and John M. Next year, I promise!

But in all, this was a wonderful time. The weather was more than fine, the company exceptional, the food wonderful and the atmosphere alive.

And what’s more, I get to come home to Carmen and Finn, whose embrace and welcome I can never get enough of.

Boston–2013: Already I need to start thinking about some topics for panel proposals. Until.