Written by: Ryan Krishna
Earlier this month, my friends and fellow LRR staff embarked on a six hour drive to Baltimore MD. Together we were to attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference and Bookfair.
Despite the weather forecast in Baltimore predicting a thoroughly rainy stay, the five of us were excited to depart from Storrs at around 11 AM. Although the necessary pit-stops, such as our need for sandwiches, gasoline, and my need for a bag of crispy green grapes delayed our departure until noon, we all eventually left feeling ready for the journey ahead.
I cannot move forward to the conference without mentioning a pit stop in Newark that yielded the most exciting competition in the east coast. I, Ryan Krishna, defended my position as the speediest staff member of the Long River Review by beating our managing editor in a videotaped footrace.
After unpacking at our hotel, eating a wonderful dinner (where I had some incredible Maryland crab), and returning for the night, I promptly fell asleep until the morning. Tomorrow would be the first day of AWP, and it was bound to be incredible.
“I told you guys, 8 AM!” our advisor emphasized when we arrived at the conference at nine. It had already been a wonderful morning — waking up at seven, experiencing the true luxury of a pancake conveyor belt, and lingering over breakfast just long enough for all of us to collectively lose track of time. But sure enough, we realized our mistake when we were shuttled into an hour-long line to get our conference badges.
The first day of the conference did not disappoint. I stood in awe of the hundreds of presses, literary magazines, and university writing and MFA programs; as more tables finished setting up, the flow of attendees already circulating the AWP conference floor became larger and larger.
AWP felt like a maze at first, but splitting our time between tabling for Long River Review and exploring the conference helped us gradually get our bearings. The first floor of the convention center held the book fair, while the upper floors were packed with panels featuring writers, editors, and educators. We each attended different sessions based on our interests; I was especially drawn to a panel on editing translations, while my colleagues explored diverse topics from fairy tales and queasy literature to marketing literary works and building a strong social media presence.
At the table, we distributed brochures, collected emails for our newsletter and giveaway, sold issues, and showcased our magazine to everyone who stopped by. Notably, we networked with Camille Dungy, author of Trophic Cascade, who expressed her appreciation for our magazine and its history.
One particular memory from the first day stands out: our Poetry editor donned an inflatable heron costume and drew well-deserved attention from every nearby table and passerby.
The second day of the conference centered around two standout events after the usual rounds of panels and tabling. The first was when our advisor read at an off-site event, Eastern European Voices for Resistance and Reinvention, that highlighted writers from Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet countries who now reside in the United States. This was a wonderful event, and if you are interested in making a donation — check out https://www.ukrainetrustchain.org/donate. The second was afterward, when The Helix (Central Connecticut State University’s literary magazine) and Long River Review Literary Magazine staff went to karaoke together and closed out the night with several spirited rounds of mafia.
By Saturday, AWP was winding down and after trading issues and Instagram follows with nearly every organization at the conference, the five of us sat down for a proper meal at Miss Shirley’s Cafe. “Maryland’s Favorite Restaurant” did not disappoint, and we all departed feeling very very satisfied.
AWP was a huge success, not just because it gave Long River Review national visibility and new connections, but because it made us think more carefully about how we represent the magazine, speak about its history, and present ourselves as an editorial team. Being surrounded by so many other journals and presses pushed us to consider what makes Long River Review distinct, from the way we describe the magazine to the way we imagine its place within a larger national literary community.
Featured Image Caption: Long River Review staff at AWP, just before heading home.
