March 17, 2026

Baltimore Review New: What can I say about AWP? It took me a couple of days to recover from hauling books and table games and freebies and random things up and down the garage and ramps and several streets (I should have biceps of steel)—but the whole experience was great. Such a pleasure to meet past contributors, from the 1990s to recent issues. My table mate, Marcie Roman, and I enjoyed talking with Matt Poindexter and Veronica Kornberg as they signed books and chatted with friends at the table. Good to see many fellow publishers and the folks at Chill Subs and Poets & Writers and other literary organizations. And I’m thankful for BR staff members for helping out at the table and especially Julia Tagliere and Claire Zhang for their work collaborating with other journals to host off-site events. Great readings, great parties. The wrap-up event at 2640 Space organized by Dora Malech (Hopkins Review)—amazing. Barbecue. Readings. Silent auctions. Looked liked a couple hundred people, at least. Incredible energy.

The weekend after that, I gave a talk at the Eastern Shore Writers Association’s Bay to Ocean Writers Conference. An excellent experience in every way. Kudos to the conference organizers on a job well done. A few copies of Baltimore Review 2025 sold there, too.

And now on to the serious business of getting the spring issue together—

On a personal note: Really, conference activities took over my life. But I’m looking forward to workshop meetings with writer friends, providing feedback on their work and (hopefully) having something of my own for their review.