So this past Saturday I was able to go the VSW Pub Fair in Rochester and, as it tends to happen at events like this, my affection and need for literary communities was reinvigorated (even despite the pointed lack of poutine). First of all, for once I crossed over to The Other Side, behind the foldable tables, pushing journals on unsuspecting literature art lovers. Many people were genuinely curious about our journal (BTW, y’all should stop reading and submit to it right now) and it was awesome explaining what Gandy is all about to someone other than my mom (who still doesn’t quite “get it”).
We shared our table with a small press owner who I have interacted with on social media a few times, and it was amazing and thrilling to meet him in person. Poetry connects poets in ways that are weird and sort of awkward, but totally awesome. And literary relationship are killer: we were able to jump right into talking about poetics, about the books, about working for small presses, about life as a poet, about literary things. In many other contexts, we wouldn’t be rando facebook and twitter buds, nor would he have been so forthcoming with information or discussion.
Another point in the day when I was like “FUCK YEAH LITERARY CITIZENSHIP” was when I stopped at the sunnyoutside’s table. I started chatting with the guy who runs this press out of his Buffalo home, and almost immediately he said something along the lines of “Oh, I know I’ve seen you before”–and he had. I had bought a really cool collection from him at the Buffalo Small Press Fair months ago–and if any of you have ever been to that event, it is anything but small. It made me feel a sort of camaraderie, even in a very cursory sense. And then this encounter was heightened, in an albeit slightly misguided and adorable way, when he pointed to my VIDA shirt and asked me if I worked for them. I do, and so he proceeded to defend his numbers, saying how he tries so hard to be aware about who he published and showing me all of his female authors. Vocalizing that he was sincerely trying to close the gender gap in publishing was awesome–and it was like he didn’t want anything to even slightly make me feel unwelcome at his table.
Now I can’t wait for the Buffalo fair this spring–and planning an AWP trip! Yay poetry!