On March 6, Cheat
River Review editors Dan Al-Daqa, Bryce Berkowitz, Jake Maynard, Lauren
Milici, Heather Myers, as well as faculty members Mary Ann Samyn and Glenn
Taylor, traveled to Tampa for the annual AWP Conference. They shipped Cheat River Review materials, including
brand new broadsheets featuring the cover art for the fall 2017 and spring 2018
issues.
On the first night, Lauren, Heather, Bryce, and Jake attended Tupelo Quarterly’s off-site reading at Jet City Espresso where MFA Director, Mary Ann Samyn, gave a wonderful reading.
At the book fair table, editors met prospective and newly accepted MFA candidates. And although the weather wasn’t as warm most hoped, editors and faculty dodged a snowstorm in back home. So in comparison, Tampa was quite good to them. Plus, the city had a pirate water taxi!
While Dan attended a much anticipated craft beer event on the west side of town, Lauren, Heather, Bryce, Jake, and Mary Ann enjoyed dinner at Historic Ybor City’s Columbia restaurant. Of course, after dinner there was the Big 12 Tournament. Sadly, WVU lost the championship game. But the Uber drivers were the stars of the evening. One kept candy in his doors and educated the group on Gasparilla, an annual pirate festival in Tampa. Another was a former Ohio State football center, who explained the inner workings of Florida’s senior citizen softball leagues in which Jose Canseco is a player.
Other highlights from the trip include: Jake searched the Riverwalk for an alligator, Bryce spotted a dolphin in the river, and Mary Ann had kiddie-cone ice cream. The final day at the pool was quite pleasing too.
Finally, we’d like to congratulate Heather Myers on being selected for the AWP Intro Award! Her poem “Beyond Understanding” will appear in an upcoming issue of Puerto Del Sol!
We look forward to seeing everyone next year at AWP in Portland.