I did not go to AWP this year. That is the Association of...

I did not go to AWP this year. That is the Association of Writers and Writing Programs' annual conference. It's like a literature trade show. It's the first time I have not gone in many years. I didn't go because my next book will not be out until the fall, and I wasn't on any panels, and I wasn't scheduled to give any readings, and I figured that what I'd do would be hanging out with writers in bars and restaurants, and I thought I could do that with spending the money to fly to Boston and stay in a hotel. And that's pretty much what I did. I hung out with my friends Blake and Molly and I hung out with my family. I would've enjoyed myself at AWP, but there are so many people--so many friends--that you never get the chance to spend quality time with any of them, really. Certainly not those people you don't get to see all that often. You see them for five minutes here and there, maybe have a beer, then you're off to do something else, to see someone else, and most of the time you're doing this with the people who are closest to you already--the writers from your own hometown. Or at least, that's what usually happens to me. I was going to stay with two of my writer buddies from Atlanta. I figured I could just hang with those guys here in town, instead of flying somewhere to do the same thing. And it snowed a lot in Boston (where the conference was this year), and I got to avoid that. I don't have any problems with AWP at all. It's fun. A lot of fun. It can be inspiring, intimidating, awesome, blinding. But it's best, I think, when you've got a good reason to be there. I didn't have a reason this year. All my friends have been talking about the conference on Facebook, and I kind of feel like I'm missing out. But then I don't feel like I'm missing out. I got a lot of writing done last week, and I wouldn't have done a damn thing had I gone to AWP. Feels like there are always a lot of naysayers about the conference, and I'm not gonna be one of those. But I will say that it was nice not going this year. I don't even know why I'm writing about this. Who cares? I saw a motorcycle accident today. It looked like the rider was okay. His helmet sat on the sidewalk and he did not appear to have any visible injuries. At least I think that was him talking to the cops on the side of the road. There was an ambulance there, so I suppose the rider could've been inside the ambulance. Why does one not call a motorcycle rider a "driver"? Does one not drive a motorcycle? Why does one ride a motorcycle instead? The answer to that question is the same as the answer to any question concerning my absence from AWP.