Dear AWP Community,

This year’s Annual Conference and Bookfair was like no other. All of us returned to a very different and rapidly changing world. For those wondering if anyone who attended the conference tested positive for COVID-19, the 14-day period following #AWP20 has passed, and we have not been made aware of any positive cases. Although it is impossible to trace the source of community transmission, it is important that anyone who has tested positive or believes they may have contracted the virus at #AWP20, informs us. AWP will follow the proper CDC protocols.  

We care deeply about our members, and we recognize what a difficult and anxious time this is.  As an association that serves writers and writing programs, we want to be there for you. The AWP staff entered the new virtual space that so many are inhabiting when our physical office space was closed due to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s mandate. We will continue to enthusiastically provide services to our community.

All the AWP staff who worked the recent San Antonio conference remarked on the great spirit of kindness, cooperation, and imagination they saw among participants.  Poets and small presses, novelists and reviewers, teachers and students, all spoke, exchanged work, and provided each other with help and access to new resources. We hope this spirit of kindness is one that we can carry with us as we navigate the challenges of the current situation.

Thank you—and please do not hesitate to reach out to me at cynthia@awpwriter.org—if you have any thoughts or questions.

Stay safe and be well!

Cynthia Sherman