We have an early flight out tomorrow and dinner plans tonight with old friends so I’m not sure when I’m going to get a chance to blog AWP 2010 again.  Let me leave you with some images and my own top 10 list.

1. The Book Fair.  Enormous this year, hearteningly and intimidatingly so–I didn’t pick up much swag though, because my head was just swimming.  A picture follows below–multiply it by 10 and you get an idea of just how big it was. Reading is not dead.  So there.

2. The Denver Convention Center.  One of the best convention centers I’ve gotten to tool around in.  Capacious, comfortable, good signage.  But how could a conference in the West be anything else?

3. Our panel, the Joy of Assessment.  I tried to make my small contribution but I learned a ton from my other panel-mates, Judith Baumel, Mary Cantrell, Kendall Dunkelberg, Aileen Murphy, myself and Anna Leahy (who I later learned from someone  else just got married and tenure–way to hold out on us Anna ;)).  Thanks to Kendall, our fearless leader,  it went off beautifully.  Check back here soon for the Wiki address for moew resources he’s made available on the panel.

4.  Kids and Babies everywhere, even one little pea in a pod who could not have been more than a few weeks old.  His  mother strutted around with him in a sling like she’d done it all her life–kudos to her!  All in all a very kid-friendly conference.

5. Awesome 0atmeal and pumpkin muffins from the Corner Bakery.

6. Running into so many cross sections of my life in one place.

7. This year’s incredibly handy conference bag, with pockets galore, including space for business cards and water bottles.  A definite keeper.

8. Rich sessions full of great ideas.  Fewer “clunkers” than ever before.  I’m going to need days just to process all this.

9. The blue bear in peering into the convention center.

10. Sharing a few city blocks with thousands and thousands of fellow Wordamours!  The Word is alive! Long live the Word!

L-R Anna Leahy, Kendall Dunkelberg, Mary Cantrell and Aileen Murphy preparing to proclaim the Joy of Assessment.

Bye y’all,

SV