Chicago

I got back today from the Associated Writers and Writing Programs conference in Chicago. Wow, what a great trip. I left on Wednesday evneing on a 5.30 Amtrak train, got to Chicago at 10:30 (train got delayed halfway, of course), which was actually Michigan time 11:30. I had my dinner (Chicago Deep-dish Pizza, reputedly the favorite pick of the Godfather) at midnight, on my body's time. The hotel, Hilton Palmer House, was lovely. Very antique with lovely artwork on the ceiling lobby and a large red and gold ballroom. I felt as if I were in Europe.

The conference itself was great. I met some old friends, one was a classmate from my undergraduate days (she's now an MFA student in Ohio) and another was an instructor of mine at NELP (the New England Literature Program that took me up and down Mount Washington the summer of 1999). I got some free books, applied for free textbooks that I might use for teaching next year, attended a number of useful and practical information sessions and panels, saw and spoke to some famous writers, one of them being Lee Gutkind, the godfather of creative non-fiction, went dancing (AWP organized music and dance for every night) and decided that writers dancing are quite a sight (I think I did all right. I certainly had fun dancing with my friend and travel companion, Elizabeth).

After the conference, I'm inspired to really teach writing, be it in the US or in Singapore. I attended a panel on teaching writing in the international community. It seems that the US is the main country whose schools encourage creative writing in its education system. European schools avoid it, and it's unheard of in many parts of the world. A French child will leave primary school without ever having written a poem or tried writing creatively. After the conference, I'm also certain that I'll be seeing plenty of rejection letters once my manuscript is ready. It's tough to get a literary agent and publishing houses are just inundated with query letters every week. Agents do come to schools to scout (last year, a Thai-American MFA student got picked up by an agent, whom he picked up from the airport when she came to visit U of M) and writing instructors can refer students to agents, but still...I'm not going to hold my breath. Elizabeth has been in touch with an agent and if things work out for her, she's promised to introduce me. But first, I've got to get my act in order and clean up my manuscript. Better still, I have to complete it. That's what the summer will be for this year. I've also been thinking about a novel, but that will require a lot of research and a number of years, I think.

Outside of the conference, I saw very little of Chicago. We arrived at night and I only stepped out of the hotel in the evenings, and didn't venture very far. So today, being my last day, I took a walk to the public library, which was close by. It's an amazing building, a Beaux Arts one, with large red stone walls and a green roof of amazing design. Later, Elizabeth and I decided to go to the famous Russian Tea Room, which is near the Art Institue of Chicago where I wanted to pick up a present for Andrea, who took me to the dog show last week. The Art Institute is wonderful, I didn't get to go look at the exhibits, but I will, I will! I promised myself I would return and spend a day there! The famous lions (not unlike the ones that guard the New York Public Library) were very nice to look upon and the gift shop was very nice to browse. Edward Hopper, Edward Gorey, Claude Monet, Charles Manet...ooh, I wish I were studying in Chicago! I also passed by the building where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs. Russian Tea Room, art, music - all within walking distance of my hotel, I wished we were staying longer. The Russian Tea Room is the place where museum-goers escape to after a long day among works of art. It serves very authentic Russian fare and even the employees are Russian. Our seating hostess looked very Asian - I believe she's a mix of Russian and Chinese - and spoke with a lovely soft Russian accent. Elizabeth and I had strong Russian tea and borscht soup. We gobbled down our entrees and then had to run, really run back to the hotel to collect our bags, hail a cab and dash for our train, which we boarded two minutes before it left Chicago.

I'd love to go back soon. Chicago is a lovely, vibrant city the way New York is on the East Coast, although Chicago is cleaner and less crowded. What NY does for the East Coast, Chicago does for the Midwest. I wish I could exchange Detroit for Chicago.

Oh, and clever me forgot to bring my digital camera. And my phone doesn't allow me to email my pictures to my account so, aargh...no pictures! I feel very foolish. Next time I'm there, I will have my camera.