As I drive in my car, north on I-29 from Kansas City to Omaha Nebraska, my home, I’m thinking about how I still have not yet wrapped my head around the fact that it is 2024. Yet, here we are, already it’s February, and already AWP 2024 is in the rearview. 

It was my second time at the conference. The first was Seattle last year. As it is with many projects and pursuits, I overcommitted myself and felt overwhelmed at times. But this time around I did a better job of finding the right balance between events, activities, engaging with people, personal endeavors, and professional commitments. The last one on that list is an obligation because I’m part of a team that operates a literary journal, The Good Life Review. We’re entering our 5th year in the publishing biz and traveled to AWP to get our name out there. 

Setting the conference aside, working on the journal in and of itself consumes a lot of time and requires a fair amount of effort. I think it is true to say that starting any new thing and doing it well, takes considerable effort. I don’t know if people know just how much work is actually involved with running a lit mag. It’s a lot. I also don’t know if people know how minuscule and fleeting the feedback loop is. It’s so small, sometimes you just don’t know if you are doing well or not. People are quick to tell you when you’ve done something wrong or point out a mistake that was made. On the flip side, it’s quite rare for people to point out the opposite – something that’s going right or something you did well or something that positively impacted them. This kind of lopsided feedback loop does not lend itself to cultivating a good culture and establishing better relationships. As human beings, we need connections, especially now, as we navigate a world that is continuously falling apart.

But this isn’t what I need to say, isn’t what I want to say. 

I’m driving in my car from Kansas City to Omaha and have to make a quick stop in Saint Joe, Missouri. I’m alone. There’s a throng of Kansas City Chiefs fans, bustling through the isles of the Hy-Vee grocery store where I stop to get some lunch. Hundreds of people in their red and yellow Chiefs gear picking up food and drinks for parties being thrown in honor of “the big game.” They are preparing for an annual event that, for better or worse, brings people together in celebration – a tradition that helps people stay connected. 

People. Connection.

I eat my lunch in the car and also check my email. There’s a new message in my inbox from a stranger, Dee, who was compelled to write because of a poem she had read. The poem was “This is How the Body Knows” by Soon Jones which was published about a year ago and re-released in our “Best Of” anthology. She must’ve read the poem at the book fair. We had the anthology on our table, open to that page. And what are the chances? She wanted me to know it moved her. So much so, that she also reached out to the author to let them know too. 

People. Connection.

I finish my lunch and get back on the road, I-29 North to Omaha. Suddenly I am thinking about that email and suddenly I’m overcome with emotion and suddenly I’m crying in my car on the interstate. And not just a few tears. No. I’m full-on sobbing. She concluded the email by thanking me, for “all the effort, energy, and passion so obvious that you have given in this issue.” It’s a strong reminder that what I’ve created, what we’ve created, is so special, and worth the time that it takes. And we’re just one of 4000 literary journals and publishers (many with a similar mission and vision) trying to help people express themselves, share their art, and make connections. 

People. Connection.

I’m crying in my car and now I’m dictating a voice memo to myself so that I don’t forget this rare and tender moment. I want to hold onto this feeling that I’ve done something good in the world. I helped two people who share common experiences, connect. Thank you, Dee, for reaching out to me. It means more than you know.

People. Connection.

I do wonder sometimes if it’s all worth it, but then I get an email like this and think what other choice do I have? I just thought you should know. 

Peace and Love,
~Miss SugarCookie