We’re busy getting our stage all spiffy for tonight’s reading with poets Peter Streckfus and Rob MacDonald. It’s going to be awesome—they’re two seriously talented blokes—and we’re looking forward to seeing y’all there!

We’re also recovering from our assorted tote-bag-toting escapades at last week’s AWP shindig in Seattle. We stole several (highly caffeinated) pre-conference moments to play literary tourist, visiting a few of the city’s fantastic small bookstores and gawping admiringly at the beautiful (and beautifully functional) public library. And as for the conference itself? We had a blast! We caught up with a ton of bookish pals (pictured above is Dr. Joe, Malvern’s curmudgeon-in-chief, with Smartish Pace founder Stephen Reichert), made some new friends, and stocked up on some very exciting books. Coming soon to a Malvern shelf near you, we have titles from a bunch of wonderful small presses, including (pictured below, from top to bottom) Bloof Books, Coconut Books, The Overlook Press, Forklift, Ohio and Typecast Publishing, and University of Pittsburgh Press.