Back from Chicago, Back to Work

So we're back, and like everyone else in the literary journal world, we're tired. It was great meeting so many contributors, former editors, IU alums, and supporters of Indiana Review at the book fair. My only regret was that a dense layer of fog cloaked the city as we approached on Wednesday morning, so we didn't get the wonderful sight of the Chicago skyline rising in the distance to meet us. Also, I regret that I forgot to bring Sufjan Stevens's Come on Feel the Illinoise, so I could blast "Chicago" as I drove down the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Some of my highlights:

-The panel "Six Ways of Looking at Wallace Stevens," featuring IU professor Maurice Manning's in-depth look at some of Stevens's journals, and Terrance Hayes's amazing triangular diagram of his relationship to reading Stevens.

-The IU tribute to Scott Russell Sanders. Scott's been a mentor to all of us here at Indiana Review, and though we're terribly sad that he's retiring, we all feel honored to have had the opportunity to work with him.

-The Milkweed poets reading, featuring IR 30.2 contributor Wayne Miller reading from his forthcoming collection, The Book of Props.

-Eating a giant pastrami sandwich at the Eleven City Diner.

-Helping Chad, Andy, Nina, and Jenny sell copies of IR like they were going out of style. (Which they're not. They're totally still in style.)

-Meeting the wonderful editors of Sycamore Review, Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art, Hotel Amerika, The Southern Review, The Normal School, Black Warrior Review, Mid-American Review, Pleiades, and many other top-notch journals.

I imagine the other editors will have their own favorite moments to add over the week. So stay tuned. And don't worry--we'll have pictures up soon.

--Ryan