Whew! Let me see if I can answer some of these questions!
Simon, everything you've heard is true. The conference is friendly. People are extremely on-task and concerned with poetry, and congeniality is the rule. You don't need a car unless you want to go to Philly for some reason, but you're best off doing that either a day before or a day after the conference. West Chester proper (downtown pedestrian area) is about a ten-minute walk from campus, and you may want to have a car or catch a ride if you have trouble walking that far. That said, parking can be a problem, particularly for the evening readings. I've gotten from the airport in Philly to WCU via train/bus. Whatever you do, MAKE CERTAIN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT CAB COMPANY AND THAT THE CABBIE KNOWS THE FARE. One year I got ripped off and had to bum $20 from someone to get through the week. Was I ever pissed off not to be able to buy books!
Albert, all three workshops would be poetry workshops. Check the website and try (it's hard!) to choose one you like. No matter what, you can't go wrong. No duds there. While non-master-class classes may include poets with a range of abilities, I've yet to find one that was hamstrung by a relative beginner. It may be that the quality of WCU folks is self-selecting, but I've taken both regular and master classes: all the classes are master classes, as far as that goes.
Yolanda, I second David. This is NOT just another conference. If you have any interest in form, this is the ONLY place where you will be immersed in a community of other poets doing similar work. That said, the open mic readings (anyone can sign up) tend to run both free and formal verse. Give it a try!!! Besides, this year Marisa de los Santos, Rhina, and Rafael Campo will be there, y pues espero que hablamamos mas espanol ahora.
Terese, yes, there are functional windows in the dorms! If you're "cold-natured," as I am, bring a pullover of some sort for the morning (and for the air-conditioned auditorium). They do supply linens and one of those cotton string blankets. You won't have a roommate, so you can lay out all your stuff on the other bed and use both desks. The conference usually uses the dorms closest to Sykes (the student center where most things happen), which are 1-5 minutes' walk from there or from the cafeteria.
As I recall, the coffee is usually up and running before the first workshop/panel, but is frankly uninspired. True coffee junkies are well advised to buy the fancy coffee in the student union when it's available, to get up early enough to go to town for real coffee (two good places in particular--I forget the names, sorry to say), or to brew one's own. Not sure what prohibitions if any are about having a coffee pot in the dorms.
The fun part of being in the dorms is seeing all your esteemed colleagues waddling around with bags under the eyes and curlers in their hair. There's something oddly comforting in seeing other people are as exhausted as you are.
If you attend with a significant other, then your only alternative seems to be a hotel. It's not really a spouse-bringing thing, but if you're both actually taking part in the conference and/or with babe in arms, then you'll probably want the Holiday Inn. Surely there must be a good B&B somewhere that might be affordable...or a second motel on the way...
Robin
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