A Post Because Poet Sean Thomas Dougherty Said He Wanted a Red Sox Hat
travelingmarla
Author, Editor, and Teacher Phillip Lopate preparing to bat in the Red Sox hat at the WITS booth before a signing.
I was tootling around on Facebook, stalking the pages of writers I admire, when I saw a post from poet Sean Thomas Dougherty that he would not be at AWP, and he joked about people picking him up some Boston swag, including a Red Sox hat.
I like Sean, because he’s an incredible poet, and because we share a love of playing pool, and, if I’m being completely honest, because he seems (a bit) irascible. Since I am often incapacitated by nearly pathological friendliness and compliance, I enjoy having a few friends who aren’t afraid to be opinionated, stubborn and funny in some of the most wonderfully in-your-face ways. (I will be telling you more about Sean on one of my upcoming Writer Wednesdays.)
When I read his post, I remembered seeing Boston Red Sox hats in the gift shop I passed between the hotel and the conference center. I didn’t know whether the red or blue hat represented the team better, so I picked up one of each, and realized Sean had just given me an opportunity for both a blog post and a more comfortable way to talk to strangers at AWP.
The mission: buy poet Sean Thomas Dougherty a Red Sox hat, with the caveat that it would go on a tour of AWP people first. 😉
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem talking to strangers. In fact, I find talking to strangers more comfortable than talking to people I know. But what the hats gave me was a topic, and a mission. I was happily surprised to find so many people who thought it was a fun and interesting idea. A few waved me off like I was about to accost them with religious pamphlets. Overall, it was a great experience, and each “hatting” usually led to meeting some wonderful people and great conversations about the conference and their own work. So my special thanks to all the good sports at AWP this year!
Sean Thomas Dougherty reading at Wood-Fired Words in Braddock, PA.
So now that it’s all over, what happens to the hats?
Hat 1 – Sean gets to choose whether he wants the red or blue hat.
Hat 2 – WIN IT!: The remaining hat will be given to one of you lucky readers who comments below. Your comment can be anything, but you get double entry if you include a quote or favorite work or a specific piece you want to read by one of the writers shown in the photos.
Below is the full slideshow of the journey of the Boston Red Sox hats.
The mission: buy poet Sean Thomas Dougherty a Red Sox hat, with the caveat that it would go on a tour of AWP people first. ;-)
Fiction writers Amanda Hart and Carmen Bryant.
Sarah Leavens, Poet, Writer in Residence at Unsmoke Art Space in Braddock, Pa and nonfiction writer Leslie Conder, of Cambridge College in Massachussetts.
Caroline Tanski, nonfiction writer and Managing Editor at Autumn House Press.
Mike Simms of Autumn House Press
Poet Chelsea Rathburn
Dr. Heather McNaugher, poet and professor at Chatham University, and Dakota Garilli, writer and Managing Editor at Fourth River Literary Journal.
Dinty W. Moore, humoring me by wearing a Red Sox hat (under great duress and protest).
Tina Angelo at Writers in the Schools booth before the Phillip Lopate signing.
Fiction writer and Chatham MFA candidate Heather Miller Price!
Writer and MFA candidate Valerie Lute poses in the Sox hat.
Poet and teacher Mary-Kaylor Hanger.
Sarah Dohrmann of Teachers and Writers Collaborative.
Author Phillip Lopate preparing to bat in the Red Sox hat.
Lopate signing books in the hat.
Author Jo McDougall and Publisher Michael Simms at her book signing at the Autumn House Press booth.
Ellen Darion, Senior Editor at Bedford St. Martin's, and writer Sam Morgan.
Michael Walsh and Joshua Robbins sporting the hats and their books at the University of Arkansas Press booth.
Poet Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers at the University of Arkansas Press booth.
University of Arkansas Press' Larry Malley was underwhelmed with the Red Sox hat.
Poet William Trowbridge at the Red Hen Press booth.
Rodney Wittwer, Poet, at the Red Hen Press booth.
Writer and Editor Billy Goldstein's opinion of the Red Sox hat.
Author Steven Schwartz
Author, Editor and MFA Director of Chatham University, Sheryl St. Germain, and fiction writer and MFA candidate Ian Riggins, sporting the Sox hats at the Fourth River / Chatham booth.
Editor of Quiddity Journal and Professor at Benedictine University David Logan.
Writers and Editor Interns at Creative Nonfiction, Alicia Barnes and Stephen Knezovich.
Teachers and Authors Lo Williams and Dr. Heather McNaugher of Chatham University.
"A genuine Boston boy, born and raised" he told me, in a warm, heavy accent. "Born in Boston Hospital, and lived here all my life."
Not a writer, but needed to get at least one Boston blue blood in the mix!
Creative nonfiction writer Marla Anzalone.
Poets Erin Coughlin Hollowell and Lynnell Edwards.
Poet Kelly Barth at the Red Hen Press booth.
Author and Educator Nancy Genevieve at her signing at the Quiddity booth.
Best wearer of the Sox hat: Future writer Charlie Williams, son of fiction writer Fred Williams, with friend Dan Barrow's book.
Poets Dan Vera and Brynn Saito.
Poets Eva Saulitis and Dan Vera at the Red Hen Press Booth.
Writers Anne and Tyler of Image Journals in one of my favorite hat pose pix.
BH James, Poet, at his Red Hen Press book signing.
Poet and Fiction Writer David Maine.
Conference attendee Dan supporting the arts and participating in the traveling Sox hat.
AWP Attendee John first protested wearing the hat until his friend Dan did, after which he proclaimed "I'm a follower, not a leader!" and promptly slapped it on his head, posing for a pic.
Red Hen Press Writers and Staff: Tobi, Skyler, Nicelle and Mark.
Tobi Harper of Red Hen Press posing with both hats. Tobi was immensely helpful and did not once accuse me of being a bibliomaniac (I am, and my ocd loves it, thank you very much).
Poet and Professor Katharine Coles of the University of Utah, during her book signing at Red Hen Press.
Memoirist and Poet Peggy Shumaker, with Traveling Marla.
Reggie of Poets House and his friend Mark pose with the Sox hats outside the convention center at AWP 2013.
YA and Childrens' Author Kekla Magoon.
Lindsay Garbutt of the Poetry Foundation posed with Sean Thomas Dougherty's hat at the end of the conference.
Author Stewart O'Nan was stalked in the elevator and politely agreed to a Red Sox hatting, quickly replacing it with his Pirates hat when finished.
Fiction writers Beth Gilstrap Barnes and Erin Rhodes.
Traveling Marla trying her serious pose in the Red Sox hat.
Wearing the hat shortly after purchase. Great plans for this hat...
Sean Thomas Dougherty reading at Wood-Fired Words in Braddock, PA.
