Miami - Day 1

Welcome to Miami!

As soon as I checked into my hotel, I started walking around the Book Fair. First of all, it’s 80 degrees and humid! Oh my goodness—it’s so fabulous! But I was blown away by the sheer number of book sellers, vendors, and organizations at this weeklong extravaganza. Wow!

Next, I went to the author hospitality suite and passed who I think was Maggie Gyllenhaal. Then I saw Chip Kidd, with whom I did not speak with, and later I saw Edwidge Danticat, with whom I did.

At some point between Chip Kidd and Edwidge Danticat, I had a “what the hell am I doing here with all of these heavy hitters” moment. A mini freak-out, if you will. Me and my little poetry collection ... why am I here? After a few deep breaths and some kind tweets from some friends on Twitter, I started to relax. Still, it is overwhelming to be in the company of big-name writers.

My poetry reading is today at 2:30 p.m., so I’ll either go to South Beach and watch all the eye candy, or stay local and finish my manuscript revisions. More to come.

Enjoy the photos!

Paella!

Carlo Eire, Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, and Edwidge Danticat.

Salman Rusdie