Finally, something happened

I've returned from the National Undergraduate Literature Conference (the "Nulk' as we call it) with something along those same lines of irreality, exhaustion, revelation and self-affirmation that once accompanied most weekends.

On Thursday morning I met with 12 people that I had never met and crammed myself into a van to make the five hour journey to the armpit of SLC and hang-out for three days. The gentlemen I sat next to drew The Portable Nietzche from his bag and made an offhand comment about the need to drink a great deal this weekend. I was armed with a fifth of Whiskey, he with a 12 pack of PBR. The group of strangers (and most of them proved to not know each other as well) ended up working very well together. For a few days at least sharing the same sense of witty cynicism, desire for strong drink and the willingness to both make sacrifices for academics and criticize the weak in our field. My room-mate and another kid from the group hung out in our suite drinking until the wee hours. Agreeing on 90% of everything, carefully listening on the remaining 10%.

The following evening we all went out to eat and drank 3.2% beer. Made jokes at each other,increasingly as though we had known each other a long time. My introversion peeled off as I began to really understand these others. The entire situation affirming that I am now studying what I should . Interacting with people that represent the only people I've met that have a # of books read-to-age ratio as myself. Occasionally railing on the stupidity of modern politics and religion together.



My readings went well. The poetry reading accompanied by a fair amount of conversation and questions. Me briefly defending hip-hop. My fiction reading, in my opinion and that of a few others in attendance, was the best of my session (so, as compared to 4 other stories) and came as a refreshing surprise. I felt much more natural than I have ever reading in front of a group. With the support of new friends.


I'm proud of Boise State as well. We were the second best-represented school at the conference. Likewise, in each session with a BSU student I found we (if not making the single best presentation) were often irreverent, thought-provoking and bracingly honest. We attended without professors and began to develop a reputation by the time we left. Students from other schools gathered around to see us off.

The entire thing was incredibly satisfying. I got to present work, and listen to the work of contemporaries. I feel much more established within the English department at BSU, and I have made friends that I will be hanging out with from time to time. A seminal moment in the Boise experience up until now.