I just love spring in Arizona, don’t you–especially that six-week period in March and April when I want to dig a pit, line it with cinder blocks, roof it with steel, and not come out until the battering wind stops.
High-positive-ion wind messes with people’s neurotransmitters, the brain chemicals that affect emotions. More serotonin and less norepinephrine is a formula for irritability and depression in a lot of people. The wind even inhibits thyroid function. That’s why I own an air cleaner with a negative-ion generator.
(Digression: Writing about what you know about is good. Writing about what you want to know and have to research makes you stretch.)
Still, I do love spring in Arizona. Why? Because three of my favorite writing events take place in that season:
- Tucson Festival of Books (March 10-11, 2012) (www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org)
- Cochise Community Creative Writing Celebration (March 30-31, 2012) (www.cochise.edu/Academics/Departments/EnglishReading/CreativeWritingCelebration/tabid/1038/Default.aspx)
- Pima Writers’ Workshop (around the end of May) (www.pima.edu)
(Digression: Okay, you can argue that Pima takes place in the summer. Any season in which you have to turn on your car’s air conditioner at eight in the morning is summer. Humor me anyway.)
Having listed these upcoming delights–and having read a couple of newsletter and blog pieces about writers’ conferences–I want to pass along two doable, down-to-earth logistical tips that have helped me get the most out of my time at these events.
Take food and water. At the very least, it gives you options for getting enough glucose to your brain cells in case the caterer’s truck breaks down, a fuse blows in the hotel restaurant, or the incoming water pipe is breached by a backhoe driver digging to install cable. This is especially important if you need to regulate your blood sugar more frequently than coffee and meal breaks allow, are on a tight budget, and/or have food sensitivities or other considerations.
For instance, the Creative Writing Celebration provides a catered lunch the first day. It’s beautiful, it’s healthy, and there’s rarely anything on the serving table that doesn’t contain meat, wheat, milk, sugar, and/or chocolate. So I brownbag it.
Dress/take clothes for any conditions from Siberian auditoriums to Saharan hotel meeting rooms. Shivering and sweating can distract you from participating fully, keep you from learning what you came to learn, and cause you to miss the serendipity that, frankly, is my biggest motivation for going to conferences.
Air handling systems are idiosyncratic, perverse, and sometimes downright malicious. Their quirks are poorly understood by the people who design and install them, never mind those who have to run them. Dress in layers and carry a jacket. I don’t go as far as packing sandals and mukluks, though it’s crossed my mind.
Ross reminded me to add: wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in. Venues at some events are spread out, especially Tucson Festival of Books. Blisters are not conducive to fun and learning.
You can’t plan for every eventuality, but if chance favors the prepared, a little preparation can increase the likelihood that you’ll have a good time and get all the conference has to offer.
cochisewriters 
Excellent advice, Cappy. Good walking shoes are a good idea, too, particularly at large venues like the Tucson Festival of Books.
Yes – good walking shoes. I’ll add that to my list. Thanks.