It has been a great institute so far. I snagged a parking spot right behind the hotel and haven't been that lucky in three years. I thought that would be the highlight ntil Friday when a poem I submitted placed third in the institute contest. That was great. The opening agents' forum addressed the roll that "platform" plays in branding your name. There was a good discussion of the rise and fall of certain genre, but the agents reassured the audience that good writing, in the hands of a good…

Here, April is a month-long tease leading up to spring. Backyards and ball diamonds are barely functional and most city streets still wear the sand and salt scars of the annual war with winter. The daylight stays longer, grows stronger, but athletes and intellectuals, alike, struggle to reclaim their edge.…