Yes, Brian, that is a 100 percent my plan. I don’t do AWP when it’s more than a couple of hours away – the travel is hard on me these days – but Portland is way too close to skip, I think! I went to Seattle AWP a few years back with a broken arm and pneumonia (to be fair, didn’t know it was pneumonia til after) and so yes, I will try to be more measured even though the bookfair all by itself it enough to keep me there three days!
And I think local readings and art shows are a great way to foster a local community, which is good for us in the long term. These big conventions are just once-in-a-while, but our local communities are here for the long haul.