AWP 2026 wrapped up today. It seemed like fun. I put in a lot of work getting books and zines ready, but since I wasn’t able to go out to Baltimore I had to rely entirely on a handful of our writers to run the Malarkey table, and, unsurprisingly, they were phenomenal. First off, this is a big thank you to Joey Hedger, Joshua Trent Brown, Alex Miller, Spencer Fleury, and Justin Bryant. These guys pulled off two great readings (one of them a team-up with the good folks at Cowboy Jamboree) and ran one of the chillest tables in the book fair. I am looking at the spreadsheet they kept and it is a testament to their energy, values, and kindness that it was not only their books that sold. They’ve read so much of each other’s work that they were able to recommend and promote books from the writers who weren’t able to be there. They’re all fantastic writers, but what makes them really special is they’re kind and caring and down to earth. It’s an honor to know these people.

Anyway—I’m leaving AWP pricing up for a while, with everything being either $10, $15, or $20, which means most titles are on sale.

Today I made a few bookmarks. I had the unbround print proof of Vi Khi Nao’s poetry collection, My Ardent Love for the Pencil, and I’m turning the loose pages into bookmarks. I don’t know if anyone will want these; maybe I’ll spend a lot of time making bookmarks and everyone will throw them away, but maybe someone will love theirs. I’m going to send them out with new orders, along with Sick Sad Queer, a poetry zine by Ly Faulk. These are the books I have here at Malarkey HQ:

Hair Shirt, poems by Adrian Sobol

The Barre Incidents, a novel by Lauren Bolger

Bookstore return copies of Kill Radio, Gloria Patri, Still Alive, and Faith.

First Aid for Choking Victims, stories by Matthew Zanoni Müller

Sleep Decades, stories by Israel A. Bonilla

Man in a Cage, (one copy) a novel by Patrick Nevins

Boxcutters, stories by John Chrostek

Your Favorite Poet, poems by Leigh Chadwick

Order some books!

Another thing I’d like to try: I have the unbound print proof of Hair Shirt by Adrian Sobol still. If you order this book I’ll send one of the loose pages with the book, with an invitation to please turn the page into a blackout poem, and if you email a picture of it (or mail back the finished poem) I’ll share it on socials and on our website.

I’m also still sending out free copies of King Ludd’s Rag No. 25, which features stories by Jacob Stovall and T.L. Xue.

If you were at AWP or followed it from afar, you may have heard or seen some hype about a book by Joshua Trent Brown. It’s called The Walls Are Closing In On Us. Pretty sure I have talked about it here once or twice. Trent sold a bunch of copies out there in Baltimore but he is going back to North Carolina with a few copies still in his truck, which means there’s still time for you to grab one of the last signed copies of this stellar debut novel.

Order Trent’s book!

I’ll be honest: AWP in Kansas City a couple years ago was the most fun I’ve had in forever and I’m actually very sad that I missed it this year, but I will be there next year in Chicago. In the meantime, I remain astonished by and grateful for the support this press receives, the love we’re shown, and I want to say thank you to everyone who has bought books, shared stories, talked us up, published with us, liked our posts, anything, everything. We have more great literature to share. There’s a lot of work to do, but it’s all worth it.

—Alan