We sat in a circle around the table, a good twenty-five of us. We took turns reading from our work. A few were dramatic, some understated, a good number poignant. I finished reading knowing I aced it.

The afternoon we listened to editors from literary magazines offer up tips. We sat as agents shared dos and don’ts for querying and pitching. We lined up along the hallways as we awaited our turn to fervently market our stories. We high-fived, we commiserated, we chugged along, partners in a journey to unknown turfs.

The evening came along swiftly, bringing a cool breeze with it. We gathered in circles again, our plates laden with pizza and salad, wine and sprite in glass cups. We took goofy pictures and sweet pictures. We held on a little longer, stayed a little later.

Long past sunset, we sat, the three of us at yet another roundtable, this time in the lounge of one of the colleges. Me on my laptop reading, another on the phone editing pictures and the other grading essays for the next day. We sat in companionable silence. We hooted with laughter oversharing inappropriate things.

Tomorrow, a bulk of my class will leave, a few of us will bond a little more over craft talks and writing prompts. My writing may improve or not but I will have people rooting for me from places I have not set foot in yet.