Alaska Authors and Themes

Three amazing authors offer readings and discuss connections between writing, life and heroism. Retired Master Sergeant Roger Spark’s recently released memoir is Warrior’s Creed: A Life Preparing for and Facing the Impossible. Awarded the Silver Star for valor in Afghanistan’s Watapur Valley, he has served for more than 25 years within the military as both a Recon Marine and an Air Force Pararescueman. In addition to being a renowned tattoo artist, today, Roger Sparks is working with a group of marine scientists and combat veterans to save green turtles threatened by fibro papillomatosis, a disease that can cause tumors. His home is Eagle River, AK. Marc Cameron is the bestselling author of Tom Clancy: Path of Office and the thriller Open Carry. He has spent 29 year in law enforcement and served as a uniformed police officer, mounted (horse patrol) officer, SWAT officer, detective and U.S. Marshal where he moved through the ranks to retire as Chief of the District of Alaska. His home is Eagle River, AK. His forthcoming books are Tom Clancy Code of Honor and Active Measures, due in November 2019. Don Rearden is a professor in the English and WTRG departments at UAA. He is author of The Raven’s Gift and is coauthor of Warrior’s Creed: A Life Preparing for and Facing the Impossible and Never Quit: How I Became a Special Ops Pararescue Jumper with Jimmy Settle. Don Rearden grew up on the tundra of Southwestern Alaska. His experiences with the Yup'ik culture shaped both his writing and largely his worldview. He lives in Bear Valley, AK.

Alaska poets Tom Sexton and John Morgan discuss and offer readings from their new books The Moving Out: Collected Early Poems (Salmon Poetry) by John Morgan and Li Bai Rides a Celestial Dolphin Home (University Press of Alaska) by Tom Sexton are the featured collections. · John Morgan studied under Robert Lowell at Harvard and received his M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. In 1976, he moved with his family to Fairbanks, Alaska to direct the creative writing program at the University of Alaska. He is a recipient of several poetry awards including the Academy of American Poets Prize. Three of John Morgan’s prized poetry books are together in The Moving Out: Collected Early Poems. · Influenced by 8th century Chinese poets and written in an eight-line format, Li Bai rides a Celestial Dolphin Home traces Tom and Sharyn Sexton’s journey from Massachusetts to Alaska in the late 1960s. Part 2 of the collection continues with Li Bai waking up in modern-day Denali after a night of heavy drinking and his attempt to find his way home. Tom Sexton is professor emeritus of English at the University of Alaska Anchorage and was Alaska’s Poet laureate from 1994 until 2000. He is the author of numerous collections of poetry including For the Sake of the Light and I Think Again of Those Ancient Chinese Poets.

In Proud Raven, Panting Wolf: Carving Alaska's New Deal Totem Parks, Ketchikan-native Emily Moore examines the origins of totem parks at Saxman, Totem Bight, Wrangell and Prince of Wales Island. Built between 1938 and 1942 as part of a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program, Alaska's totem parks arose out of a controversial set of compromises between New Deal efforts to preserve "American heritage" and Tlingit and Haida efforts to assert their own heritage and claims to the Tongass National Forest. Emily Moore is currently Assistant Professor of Art History at Colorado State University. Proud Raven, Panting Wolf: Carving Alaska's New Deal Totem Parks is published by University of Washington Press.

Six Creative Writers discuss Writing and Literary Genres: Memoir, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Poetry and Fiction. Cinthia Ritchie (2:33-12:21), Dolls Behaving Badly and a forthcoming memoir coming this fall; historical fiction author Stephanie Marie Thornton (12:44-22:01), American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt; poet Chaun Ballard (22:17-38:50), Flight; poet Stephen D. Bolen (39:17-51:00), a novel in progress called Tracing Grace); fantasy author Kellie Doherty (51:12-60:28), Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties; and poet Tara Ballard (60:42-74:51), House of the Night Watch) together for readings and a multi genre craft talk. Discussion and Q & A follow the readings (1:15-1:37).

Marc Cameron is the New York Times bestselling author of Tom Clancy Oath of Office, and Tom Clancy Power and Empire, the Arliss Cutter Mysteries, and the Jericho Quinn Thriller Series. His forthcoming book, Tom Clancy Code of Honor, is due out in November. A retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal, Marc Cameron, who is originally from Texas, spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement filling assignments from Alaska to Manhattan, from Canada to Mexico. During his career, he served as a uniformed police officer, mounted (horse patrol) officer, SWAT officer, and detective. In early 1991, he accepted a position with the U.S. Marshals Service where he moved through the ranks to retire as Chief of the District of Alaska. Marc Cameron holds a second-degree black belt in Jujitsu and is a certified scuba diver and man-tracking instructor. An avid sailor and adventure motorcyclist, his books often feature boats and bikes including OSI Agent Jericho Quinn’s beloved BMW GS Adventure. Today, Marc Cameron’s home is Eagle River, AK where he lives with his wife and BMW GS motorcycle. Introducing Marc Cameron is UAA professor Don Rearden, author of Raven's Gift.

Essayist Monica Devine and poet Mar Ka discuss their recently published books which explore their personal journeys through Alaska in memoir and poetry. And Sally's Kitchen Singers perform (53:20-58:40). Monica Devine's new book Water Mask is a collection of essays that chronicles her interactions with Alaska's land and its people. Her work is an “adventurous memoir that reflects on family, place, memory, work, perception and culture in a land that both beguiles and rejects.” Monica worked as a speech/language therapist for many years, traveling to dozens of villages across Alaska. She has authored five children's books, including Iditarod: The Greatest Win Ever, which was a nominee for the celebrated Golden Kite Award. Her other awards include first place in the Alaska State Poetry Contest, a Pushcart nominee for her story Mission of Motherhood, and a first place award in creative nonfiction from New Letters journal for her story, On The Edge of Ice, about accompanying whalers on a spring hunt. Mar Ka's new poetry collection, Be-hooved, is a layered spiritual memoir structured along the seasons and framed by the migration of the Porcupine caribou herd. "Entrancing, profound, and startling, this book is a testament to hope before change, persistence before confusion, and empathy before difference.” Poet Mar Ka, a.k.a Mary Kancewick, traveled throughout Alaska during her years as an indigenous rights attorney. Her poetry has been published in national and international journals and on occasion has been set to music. The recipient of an NEH grant and the Midnight Sun Poetry Prize, she has long served as a poetry judge for the UAA/ADN Statewide Creative Writing Contest. She presently teaches poetry workshops at the Eagle River Nature Center. Water Mask and Be-Hooved are published by University of Alaska Press.

Alaskan authors Brooke Hartman, Tricia Brown and Matthew Lasley offer readings and discuss the art of writing Alaska children’s books, working with illustrators and the steps involved in publishing picture books. Graphic Arts Books/Alaska Northwest Press published books featured. Tricia Brown discusses Charlie and the Blanket Toss; Children of the First People: Fresh Voices of Alaska Native Kids. Matthew Lasley discusses Pedro's Pan, A Gold Rush Story. Brooke Hartman discusses Dream Flights on Arctic Nights. Brooke Hartman’s writing has garnered national honors from Writer’s Digest, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her debut picture book, Dream Flights on Arctic Nights, illustrated by Evon Zerbetz, follows the adventures of a child as they soars through the arctic night. Along the way, they encounter a plethora of iconic arctic animals from ravens, and eagles to polar bears and narwhals “The rhyming text is characterized by rich, evocative vocabulary and dramatic rhythm, matched by spectacular linocut illustrations with glowing colors and exaggerated perspectives.” Kirkus starred review Tricia Brown has written nearly thirty titles, including ten children's picture books, most on Alaska subjects. In Charlie and the Blanket Toss, young readers learn about Alaska's whaling culture through meeting Charlie, who's working to overcome his fear of being thrown high in the air during the traditional Iñupiat blanket toss. Tricia's first book for children was the critically acclaimed Children of the Midnight Sun. Twenty years later, with the 2019 release of Children of the First People, Tricia once again collaborated with photographer Roy Corral, crisscrossing the state to meet ten young Alaska Natives, and learn about their diverse cultures and traditions. She holds a BA in journalism from UAF and an MFA in creative writing from UAA. Matthew Lasley presents Pedro's Pan, A Gold Rush Story. It is illustrated Jacob Souva. Inspired by the true story of Felix Pedro, a prospector who launched one of the richest gold rushes in Alaska’s history, Pedro’s Pan follows Pedro and Pan as they search for gold and purpose in the wilderness of Alaska. Matthew Lasley grew up in rural Alaskan community of Central. His family mined for gold near Central as well as in the Klondike. Their operations ranged from large scale to a small family operation. While life was not always easy, he was able to live the quintessential Alaskan experience mining for gold, owning a dog team, hunting, trapping, fishing and camping in Alaska's wilderness. Today is a teacher at Lake Otis Elementary School in Anchorage.

Alaskan attorney and mystery author Keenan Powell discusses the development of women characters in mysteries and presents her second Maeve Artemis Malloy mystery, Hemlock Needle. From Miss Marpel to Vera Stanhope, from the unveiled to the convicted, women in mysteries are examined. And, how Keenan Powell’s Maeve Artemis Malloy is a 21-Century investigator and sleuth analyzed. Hemlock Needle: When Yupik chief financial officer and single mother, Esther Fancyboy’s body turns up in a snow berm in Anchorage, her friend Maeve Mallory tries to investigate. Then, right in front of her, a witness is shot dead. In Hemlock Needle, it is a race against time for Maeve Mallory to save Esther’s 7-year-old son, her own career and perhaps even her life. Deadly Solution: Less than a year after drinking sidelined her career as a public defender in Anchorage, Alaska, Maeve Malloy is asked to defend an Aleut Indian accused of beating another homeless man to death. With no witnesses to the crime and a client who claims to have no knowledge of the night of the murder due to a blackout, the case is stacked against them.

Three creative literary artists come together to share their writings and views on Alaska literature. Linda Schandelmeier (3:20-25:04) grew up on a 160-acre family homestead six miles south of Anchorage. In 1967, she moved to Fairbanks to attend the University of Alaska where she continues to reside, today. Her new collection of poems, Coming Out of Nowhere, Alaska Homestead Poems is part memoir and part historical document. Inupiaq educator and teacher Loretta Outwater Cox (25:30-50:00) is author of the Alaska classics: The Winter Walk: A Century-Old Survival Story from the Arctic, and The Storytellers' Club: The Picture-Writing Women of the Arctic. She was born in Nome, AK and raised in various villages around the Seward Peninsula. She holds a master's degree in Educational Administration from UAF and has taught in Western Alaska for twenty-three years. Poet Susanna Mishler (50:24-1:03:48) reads from her collection Termination Dust and discusses her work in progress. Raised and currently living in Anchorage, Susanna Mishler teaches workshops and earns a living as an electrician. During her MFA studies at University of Arizona in Tucson, she served as a poetry editor for the Sonora Review

Alaskan authors Stan Jones (Big Empty), Lori Townsend (Ghost Ship), and George Harbeson Jr. (Shadow Times) discuss their new books, writing, and Alaskan literary genres. Stan Jones, mystery author of Tundra Kill; White Sky, Black Ice; Shaman Pass; Frozen Sun; Village of the Ghost Bears, collaborated with Patricia Watts on the sixth Nathan Active series called The Big Empty. In the story, Nathan Active investigates a suspicious plane crash in Chukchi. Lori Townsend’s novel Ghost Ship welcomes back Anchorage-based reporter Zilla Gillette who is investigating an unusual disappearance of a group of nine teenagers from the Bering Strait community of Nome. Lori Townsend is the News Director for the Alaska Public Radio Network. Her first book, American Home Wrecker, introduced the tough and insightful Zilla Gillette. George Harbeson Jr’s short story collection Shadow Times, Alaska Stories of another Age was a finalist in the Brighthorse Books’ Prize for Short Fiction, 2017. “These Alaska short stories weave in and out of the shifting shadows and interlacing light cast by colliding cultures, by loss and loneliness, by redemption and hope, by dreams and nostalgic reminiscences…all rooted in the Alaskan natural landscape.” George Harbeson Jr is also author of Homesteaders in the Headlights, a memoir that traces his family’s move and homestead in Knik, AK starting in 1954. A lively discussion follow the readings.

The Tanana Chiefs: Native Rights and Western Law chronicles the efforts by Alaska Native people to gain recognition for rights under Western law and the struggles to negotiate government-to-government relationships with the federal government. It contains the first full transcript of the historic meeting held in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1915 as well as essays that connect that first gathering with efforts of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, to meet and fight for Alaska Native rights that continue to this day. Note, the Q & A period begins at 30:05 and includes important comments from Prof. Steven Langdon(38:42, 42:48, 52:19). Alaska Native land rights and claims,forced assimilation, and citizenship are discussed. William Schneider is Professor Emeritus Alaska and Polar Regions Rasmuson Library at UAF. Since 1972, he has worked with Alaska Native elders to preserve traditional oral stories and history through Project Jukebox, Digital Branch of the UAF Oral History Program. This event is held in celebration of Alaska Native American Indian Heritage Month.

Alaska authors Dana Stabenow (Less Than A Treason), Leland Hale (What Happened in Craig? Alaska’s Worse Unsolved Murder), Tom Brennan (Dead Man’s Dancer, The Mechele Linehan Story), Keenan Powell (Deadly Solutions) are joined by author and journalist Lael Morgan, a licensed private detective and former police reporter. Fiction and nonfiction writers get ready for crime talk, craft and discovery.

Daniel Lee Henry discusses his book Across the Shaman’s River, John Muir, the Tlingit Stronghold and the Opening of the North. (Note, the presentation that accompanies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) Across the Shaman’s River examines what happened when a great Tlingit community, one closed off from intruders for over a century, encountered naturalist and explorer John Muir. By researching John Muir’s journal entries, historic writings of explorers, and interviewing Tlingit elders and tribal descendants, author Daniel Lee Henry reveals how the early principles of land conservation and Christianity had profound consequences for the Tlingit people and led to a policy that would ultimately dispossess Tlingit peoples, and other Alaska Native peoples, from their ancestral lands. Daniel Henry is an instructor at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, and the founder of the Alaska Native Oratory Society. An educator, writer, and broadcaster he became acquainted with local Tlingit culture when he moved to Haines, Alaska in 1983.

Daniel Lee Henry discusses his book, Across the Shaman’s River, John Muir, the Tlingit Stronghold and the Opening of the North (Note the audio podcast that accompanies the presentation is also posted in iTunes.) Daniel Lee Henry discusses his book Across the Shaman’s River, John Muir, the Tlingit Stronghold and the Opening of the North. (Note, the presentation that accompanies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) Across the Shaman’s River examines what happened when a great Tlingit community, one closed off from intruders for over a century, encountered naturalist and explorer John Muir. By researching John Muir’s journal entries, historic writings of explorers, and interviewing Tlingit elders and tribal descendants, author Daniel Lee Henry reveals how the early principles of land conservation and Christianity had profound consequences for the Tlingit people and led to a policy that would ultimately dispossess Tlingit peoples, and other Alaska Native peoples, from their ancestral lands.

Poet Tom Sexton presents part two of his talk concerning a brief history of Alaska poetry from 1867 until 1966. (Part one was recorded at the UAA Campus Bookstore on October 24, 2017 and is posted in iTunes.) Poet Tom Sexton is professor emeritus of English at the University of Alaska Anchorage and was Alaska's Poet laureate from 1994 until 2000. He is the author of several collections of poetry including For the Sake of the Light and I Think Again of Those Ancient Chinese Poets, both from the University of Alaska Press. Note, in 1982 Tom Sexton compiled the collection Early Alaskan Writing 1867-1925, A Miscellany which is referred to here.

Mystery author Keenan Powell presents her new book, Deadly Solution. Joining her is Stan Jones, author of the Nathan Active mystery series. Together they discuss character make up and their next mystery books. In Deadly Solution, Maeve Malloy, a public defender in Anchorage, defends an Alaska Native man accused of beating another homeless man to death. With no witnesses to the crime and a client who claims to have no knowledge of the night of the murder, the case seems stacked against her. However… Keenan Powell is a practicing attorney on Anchorage. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Broadcast Communication Arts from San Francisco State University and a Juris Doctorate from McGeorge School of Law. Stan Jones is author of Tundra Kill; White Sky, Black Ice; Shaman Pass; Frozen Sun; Village of the Ghost Bears. His forthcoming book is co written with Patricia Watt and is called The Big Empty.

At this event, Ray Hudson reads selections from his novel, Ivory and Paper: Adventures In and Out of Time, published by University of Alaska Press. In addition, he discusses how he blended facts with fiction as he wrote this book set in the Aleutian Islands. (Note, the presentation that accompanies the event audio podcast is also posted in iTunes. Photos shown are from the Alaska Volcano Observatory.) Ray Hudson lived in Unalaska from 1964-1992 where he taught various subjects in the public school and coordinated the Indian Education Program. In 2017, the Alaska Historical Society presented him the Evangeline Atwood Award for Excellence for significant long-term contributions to the history of the Aleutians. Joining Ray Hudson is Rachel Mason, Senior Cultural Anthropologist at the National Park Service, Alaska Region and editor of Nick Golodoff’s memoir, Attu Boy. Together, Ray Hudson and Rachel Mason wrote The Lost Villages of the Eastern Aleutians that documented the history of three Unangax^ villages left behind in the evacuations and dislocations of World War II (NPS, 2014) This unique literary event opens up a world of oral history, creative writing, environmental and anthropological study.

This presentation accompanies the audio podcast for Ray Hudson presents Fact and Fable in a Novel about the Aleutian Islands. At the event, Ray Hudson discusses how he blended facts with fiction as he wrote this book set in the Aleutian Islands. Photos shown are from the Alaska Volcano Observatory. (Note, the audio podcast of the event is also posted in iTunes.) Ray Hudson lived in Unalaska from 1964-1992 where he taught various subjects in the public school and coordinated the Indian Education Program. In 2017, the Alaska Historical Society presented him the Evangeline Atwood Award for Excellence for significant long-term contributions to the history of the Aleutians. Joining Ray Hudson is Rachel Mason, Senior Cultural Anthropologist at the National Park Service, Alaska Region and editor of Nick Golodoff’s memoir, Attu Boy. Together, Ray Hudson and Rachel Mason wrote The Lost Villages of the Eastern Aleutians that documented the history of three Unangax^ villages left behind in the evacuations and dislocations of World War II (NPS, 2014) This unique literary event opens up a world of oral history, creative writing, environmental and anthropological study.

During the Cold War, the U.S. was concerned that Russia would invade Alaska and American intelligence officers created the Stay Behind Agent Program to counter it. At this event, Don Neal, author of the Ben Hunnicutt series that includes Cross Kill, Warhead, and Washtub Gold, discusses the Nike missile system, the top-secret anti-espionage campaign Operation Washtub, and other Cold War activities in Alaska. Raised in southern Virginia, Don Neal enlisted in the Army after the Chinese entered the Korean War in late 1950. His subsequent 28 years of service included the entire Cold War, taking him to Japan, Germany, Korea and Alaska. He has served in the Infantry, Artillery, Armor and Air Defense branches, his last ten years being with the Nike Hercules Air Defense missile units, which protected Anchorage and Fairbanks. He and his family have resided in Anchorage for 50 years.

George Gee discusses his book, Flutters from Side Street: Dry Erase Drawings, Social Discourse and Political Ramblings and shares his thoughts about life. (Note, the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) In 1992, George Gee and his wife Deborah Seaton opened Side Street Espresso, on G St. in downtown Anchorage. Soon the daily white boards for the cafe mirrored the intensity of contemporary American culture with social and political caricatures and commentary. Whereas George would erase each board at the end of the day, starting in 1997, he began to preserve the artwork, which resulted in the book, Flutters from Side Street: Volume One, Dry Erase Drawings, Social and Political Commentary, and Reflections From A Morning Walk To Work. The book is an amazing collection of dry erase drawings that highlight pieces of Anchorage and American history.

George Gee discusses his book, Flutters from Side Street: Dry Erase Drawings, Social Discourse and Political Ramblings and shares his thoughts about life. ( Note, the presentation is also posted in iTunes.) In 1992, George Gee and his wife Deborah Seaton opened Side Street Espresso, on G St. in downtown Anchorage. Soon the daily white boards for the cafe mirrored the intensity of contemporary American culture with social and political caricatures and commentary. Whereas George would erase each board at the end of the day, starting in 1997, he began to preserve the artwork, which resulted in the book, Flutters from Side Street: Volume One, Dry Erase Drawings, Social and Political Commentary, and Reflections From A Morning Walk To Work. The book is an amazing collection of dry erase drawings that highlight pieces of Anchorage and American history.

Martha Amore presents her new collection In the Quiet Season and Other Stories (University of Alaska Press). This book explores the human landscape of Alaska. While the stories take place in modern-day towns, the characters in this collection struggle with ageless issues: broken trust and heartbreak, hope and rebirth. Although the people in Amore’s stories know how to survive Alaska’s cold terrain, these characters stumble when trying to navigate through their own lives and dreams. Joining Martha Amore is local artist Indra Arriaga, who created the beautiful cover art for In the Quiet Season. She is a co-founder of Green Bee Studios and has co-founded the Day of the Dead art exhibit and celebration that is held annually in Anchorage. A selection of her paintings will be on display during the event. Martha Amore is author of Weathered Edge: Three Alaskan Novellas (V P & D House) and coeditor of Building Fires in the Snow: A Collection of Alaska LGBTQ Short Fiction and Poetry (University of Alaska Press). She received a master’s of fine arts in fiction from University of Alaska Anchorage and a BA in social science from University of Michigan. She teaches writing at University of Alaska Anchorage and is currently working on an interdisciplinary PhD in English and psychology through University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Alaskan mystery and suspense authors Stan Jones and Patricia Watts discuss their collaboration on The Big Empty, the forthcoming book in the Nathan Active series based in the fictional Inupiat Eskimo village of Chukchi. Their contrasting writing styles, editing views and life experiences in Alaska are also highlighted. Stan Jones is author of Tundra Kill; White Sky, Black Ice; Shaman Pass; Frozen Sun; Village of the Ghost Bears and--with Sharon Bushell--the nonfiction classic, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster. Patricia Watts is author of the noir novels Watchdogs and The Frayer, both set in Fairbanks.

Author Patricia Watts debuts her new noir suspense novel, The Frayer. Quite intriguing and bizarre, The Frayer’s protagonist is a living building in Fairbanks named Big Blue that is plunged into a duel to the death with the Frayer who seduces Big Blue's tenants and threatens the existence of Big Blue itself. At this event, the challenges creating an inanimate object as the protagonist in a story, how the offbeat character of Fairbanks is woven into The Frayer, and how one’s own experience is mirrored in the story are themes addressed. Patricia Watts has lived in Alaska for more than two decades, raising her children and working as a journalist and a human-rights investigator. She is also the author of Watchdogs, also set in Fairbanks.

Author Jean Anderson reads from her collection, Human Being Songs: Northern Stories published by University of Alaska Press, 2017. In addition, she discusses her writing process and explores the notion of introspection as shadow play for fiction writers, to include worlds of "what if," introspection-as-characterization, and the power of internal imagery in Alaska's relatively young and emerging body of fiction. Works cited include Going Too Far, a novella by Mei Mei Evans, pH, a novel by Nancy Lord, Upon This Rock by David Marusek, A Manuel For Cleaning Women-Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin, and Collected Stories of Ivan Bunin translated from the Russian by Graham Hettlinher. Jean Anderson moved to Fairbanks in 1966 and holds BA and MFA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she taught for nearly ten years. . She is author of In Extremis & Other Alaska Stories and her writings have appeared in Chariton Review, Prairie Schooner, Kalliope, Alaska Quarterly Review, and Cirque. Her literary awards include a PEN Syndicated Fiction Selection, an Individual Artist Award from the Alaska State Council on the Arts and a visiting writer’s residency from The Island Institute in Sitka.

Poet Tom Sexton offers a brief history of Alaska poetry until 1966, focusing on poery in verse. Tom Sexton first came to Alaska in 1959 and has lived in Anchorage with his wife Sharyn since 1970. He is Professor Emeritus of English at UAA and served as Alaska’s Poet Laureate from 1994-2000. He is author of several collections of poetry including A Ladder of Cranes, For the Sake of the Light, I Think Again of Those Chinese Poets, Autumn in the Alaska Range, A Clock With No Hands, and Bridge Street at Dusk. In 1982 he compiled the collection Early Alaskan Writing 1867-1925, A Miscellany. (Part 2 was recorded on August 2, 2018 and is also posted in iTunes.)

Cats and Dogs: Author Joseph Robertia (2:00) discusses his book Life with Forty Dogs and author Cynthia Baldwin (54:33) presents Sarah’s Days: Being a Cat, An Alaskan Childhood Story. Cynthia Baldwin has published three children’s books including Sarah’s Days: Being a Cat, An Alaskan Childhood Story. The series called “Sarah’s Days,” are about a young girl based in Alaska who, in each book, has an adventure and at the end of the day goes home to tell her father about it. The daughter of Nick Baldwin of Kalskag and Patti Baldwin, Cynthia Baldwin was raised in McGrath and has lived in Fairbanks for most of her adult life. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in art and an MBA focusing on capital markets. Recently, she moved to Anchorage where she currently works for Calista Education and Culture, Inc. Joseph Robertia is author of Life with Forty Dogs. He says he wants to give readers a glimpse of what it’s like to truly live a half-feral Alaskan lifestyle, so they can vicariously experience and comprehend the magnitude of responsibility, and all the joy, pain, and myriad other emotions, that come from a life threaded through and through by the fur of forty dogs. Joseph Robertia is a professional writer, photographer and a UAA graduate. His articles and photographs have been published Alaska Magazine, Mushing Magazine, Reptiles Magazine, Salmon Trout Steelheader, and Alaska 50: Celebrating Alaska’s 50th Anniversary of Statehood. He has received multiple Alaska Press Club Awards, and he is a two-time recipient of the American Association of Zookeepers "Excellence in Journalism Award."

Nancy Lord’s new book, pH: A Novel investigates what happens when toxic academic forces collide with scientific inquiry and performance art. Nancy Lord was Alaska writer Laureate from 2008-2010. She is a faculty member of the Low-Residency M.F.A Program in Creative Writing at UAA and teaches at the UAA Kachemak Bay Campus. She is also the author of numerous books including Beluga Days, Fishcamp, and Early Warming. Joining her is Darcy Dugan, Director of Alaska Ocean Acidification Network. (Her presentation is posted in iTunes, too.) She discusses advances in ocean acidification and the collaborative work and goals of the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network. Her work with scientists is to ensure ocean data and information is available for safe marine operations, environmental stewardship, and decision-making. Darcy Dugan, raised in Alaska, received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in the Earth Systems program, and a Masters of Environmental Science at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

This presentation for the event with guest speakers Nancy Lord and Darcy Dugan focuses on ocean acidification. (The audio podcast of the event is posted in iTunes, too.) Nancy Lord’s new book is pH: A Novel. It investigates what happens when toxic academic forces collide with scientific inquiry and performance art. Nancy Lord was Alaska writer Laureate from 2008-2010. She is a faculty member of the Low-Residency M.F.A Program in Creative Writing at UAA and teaches at the UAA Kachemak Bay Campus. She is also the author of numerous books including Beluga Days, Fishcamp, and Early Warming. Joining her is Darcy Dugan, Director of Alaska Ocean Acidification Network. Darcy Dugan discusses advances in ocean acidification and the collaborative work and goals of the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network. Her work with scientists is to ensure ocean data and information is available for safe marine operations, environmental stewardship, and decision-making. Darcy Dugan, raised in Alaska, received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in the Earth Systems program, and a Masters of Environmental Science at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Fantasy Authors M. Cote Warner author of The Stratus Estate and L.S. Goulet author of Sword of Dragonblood read and discuss their books. (Please turn the volume up to hear their conversation.) M. Cote Warner’s The Stratus Estate follows Phillip Stratus who lives in the very distant, utopian future with his large, quirky, adoptive family, all of whom are powerhouse players in the City of Tarkenwore. His friend is Vive Tarkenwore, the conceptual child of Queen Nacthelian and King Hasamelis--very tall supernatural beings who have ruled Earth for almost 2,000 years. In L.S. Goulet’s Sword of Dragonblood, when 8th-grader Darrel Sak realizes his lifelong nightmares are real, and that nothing is as it seems, he teams up with Maisy on a quest to save his dad from Proteus Shyfte, who plans to dominate the magical world of Shaemaaie M. Cote Warner was born and raised in Anchorage. She graduated from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo where she began to create the world of Tarkenwore featured in The Stratus Estate. Returning to Anchorage, she pursued a career in the human services, however, in 2010, she was diagnosed with a devastating chronic illness. Her first novel, The Stratus Estate is a reintroduction to a world of healthy, functional people. L.S. Goulet lives in Alaska with her family. During the extra-long days of summer, she writes on her deck. In the dark, cold winters she wraps in a quilt by the fire, dreams, and writes some more, while her dogs sleep at her side and feet. These books are for all ages. Keep your eyes open for their sequels.

Based on Douglas Vandegraft’s 14 years of research, A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska details the rich history and atmosphere of noteworthy Alaskan bars. Several of the bars featured have been around since the end of Prohibition in 1933, and have gained legendary repute in their communities and beyond At this event, Doug will give a presentation about the latest edition of the Guidebook. Included will be a summary of the notorious bars that have closed since the first edition, and the bars that have been added to the second edition. Doug Vandegraft has worked as a Cartographer for the Department of the Interior since 1983. He began his notorious bars of Alaska project in 1999, while still living in Anchorage. A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska is published by Epicenter Press. A revised second edition of A Guide to the Notorious Bars of Alaska is forthcoming.

Author Heather Lende is a dedicated member of the Haines community and serves on the Haines Borough Assembly. Since 1996, she regularly posts obituaries and a social column for the Chilkat Valley News. Her nationally acclaimed books: If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name (2006), Take Good Care of the Garden and Dogs (2011), and Find The Good Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-town Obituary Writer (2015) mirror her outlook on life.She is a graduate from Middlebury College and she earned a MFA degree from UAA. At the event she reads Learnuing Moments.

Sandy Kleven is an extraordinary woman whose open and honest nature has enhanced the life of Alaskans everywhere. Editor of Cirque, a Literary Journal, she is also author of the short film "To the Moon," an homage to poet Theodore Roethke and poetry collections Defiance Street and Holy Land. Her writings have been published in Alaska Quarterly Review, Oklahoma Review, F Magazine, Stoneboat and in the anthology, Cold Flashes (U of AK Press) Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sandy Kleven spent much of the last 33 years working in Alaska’s village communities. Her early writing focused on the prevention of child sexual abuse throughout Alaska and led to her two children’s books The Right Touch and Talk about Touch. "The way to approach such a talk without sounding arrogant is to speak of struggles and failures as well as the long, slow breakthroughs to some kind of success. And you can also talk about your companions; the ones who made a difference" Sandy Kleven works as a clinical social worker. In 2011, she earned an MFA in Creative Writing from UAA. In 2015, she was inducted to the Northshore School District Wall of Honor for her contributions to the community and the world.

Author David Ramseur presents Melting the ice Curtain: The Extraordinary Story of citizen Diplomacy on the Russia-Alaska Frontier.In 1988, David Ramseur helped organize the Alaska Airlines “Friendship Flight” between Nome, Alaska and Provideniya, Russia, which reunited indigenous peoples of common languages and cultures (Siberian Yupik and others) for the first time in four decades. In Melting the Ice Curtain, how inspiration, courage, and persistence by citizen-diplomats bridged a widening gap in superpower relations is explored. David Ramseur managed federal grants for academic exchanges between Alaska and the Russian Far East for the UAA American Russian Center. He served as press secretary, communications director, chief of staff, and foreign policy adviser to Alaska Governors Steve Cowper and Tony Knowles and to Anchorage Mayor and U.S. Senator Mark Begich. Melting the Ice Curtain is published by University of Alaska Press.

The book, How to Sell to Libraries and Readers in the Digital Age, shows how to set up email systems for libraries from an online source and another for readers from emails gathered at book signing events. The number of libraries is a large one. It is a wonderful place to market books, but for the author new to this attempt, it can be daunting. Bonnye Matthews found a way to reach librarians who would forward her email to their acquisitions people. This book cannot guarantee a library will buy your books, but it will give you a solid path through the maze and with a huge effort, you can develop an email list that you can use for book after book you write. Bonnye Matthews is the author of the award winning Winds of Change novel series on the peopling of the Americas before the last ice age glaciation. Her current research focuses on Archaeological Sites in the Americas before the end of the last ice age glaciation.

Rock, Piles Along the Eddy, is the second poetry collection by Inupiaq and Tlingit poet, storyteller and playwright Ishmael Hope. Through his poetry, Ishmael Hope “elevates Indigenous thought and lifeways, intermingling the landscapes of personal experience, cultural knowledge, stories, and familial connections and the spirit and character of land and sea." (Ishmael Reed Publishing Company Press). Ishmael Hope served as a lead writer for the award winning video game Never Alone and he is author of the poetry collection Courtesans of Flounder Hill. He shares his poetry, presents on his culture and engages in artistic projects around the nation, while deeply participating in the cultural life of his people. He received his BLA from UAS and is currently pursuing his MFA with the Institute of American Indian Arts. He lives in Juneau with his wife Lily and four children.

Putting Mom back in Mother’s Day: A Mother’s Day Author Event with Lael Morgan, Lizzie Newell , LaVon Bridges and Alice Wright. Topics include “Cookbooks Versus Those in Plain Brown Paper Wrappers for Mom” and “Matriarchy: Putting Mothers First” Guest authors are the incredible Lael Morgan, co-founder of Epicenter Press, and author of Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush whose new book is Kitchen Stories Cookbook: Comfort Cookin' Made Fascinating and Easy (coauthored with Linda Altoonian); LaVon Bridges and Alice Wright (M.A. Special Education), teachers and author of Alaska Animals, We Love You 2, a children's book of songs and poems; and science fiction author Lizzie Newell (B.F.A. Studio Art) whose newest book is The Tristan Bay Accord.

Erin McKittrick and Hig McKittrick present Mudflats and Fish Camps: 800 Miles around Alaska’s Cook Inlet. Seldovia-based outdoor adventure author Erin McKittrick discusses her new book. is Mudflats and Fish Camps: 800 Miles around Alaska’s Cook Inlet. It is published by Mountaineers Books. Erin McKittrick is the acclaimed author of A Long Trek Home. With her husband Hig, a geologist, and their two young children, she paddled and hiked the 800 miles around the Cook Inlet in a 3.5-month period. In Mudflats and Fish Camps, she writes about their adventures, the history of the inlet, the culture of the area, and their observation and experiences with wildlife. Erin McKittrick has a master’s degree in molecular and cellular biology, writes regularly for Alaska Dispatch News. In 2007, she and Hig founded Ground Truth Trekking, a nonprofit organization that combines “ground truth” with “researched truth,” using science and adventure to further the conversation about Alaska’s environmental issues.

Kate Troll is an activist on the front line of climate change. With twenty-two years of experience in fish politics, coastal management and energy policy, as well as being an elected official, her insights, advice, and guidance—including “hope spots”-- on how to proceed is in our changing times will be shared. Her extensive experience and expertise in Alaska environmental poltics include acting as Executive Director of the Alaska Conservation Voters, Executive Director for United Fishermen of Alaska, Fisheries development specialist and policy analyst for the State of Alaska, Regional Fisheries Director (North and South America) for the Marine Stewardship Council, a global eco-label program. And Kate Troll was elected twice to public office, serving on the Juneau-Douglas Borough and on Ketchikan Borough Assembly. The Great Unconformity is a memoir and review of Alaska's environmental political scene that focuses on steps for a positive climate future.

The Biggest Damned Hat presents a fascinating collection of stories ranging from the gold rush to the 1950s. Based upon legal research, oral histories, and interviews of more than 50 lawyers who came to Alaska prior to 1959, it provides new stories and perspectives on Alaska history from gold rush times to statehood. University of Alaska Press recently published it Pamela Cravez is editor of the Alaska Justice Forum and research associate at the UAA Justice Center. She holds a J.D. from the Catholic University School of Law and an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her articles about the territorial years have appeared in the Alaska Law Review, Alaska Journal, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Journal of Commerce, and Anchorage Times.

Author Bryan Allen Fierro discusses his short story collection book Dodger Blue Will Fill Your Soul and the people and experiences that have influenced his writing. An acclaimed writer, Bryan Allen Fierro brings to life stories that encompass Latino cultural expectations, saints, and Dodger baseball. The enchanting language and skillful writing recreate the sounds of people of East L.A. who become familiar as family. Bryan Allen Fierro is recipient of the 2013 Maureen Egen Writer’s Exchange Award for fiction. He grew up in Los Angeles and now splits his time between L.A. and Anchorage, Alaska, where he works as a firefighter and paramedic. He holds an MFA from Pacific University in Oregon

Sterling Emmal is author of the sci-fi fantasy, The Executioner of Rawule and L. S. Goulet is author of the fantasy book Sword of Dragonblood. Tundra Kill Is Stan Jones' latest Nathan Active mystery. His other books include White Sky, Black Ice; Shaman Pass; Frozen Sun; Village of the Ghost Bears and the nonfiction classic, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, coauthored with Sharon Bushell. Three Alaskan authors discuss their books in different genres: Young adult fantasy, mystery and sci-fi horror.

Finance journalist Donna Freedman’s talk helps super-financially-stressed people (including students) get control of their cash and credit-card debt. Many people feel they can't save because they're barely making ends meet as it is. However, according to Donna Freedman, at least one of her 35 "stealth savings" tactics can work for just about everybody. Donna Freedman is author of Playbook for Tough Times: Living Large On Small Change, For The Short Term or The Long Haul.

This event welcomes memoir authors are Eva Baker (Martha and Eva) and Maggie Holeman (Women in the Locker Room) and children authors and illustrators La Von Bridges (Alaska Animals, We Love You) and Betty Hedstrand and Chris Floyd (Clever Little Bird). Martha and Eva is the story of a mother and daughter’s journey as German Refugees during WWII. It describes the life they had in Schlesien and the fear and deprivation that they experienced when they became German refugees--where more than 400,000 lost their lives during this expulsion. Martha Maiwald ‘s original memoir was written in the old German (pre-Hitler) script, translated into German, and then ultimately translated into English by her daughter, Eva Baker. Maggie Holeman's memoir, Women in the Locker Room, examines her extraordinary career at the Anchorage airport and being the first woman to achieve the award of weapon proficiency at the Sitka Police Academy. And for her response to the YC-122 crash, she received a legislative commendation for bravery LaVon Bridges and Alice Wright composed chants and poems for their students to learn orally. Subsequently, they learned to read, using the poems and chants now in Alaska Animals, We Love You Betty Hedstrand’s book Clever Little Bird follows the adventures of a moose and magpie in Anchorage. This beautiful book is full of Chris Floyd’s amazing artwork.

Building Fires in the Snow: A Collection of Alaska LGBTQ Short Fiction and Poetry is a path breaking book featuring work from some of Alaska’s finest writers. Joining editors Martha Amore and Lucian Childs, are anthology contributors Mei Mei Evans (Oil and Water) and poets Susanna Mishler (Termination Dust), Shelby Mahogany Wilson (Black Feather Poets). After readings selection from the anthology,each explore the label LGBTQ and its meaning within the literary establishment.

Eowyn Ivey’s new book To the Bright Edge of the World and Kris Farmen’s new book Blue Ticket will be the topics for this literary gathering. Kris Farmen is an Alaskan novelist, historian, and freelance journalist. His first novel, The Devil's Share, drew high critical praise. His writing has also appeared in Alaska magazine, The Anchorage Press, The Surfer's Path, and Mushing magazine, among others. He lives on the lower Kenai Peninsula. Eowyn Ivey was raised in Alaska and continues to live there with her husband and two daughters. Her debut novel The Snow Child was a finalist for the Pulitzer, a UK National Book Award winner, and a New York Times bestseller. Topics included in the discussion are using myth and history, Alaska place names and landscape, for writing fiction.

Richard Chiappone’s memoir, Liar’s Code, Growing Up Fishing is full of warm, funny, and memorable musings on a life spent fishing. Concerning Liar's Code, author E. Donnall Thomas Jr. (Redfish, Bluefish, Ladyfish, Snook) states, "Rich Chiappone has accomplished a goal even more challenging than landing a permit on a fly: the creation of a classic.” An accomplished writer, Richard Chiappone is a two-time recipient of the Robert Traver Award and author of Opening Days, a collection of essays, stories and poems, and the short story collection Water of an Undetermined Depth. His writing has appeared in Alaska Magazine, Playboy, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and The Sun; and in literary journals including Crescent Review, Missouri Review, and ZYZZYVA. Richard Chiappone teaches writing in the UAA Master of Fine Arts Program and serves on the faculty of the annual Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference. His home is in Homer, Alaksa where he lives with his wife and cats.

Dan O’Neill has become a living legend in Alaska. He is the author of The Firecracker Boys: H-Bombs, Inupiat Eskimos, and the Roots of the Environmental Movement; A Land Gone Lonesome: An Inland Voyage along the Yukon River; The Last Giant of Beringia: The Mystery of the Bering Land Bridge; and recently Stubborn Gal: The True Story of an Undefeated Sled Dog Racer, a children’s book published by The University of Alaska Press. Dan came to Alaska in 1975 and has done a variety of thing including dog mushing, trapping, hunting, working in construction and on the pipeline. As research associate at the UAF’s Oral History Program, he produced radio and television documentaries for public broadcasting. And for several years he wrote a column of political opinion for the Fairbanks daily newspaper. Joining Dan O'Neill is UAA English Professor Jackie Cason who teaches courses in rhetoric, composition, nature and science writing.

Alaskan writer, artist and journalist Mary Lochner introduces her living novel, "Stories From the Book of Life: A place-based storytelling artwork about America's Subarctic City." What is it that connects people living in place and time is addressed. Joing Mary Lochner is Stephen D, Bolen, a gifted Inupiaq poet from Kotzebue, Alaska He discusses his relationship with poetry and reads from his forthcoming collection of poems. (46:28-1:17:13). This event is an example of creativity in action. (Note, Stephen D. Bolen shared his poetry in the Readings from UAA Creative Writing and Literary Arts Students events podcasted in the UAA Campus Bookstore Selected Poetry and Literature Collection.)

Too Close to Home? Living with 'drill, baby' on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula includes accounts from both Alaska residents who have sold, leased or rented their property to oil industry companies and from businesses that are dependent on a fossil fuel economy. Author McKibben Jackinsky is a life-long Alaskan and award-winning journalist who has worked in and written about Alaska’s oil and gas industry from numerous perspectives. Everyone is encourage tolearn about critical developments facing Alaska communities.

Writer and author Brendan Jones reads and discusses his novel Alaskan Laundry where “a fierce, lost young woman finds herself through the hard work of fishing and the stubborn love of real friendship”. Brendan Jones works in commercial fishing and lives in Sitka, Alaska. A Stegner fellow at Stanford University, he also studied and boxed at Oxford University. His literary work has appeared in the New York Times, Ploughshares, and on NPR. His novel Alaskan has been described as a “gorgeous and powerful novel that succeeds both as a page-turning adventure story and an evocative exploration of the meaning of home." (Molly Antopol)