Sarah Palin, with whom John McCain rocked the political world yesterday, has a story that is quintessentially Alaskan: from hockey mom to VP nominee. (Note to Karl Rove: Hockey moms don’t play hockey; their kids do.) McCain hopes you’ll think Sarah’s just like Obama. She’s living the dream in a country where anything can happen. […]
My husband Brian reminded me today, a day when we found it impossible to focus on anything else, that Alaska science fiction writer David Marusek (whom I have mentioned in a recent post, shown at left) wrote a short story about an Alaskan vice president, called “Cabbages and Kale or: How we downsized North America”
Why we read science fiction: David Marusek predicted an Alaska VP Read More »
In all my excitement over politics this week (late night electioneering and convention watching every night) and now this latest Sarah news, I almost forgot that I’m a writer, too. With a book to sign, tomorrow. If you’re heading north (perhaps for the Alaska State Fair?) stop by Fireside Books in Palmer from 10:30 to
It’s a slim book and more general than critical, but Kaylene Johnson’s biography of Sarah, published this spring by Epicenter, will no doubt get a major boost from the news as well. Here is the direct link to Epicenter’s page on the book. We know that Ms. Johnson wrote the book in record time, at
Kaylene Johnson’s phone must be ringing, too… Read More »
Woken up this morning by an eastcoast time zone call to tell us that Sarah was picked as McCain’s VP. It’s like hearing that your own cousin was chosen. Emails humming with subject lines that say “OMG.” But this is a litblog, not a general blog, so let me point you toward some Alaska writers
Sarah? OUR SARAH? We’re scrambling here… Read More »
Alaska’s governor Sarah Palin is the talk of the nation. Just a few weeks ago, I spotted Kaylene Johnson’s book, Sarah: How a Small-Town Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment on Its Ear on the remainder table at a local bookstore. I’ll bet they move it front and center first thing this morning. When I typed
Publisher’s Weekly reports that the Rocky Mountain News is commissioning short stories from some of the state’s best authors to celebrate Denver’s sesquicentennial. Among them is Pam Houston, one of my personal favorites. The stories celebrating Colorado will be published weekly on Tuesdays from now through the end of the year. How about it, Alaska?
Short Story Celebration Read More »
Sherry Simpson’s new book is THE ACCIDENTAL EXPLORER: Wayfinding in Alaska (Sasquatch Books). She wanted to call it “A Nuisance to Myself and Others,” a title that hints at the kind of misadventures, as well as the self-deprecating tone, found within. Simpson, a long-time essayist, reporter, and UAA creative writing prof, explains via her website
An Insider’s Irreverent View: Q & A with Sherry Simpson Read More »
Thursday is the big day. Is anyone else as excited as I am about the Democratic National Convention speech? Let me be clear about my complete lack of impartiality: I volunteered for Obama in Texas and I’m logging a few hours here in Alaska, as well. Which gave me the idea for this reader poll:
What do you want Obama to know about Alaska? Read More »
Sci-fi author Annalee Newitz has written about the exciting summer field trip she took with 20 other sci-fi writers to visit NORAD, the notorious nuclear bunker and military command center buried deep within Colorado’s Cheyenne Mountain. Lots of great photos and details at her article in the SF ezine I09, and if you look and
Sci-fi writers dig deep for material at NORAD; Chabon wins Hugo award Read More »
