Ten years ago, I made a radical change. I left Bethel for Anchorage. Lisa Demer wrote about it. “Social Worker Leaves Tragedy Behind,” read the front page headline, as if it my move were big news. Anchorage would have a creative community and my articulated purpose was to find it. I continued to work as […]
Sandra Kleven: Troubled about Alaska Read More »
Not long ago, I took a writerly side trip. You know how it goes. You’re getting back to your novel after a few too many days away for celebrations and family and a whole lot of other things that matter a lot, plus a few that only matter a little but still manage to snag
The Writer's Mind – and Heart Read More »
You can spend much time in the North’s backcountry without ever bumping into some of its more secretive denizens—lynx, wolves, or wolverines. I’d like to use this opportunity to share my encounter with an Arctic critter I had never met face-to-face until recently: Ursus maritimus, the polar bear. It happened in 2010, on an 11-day
Michael Engelhard: A Beast for the Ages Read More »
The 49 Writers elves are hard at work behind the scenes in their quest to bring you the gift of a sensational spring season! We will announce the full schedule here next week and open registration on December 28. Meanwhile, we can tell you that the lineup includes a new course in spiritual writing from
Weekly Roundup of News and Events Read More »
This post continues the discussion from Kleven’s post last week, Rural Alaska Lit: Poet as Witness. As an outsider writing about rural Alaska, I was conflicted about my right to speak at all. The idea of poet or writer as witness, would in time give a channel, a justification, for my words and perceptions. The
Sandra Kleven: Writing the Cultural Ridge Read More »
A week had passed since Red found the corpse behind his cabin and called the state trooper. He didn’t have a phone in his dilapidated shack. He had to drive five miles down a rutted dirt road to use the payphone that hung on the wall outside the ferry terminal. Red knew what it was
Spotlight on Alaska Books: Grizzly Trade, by Dale Brandenburger Read More »
It is a tremendous honor to be asked to serve as the new executive director of 49 Writers. Linda Ketchum leaves a legacy of excellence, and I will strive to fill her shoes. I wish her well in her new adventures, and hope that she reports back from time to time. It’s been an interesting
Morgan Grey: New 49 Writers Executive Director Read More »
This week, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced the super-exciting news that 49 Writers has been selected to receive a $10,000 NEA Challenge America grant to support a September 2015 literary tour in Southeast Alaska featuring author Melinda Moustakis. This grant will allow us to partner with Alaska Quarterly Review to
Weekly Roundup of News & Events Read More »
This blogpost originally ran in February 2012. For the next two weeks, I’ll be continuing to work on a novel revision, and for me, that means re-thinking all of my own questions and provisional answers about character, plot, language and more. In that spirit, please accept this re-run. “Psssst. Let’s talk about plot.” No, I
Andromeda: Psssst…got plot? Read More »
Sandra Kleven In December of 1984, I flew out of Bellingham, WA, to take a job, in Bethel, AK. That was my first mistake. The second was bringing my entire family on this jaunt. Even in ‘84, it cost about $2000 to transport five people to the distant bush; once you brought them, it would
Sandra Kleven: Rural Alaska Lit: Poet as Witness Read More »
