It is the nature of a body to succumb to gravity. And so it was with me and my directors. It was a light that they shed, or a vibration that they hummed in their bones without even knowing. Like so many directors, Blair had a singularity of presence that gleamed and flickered in the […]
Spotlight on Alaska Books: The Lion Trees, by Owen Thomas Read More »
Four years ago, it was nothing more than a good idea: set aside one week a year to celebrate Alaska books. With the help of some incredible volunteers and the support of generous sponsors, Alaska Book Week was born. When we first began, we timed the week-long celebration so as not to conflict with the annual
How We’re Making Our Way in the Big World of Books Read More »
Thoughtful conversation from Sherry Simpson & Ernestine Hayes and engaged audiences in each community Thank you to the many partners, writers, and readers who contributed to the success of our recent Crosscurrents Southeast program in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Craig. More than 200 people participated in nine community events, and it was wonderful to meet
Linda: 49 Writers Weekly Roundup Read More »
Today, I’m enjoying doing very little, writing-wise–probably because I spent every day in the month of September writing. (Was it a more productive way to write? Subject for another post later this fall. The answer is more complicated than I would have guessed.) Thinking about this “write every day” question, I started wondering about all
Andromeda/Your Turn: Best and Worst Writing Advice Read More »
Memoir is a true story that unfolds in scenes with characters, dialogue and a reliable narrator who sets up the story and directs the readers’ way. A well-written memoir provides a glimpse into the author’s unique experience and offers an opportunity for readers to shift their own world view. As good as it is to
Judith Conte: Memoir Matters Read More »
“Language can do what it can’t say.” – William Stafford “Somehow I too must find a way of making things; not plastic, written things, but realities that arise from the craft itself.” – Rilke, in a letter to Lou Salome (August, 10, 1903) I haven’t been at it very long, and it’s not a career,
Jonathan Bower: But does it Sing? Read More »
I wrote my second published novel, The Detour, in about nine months, and I still recall my discomfort when a family friend at a holiday dinner asked me, “But isn’t that too little time in which to write a real novel?” Okay, she did not say “real.” That’s just how I heard her question. “You’re
Andromeda: 6 Weeks to Start Your Novel–Is This Your Year to Commit? Read More »
Juneau participants in Autogeography writing workshop with Sherry Simpson What a week it’s been, taking our Crosscurrents Southeast program of author events and creative writing classes to Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan and connecting with writers and lovers of books in the rainforest region of the state (yes, it has rained every single day but that
Linda: 49 Writers Weekly Roundup Read More »
They say 80 percent of those who read books also have at least one book they’d like to write. And I agree with David Henry Sterry, who wrote in a HuffPo blog post that “a staggering number” of those would-be authors want to write books for young readers. Some aspiring children’s book authors are parents
Write a Better Children’s Book (and while we’re at it, an invitation) Read More »
Printed copies of Animal Stories are now in warehouses scattered across the U.S. (and also available in electronic form). And so it begins: the selling of Animal Stories. Actually, the selling—or marketing—of the book began months ago, even as I was working with a copy editor on polishing and improving the manuscript. One of the
Bill Sherwonit: The Selling of Animal Stories Read More »
