Today will see a caravan of creative writers cruising down the road to Homer, flying in from points north and south, and arriving in leisurely style by ferry from Kodiak. The occasion, of course, is this year’s Kachemak Bay Writers Conference featuring poet, novelist, and essayist Naomi Shihab Nye. Let’s hope the spectacular weather holds through the weekend!
We’ll be posting on Facebook and tweeting from the conference, so if you can’t make it in person be sure to keep up with the news on social media. If you don’t already “like” us, we need two people to like our Facebook page to make the 500 milestone – who can help us reach that target? Follow us on Twitter @49writingcenter.
Although our Tutka Bay Writers Retreat in September is sold out with a waitlist, you can still enjoy Ron Carlson’s forthcoming novel, Return to Oakpine, to be published by Viking in July, which received a starred review from Library Journal: “With spirit and grace, Carlson (The Signal), has caught the essence of what might have been, as well as the importance of friends and family. A touching and effecting work of literary fiction.” Ron will also be making a Crosscurrents appearance with Don Rearden in Anchorage on September 4, 7pm, at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center. The title of their onstage conversation is “Surviving the Story.” Where do stories come from? How does a writer find and survive a story? Join us to find out more about the process of discovery in writing fiction. Ron is scheduled to give a reading in Homer on September 5 – more information on that soon.
Mark your calendars for a book signing at Gulliver’s Books in Fairbanks on Wednesday July 3, 4-6pm, featuring Jean Morgan Meaux and her new book In Pursuit of Alaska: An Anthology of Travelers’ Tales 1879-1909.
The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, with its wonderful two-week writing program, is coming up July 14-28. Visit this page for information about faculty and visiting artists, and this one for an outline calendar.
Application deadlines for Artist in Residence at Zion National Park for 2014 are coming up soon: postmark deadline July 19, to be received by July 24. Four artists will be chosen for two spring and two fall residency slots; literary artists are welcome to apply. For full information, visit http://www.nps.gov/zion/
This year’s Wrangell Mountain Center writing programs, July 27-August 1, will feature writers Sherry Simpson, Derick Burleson, and Nancy Cook. Visit www.wrangells.org for full information, and register soon to receive an ‘early bird’ discount.
Congratulations to the winners and runners up of F Magazine’s F’Air Words Statewide writing competition. Read the winning entries in the June edition of F.
GEM Thomas’ new novel, Strong Roads: Blues and Greens and Blood has been released. Glen Biegel interviews GEM about the book on YouTube here. Available as an E-Book with interactive and interpretive links.