Isn’t it funny how the experiences that drive you to write also seem to be the toughest to get down? At least, in a way that’s satisfying, that captures the essence, that feels right. Those key compelling moments when life could have gone either way, that were hard or dangerous, that shock the adrenaline, that […]
Brian Castner | Writing Through the Tough Spots Read More »
Have news, events, or opportunities you’d like to see listed here? Email details to info (at) 49writers.org with “Roundup” as the subject. Spread the word. Your message must be received by close of business the Wednesday before the roundup is scheduled to run at the latest. Unless your event falls in the “Opportunities and Awards” category, it
Literary Roundup | March 3-16, 2017 Read More »
Whether in person or via social media, I can’t help but hear a common refrain of late. Similar discussions all related to media pieces that focus on silly distractions and spectacle created purposefully to keep people from focusing on the real issues at hand. I want to suggest that within that very refrain, while the
Guest Blogger Don Rearden | Make Art Not More Content Read More »
Alaskan writer Jim Rearden died on February 18, 2017 at the age of 91. Read Homer News coverage here. Somewhere in the night it occurred to me that our mentors always ultimately leave us. This is more than anything a statement of simple mathematics. When you’re a baby writer and just starting to find your
Kris Farmen | Thoughts on Jim Rearden Read More »
Cheered on by readers who told me that an essay dedicated to old friend Norman Wilkins “worked,” though it was written in various moods and moments over about 20 years, I’m going to take a moment to finger that miracle. The essay is a small bucket of improbables—love for the consummate knowledge of two woodsman
Mary Odden | On Writing the Essay “March” Read More »
Description is a tricky thing. We all know a good one when we see it, but it’s not always easy to come up with one yourself. And of course, your voice and genre will determine the kind of description you use. If Charles Dickens is your style, you might like this detailed description from Bleak
Lynn Lovegreen | Playing with Description Read More »
I am always surprised when I hear fellow writers admit that they are not avid readers. The reason they often give is a lack of time, or that they’d rather not let another author—especially a disciple of the same genre or subject matter as theirs—influence their own style. Similarly, there seem to exist more bloggers
Michael Engelhard | The Writer as Reader Read More »
Have news, events, or opportunities you’d like to see listed here? Email details to info (at) 49writers.org with “Roundup” as the subject. Spread the word. Your message must be received by close of business the Wednesday before the roundup is scheduled to run at the latest. Unless your event falls in the “Opportunities and Awards” category, it
Literary Roundup | Feb 17-March 2, 2017 Read More »
Thanks to all who turned out last week for a special Reading & Craft Talk Series event, this time held downtown at the 49th State Brewing Co. The event paired Kathleen Dean Moore and Libby Roderick on stage. Kathy is a philosopher and award-winning author best known for books about our cultural and spiritual relation
Jeremy Pataky | “What do you do when the life rafts are burning?” Read More »
We’re glad to partner with Alaska Quarterly Review and the Alaska Humanities Forum on a two-part retrospective celebration of one of Alaska’s most important thinkers and writers, Gary Holthaus. Gary’s been active as a writer and citizen for decades, as the bio below illustrates. A long-time home literary events, Great Harvest Bread Co. in Anchorage
49 Writers | Honoring Gary H. Holthaus Read More »
