Cleaning out, getting ready for winter? Today’s the day to drop off your nearly new donations for our 49 Writers benefit yard sale: 4-6 p.m., 415 L St (next to Snow City). We’ll be happy to email a receipt for your taxes. If you’d like an item back if it doesn’t sell, just let us know when you drop it off; otherwise, we’ll pass any unsold goods to another deserving non-profit.
49 Writers couldn’t exist without the help of our great volunteers and we need one very special person to join the effort: an additional bookkeeper with 5 to 10 hours a week to spend helping Alaska writers and our new writing center. We have an urgent need for someone who loves numbers and recordkeeping, who’s quick and accurate with computer systems, who can update all records weekly and forward for reconciliation at the end of the month, who can make deposits and process credit card transactions, and who can meet with our financial team once a month. Quickbooks experience would be lovely but not essential. Any ideas or contacts to share? Write 49writers@gmail.com.
Fifty-seven writing class slots have been filled; are you thinking of registering soon? Don’t wait too long, because one class has reached capacity and others are filling steadily. On Monday, the 49 Alaska Writing Center opens its doors at 415 L Street for Bill Sherwonit’s class, “Adventures in Creative Nonfiction: The Art of the Personal Essay” (Monday nights 7 to 9:30 pm, Oct. 4 to Nov. 22). Other classes in October include Working the Edge (Oct. 16) and Revision Intensive (Oct. 23 and 30). November and December bring us four more offerings: Flash Fiction, Promoting Your Book in Your Pajamas, Crash Course: Characters, and Writer v. Grinch. Register at www.49writingcenter.org.
Two reasons to come to 415 L Street on Friday (today!) at 6 pm: One, to enjoy a First Friday signing with Mike Burwell of Cirque. Two, to preview our yard sale from 6 to 8 pm. Or come back the next day for the public sale: 9 am to 2 pm. To preview some items go to http://www.ravenplaceyardsale.blogspot.com/.
Getting cold out there. Time for tea. Mark your calendar for Sunday October 17, 2 to 4 pm, when we’ll be having a Tea Tasting and Book Talk. Alaska tea matron Marge Arnold will share the history of tea, methods of brewing, a take-home booklet packed with information, and a chance to sample fourteen different blends. Then we’ll all enjoy a “proper cuppa” while some of Alaska’s best readers tell what they love most about their favorite titles. The event is free, but donations are welcome and reservations are required due to limited seating. Email Deb to reserve.
Another First Friday: Alaska Quarterly Review Fri, Oct 1, 6:00pm at Jitters, 11401 Old Glenn Hwy Eagle River, AK. This will feature World Premiere of songwriter Amy Lou’s collaboration with poet Knute Skinner, performing his poem “Let Us Know,” which is published in the Fall/Winter 2010 edition of the Alaska Quarterly Review. Selections from the pages of Alaska Quarterly Review will also be read.
Steller Secondary School and Barnes and Noble Booksellers are having a book fair this Saturday, October 2, 2010.
1:00 – 2:45 pm. Banned Books Read-Out Loud!
2:45 – 3:00 p.m. Original Poetry Slam by Kaelyn WIlliams
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Face Painting for kids of all ages by Alayne and the Art Club
Please come and support Steller students at the book fair during these very special events. Steller will receive between 15-30 percent of all purchases made throughout the store; please mention Steller at the register.
On Sat, Oct 2, at 12:00pm, there will be a Banned Books Reading at Barnes & Noble, 200 East Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99503, 907-279-7323
This Sunday, October 3rd, Alaska’s (outgoing) Writer Laureate Nancy Lord will be giving a talk titled ‘Alaska In Writing’ at Alaska Pacific University. 2.30pm, Grant Hall. The talk, followed by Q&A, reception and refreshments, is free and open to the public.
Monday, October 4, from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the UAA Campus Bookstore
Conversations with Robert Rosenberg, Author of UAA/APU Books of the Year 2010-2011
“This is Not Civilization
Friday, October 8, at the UAA/APU Library from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Jeff Jones presents “Arctic Sanctuary.” Photographs from ANWR
Wednesday, October 13, from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at the UAA Campus Bookstore
Two Alaskan Writers
Steve Kahn presents The Hard Way Home: Alaska Stories of Adventure, Friendship, and the Hunt
Poet Anne Coray, author of Bone Strings and Crosscurrents North
Congratulations to Ron Spatz, of Anchorage, recipient of one of the 2010 Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities.. You can celebrate with Ron at the Awards ceremony, Thursday, October 21, 2010 · Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, Fairbanks · 6pm reception, dinner, entertainment. $80 per person · $1,000 for tables of ten. Online Reservations: Visit Alaska State Council on the Arts or contact 1.888.278.7424 or 907.269.6610
Arctica, the Magazine of Circumpolar Art and Culture, is sponsoring a writing competition in poetry, fiction and nonfiction, entitled SPACE. Deadline: April 1st, 2011. Submission guidelines are at their website.
49 Writers friend Lou Allin is co-chair of Canada’s oldest and largest mystery conference, Bloody Words. It will be held this June 3-5 in Victoria! Laurie King will be one of the guests. www.bloodywords2011.com