We’ve been feeling the love from statewide newspapers covering the expansion of 49 writers into the 49 Alaska Writing Center and Raven Place guesthouse. Yesterday, The Juneau Empire published a particularly nice feature by Amy Fletcher about all of us (us? who? yes — I’m talking about you as well, blog reader, because you’re part of this great Alaska lit movement we’re all building one blog, one zine, one comment, one link, one workshop and one Alaska-authored book at a time). We’ve also had nice writeups courtesy of Capital City Weekly News and Homer News. Thank you, Alaska newspapers, for taking us seriously when we say we are trying to reach beyond Anchorage. We couldn’t do it without you!
Our 49 Writers fall instructional term kicks off with the Tutka Bay Retreat you’ve been hearing about. In this remote and relaxing Alaskan setting, author David Vann will present the equivalent of a 49 Writers 6-hour workshop (an $89 value in and of itself). “In our four 90-minute craft sessions,” Vann explains, “we’ll be looking at a range of short published works (which I’ll make available beforehand). We’ll study these works for style and voice, landscape description, characterization, and dramatic structure. Authors will include Annie Proulx, Marilynne Robinson, Elizabeth Bishop, Cormac McCarthy, Ray Carver, Flannery O’Connor, Nabokov, and others. We’ll have several brief writing exercises that explore what we’ve discussed, and we’ll consider the writing process a bit, including development and revision.” Register today, as we have room for only 14 participants.
This weekend sees the beginning of UAA’s series of summer readings in conjunction with the MFA residency. Check out the schedule here.
Dive in with author-illustrator Ray Troll at 2pm on Tuesday July 20th in Anchorage or at 6.30pm on Wednesday July 21st in Girdwood for ‘Sharkabet: an A-Z of sharks, living and extinct.’ Z. J.Loussac Public Library, Anchorage, or Scott and Wesley Gerrish Branch Library, Girdwood. (907) 343 2841 for more information.
A reminder that on Tuesday July 20th, at 7pm, the Alaska Writers Guild presents Elise Sereni Patkotak with a talk on ‘The Circuitous Route to Writing’ – at the fireplace at Barnes and Noble in downtown Anchorage.
The Alaska Writers Guild will also be hosting the 2010 Alaska Writers’ Conference – mark your calendars for September 10th, 11th, 12th. See their website for latest information and to sign up.
Front Range, an internationally circulated, annually published literary journal, seeks submissions starting August 1st (deadline: November 7 2010) for their 6th (2011) issue. See their website for archives and submissions guidelines.
Some more information about submissions to ‘F’ magazine: Bruce Farnsworth is the poetry editor, and asks that submissions be emailed to him as word documents, or in the body of the text if that is not possible. His email address is whenpoetsfly@hotmail.com.
Two Review announces that poet Nathalie Handal will judge their 2010 poetry contest. Full guidelines can be found at their website.
Speaking of contests, stay tuned for a revival of a certain popular contest held here at 49 Writers last year…the Ode to a Dead Salmon bad poetry competition returns at the end of this month.