Our thanks to screenwriter Dave Hunsaker for leading a great Screenwriters Roundtable this week, and Bill McCallister of KTUU-TV for covering the event. Look for more fun as we hit a midsummer’s peak at 49 Writers, with the launching of our Third Annual Ode to a Dead Salmon contest on July 19 and a staff of teen writers developing their own travel ‘zine for teens under the leadership of visiting writer Jenna Schnuer July 18-22.
Meetings. We try not to have too many, but sometimes it’s nice to come out from our writers’ corners for some face time as we focus on mission-rich projects. On Monday, July 18, our Alaska Book Week and Media and Promotion Teams meet. On Thursday, July 21, our Teen Advisory Council meets, followed by our Youth Programs Work Team. We welcome more help, so if you’re interested in spending a little time with a great bunch of committed writers, email us at 49writers@gmail.com and we’ll get you set up to help. Most of our teams meet only four times a year, so you shouldn’t find yourself over-committed (and if you do, we’ll let you off the hook).
The deadline for entries for the 2011 Fairbanks Film Festival is midnight tonight, July 15. The showing and award ceremony will take place October 15, 7pm in the Theater at the Pioneer Park Centennial Center for the Arts. Click here for the prospectus and entry guidelines.
The Northern Renaissance Arts and Sciences Reading Series continues on Saturday, July 16 with readings by David Stevenson and Craig Childs.
On Sunday July 17, Eva Saulitis, Josip Novakovich and Carolyn Turgeon will read.
On Monday July 18, visiting author Curtis White and Linda McCarriston will feature,
and the finale on Tuesday July 19 will be Sherry Simpson and Rich Chiappone.
All readings take place in the Fine Arts Building auditorium, room 150. All readings begin at 8pm (doors open 7.30) and end by 9.30.
See the website for more information.
The Creative Writing Workshop at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival is about to start: it will run Monday through Friday, July 18-29. Faculty are Peggy Shumaker, Jeanne Clark, Frank Soos, Jonny Gray and Margo Klass. They will be writing in the mornings and in the afternoons, Margo Klass will be teaching the art of making handmade books. See www.fsaf.org for more information.
On Tuesday July 19 at 7pm, the Alaska Writers Guild presents John and Jona van Zyle, Loussac Library, 3600 Denali St, AK.
On Wednesday July 20, 5.30pm, the Bunnell St Gallery in Homer will host a poetry reading featuring Linda Martin and Erin Hollowell. Reception to follow.
Also on Wednesday July 20, at 7pm, Poetry Parley presents its 3-year anniversary gathering at Out North, 3800 DeBarr Rd, Anchorage. Contact Jonathan Minton for more information.
F Magazine is requesting feedback in order to make some decisions about directions it’s taking. Please go to their website and take this three-question survey–it’ll take you less than two minutes. The July 2011 edition of the magazine, Graffiti, is now available at selected locations in Anchorage and around the state. Check out their website for many happenings and plannings.
Dana Stabenow‘s fifth Kate Shugak novel, Play With Fire is now available across all e-Formats–for iPad/iPhone, for Nook, for Kindle. You can also now buy Dana’s novels directly from her website.
Mark your calendars for two upcoming high-profile visitors to Alaska:
Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic and Washington Post Book World editor Michael Dirda is coming to Anchorage for the weekend of August 27 and 28. On Saturday August 27 he will be the Freshman Convocation Speaker at UAA; on Sunday 28, at 4pm, he will give a public talk at the Wilda Marston Theater, Loussac Library, with reception to follow.
Author David Vann, whom some of you met when he led last year’s 49 Writers Tutka Bay Retreat, will be touring Alaska in the final week of October. He will be in Ketchikan October 24 and 25, at the Ketchikan Public Library.
October 26 and 27, he will be at the Juneau Public Library.
On October 28 and 29, he will be at the Anchorage Public Library, and on October 30 and 31, at the Fairbanks Public Library.
Hello, all! Wanted to drop a link to a blog I wrote about e-publishing: http://sisters-in-crime-sinc.blogspot.com/2011/07/selling-your-own-e-books-dana-stabenow.html Trying to generate some comments, if you feel so inclined.