SOUTHCENTRAL
ANCHORAGE | April 2018 | The UAA Campus Bookstore will be hosting three literary events in April 2018.
- Friday, April 6, from 4-6 PM: Alaskan Author David Brown presents Shadowing Dizzy Gillespie in honor of Gillespie’s 100th birthday. After a chance meeting in Georgetown in 1985, Brown had the opportunity to spend countless hours with Gillespie at performances, street corners, restaurants, and all-night card-playing sessions. Brown’s book is a memoir of these intimate experiences.
- Thursday, April 12, from 5-7 PM: Professor EJR David presents his new book, We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet, Letters to My Filipino-Athabascan Family. In these letters, he addresses the need to nurture connectedness, strength, freedom, and love, in order to heal the injuries endured from historical and contemporary trauma and oppression. David is an Associate Professor of Psychology at UAA and Director of the Alaska Native Community Advancement in Psychology Program.
- Thursday, April 19, from 5-7 PM: Professor Rebeca Maseda Garcia presents Gender and Violence in Spanish Culture: From Vulnerability to Accountability. The book features contributions from various specialists in violence and gender disciplines and offers an interdisciplinary approach to the debate on patriarchal violence. An editor of the book, Garcia is Associate Professor of Spanish at UAA.
ANCHORAGE | Friday, April 6, 2018 at 7 PM | Alaska Quarterly Review launch event. At Writer’s Block.
TALKEETNA | Saturday, April 7, 2018 from 2-5 PM | 49 Writers presents a 3-hour writing class in Talkeetna with Nancy Lord: Science, Nature, and Outdoor Writing. $39 members / $49 nonmembers. Northern Susitna Institute classroom. This workshop will examine some examples of narrative writing (in nonfiction, fiction, and poetry) that bring the outdoors in and scientific principles and characters to life. These will be used as models for writing exercises emphasizing characterization, scene-building, and metaphors and analogies. This class invites writers of any level, with or without science backgrounds. Lord, the instructor, was Alaska Writer Laureate 2008-10, and is the author of several fiction and nonfiction books including, most recently, pH: A Novel. Register now: http://49writers.web907.com/class-catalog
SEWARD | 49 Writers presents a Reading & Craft Talk Series event with Nancy Lord at 6 PM on Monday, April 9, 2018 at Resurrect Art.
TALKEETNA | Wednesday, April 11, 2018 from 7-9 PM | Break-Up Reading: A night of free entertainment. Support local writers and hear them spin their yarns of break-up and adventure. Featuring live music and open concessions. For more information please call (907) 521-8342. Facebook event
ANCHORAGE | Sunday, April 15, 2018 | Demystifying Literary Journals will be a 2-hour class taught by Ronald Spatz, founding editor of Alaska Quarterly Review. With a focus on literary magazines, the class will help students with their own submissions build a strong cover letter, learn about the market, and learn strategies to get noticed by current magazines. All experience levels welcome. Fee: $35 / members: $28. Learn more and register here.
ANCHORAGE | Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at 6 PM | Poetry Slam: The Love Session. Presented by Perseverance Theatre and held at the 49th State Brewing Company, cash prizes for top 3. To participate, contact Shirley Mae Springer Staten at Shirleymae@gci.net. Official advertisement here.
ANCHORAGE | Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at 7 PM | Poetry Parley at Writer’s Block. Featured Alaska poet David McElroy presents his new book, Just Between Us, honoring poets of influence Richard Hugo, Mary Oliver, and James Wright. McElroy lives in Anchorage and recently retired as a commercial pilot of small planes in the Arctic in support of wildlife research, industry, and wildfire control. If you would like to join Poetry Parley as a reader or featured poet, email poetryparley@gmail.com.
ANCHORAGE | Thursday, April 26, 2018, 5:30-7 PM | Danger Close Alaska 2018 | 49 Writers and the Alaska Humanities Forum are proud to present the 2018 offering of Danger Close Alaska, the third consecutive year of joint programming with the goal of building a literary community of civilians and veterans. This year, Danger Close Alaska will take place one night a month, for six consecutive months, beginning in the community room at Hearth. Over an hour and a half of pizza (included) and drink (not included), participants will tackle one craft issue per session and conclude with a generative writing exercise, facilitated by a 49 Writers or Alaska Humanities Forum mentor. Registration is open for each session; participants need not have attended prior sessions to participate.
During this first session, join veteran and writer Matthew Komatsu at Hearth for a community-building evening of food, drink, discussion, and writing around the topic of fear. Over Hearth’s outstanding fare and beverage selection, we will discuss ways to write about our fears, read how others have done so, and then turn to some generative writing prompts. During our time together, we’ll cover a couple of techniques, to include the elusive “objective correlative” (writing scene to convey emotion), finding powerful action verbs, and the use of pacing. Finally, we’ll put our learning into practice, so bring your favorite writing tools and at the end of the night, those willing can share what they’ve generated.
ANCHORAGE | Thursday, April 26, 2018, 7 PM | David Stevenson is holding a launch party for his novel Forty Crows at Writer’s Block, 3956 Spenard Rd
ANCHORAGE | Friday, April 27, 2018 | Anchorage Museum’s Unbound Book Club will meet to discuss The Discovery of Slowness by Sten Nadolny. Unbound Book Club explores art, science, history, design and culture through fiction and non-fiction Friday evenings. Books are available for purchase in the Museum Store. Book club discussion is included with museum admission (free for members) and is part of the museum’s Unbound experimental literary series.
WASILLA | Saturday, April 28, 2018 from 7:30 AM-Noon | Mat-Su Young Writers Conference is in need of several more volunteer writers. Participants will have the option of leading workshops and selling their books. Contact Sharon Russel at 761-4140 (day), or email sharon.russel@matsuk12.us. Event located at Sherrod Elementary School, Palmer.
ANCHORAGE | On Saturday, May 5, 2018 in conjunction with the Spring Friends of the Library book sale, Z. J. Loussac Library will host their first ever Local Author book fair. Authors and illustrators will be featured in the atrium of the library for this one-day local author sale. Authors can begin registering on Monday, February 12 at 10 am. Spots will be on a first come, first reserved basis. Learn more and register here.
ANCHORAGE | May 11-13, 2018 | Passage Writes: Stories from Alaska Birth-Moms. Passage Writes is hosting a writing workshop for birth-moms who have made adoption plans for their children. Their stories need to be told, as they are missing from our public narrative. The group is looking for women to fill 20 spots in order to ensure a wide range of voices. The workshop is open to all of Alaska’s birth-moms, regardless of writing ability. Click here for details and here for Facebook page.
ANCHORAGE | Thursday, May 17, 2018 from 6:30 – 8 PM | Reflections on Attu: Art Show and Reception at Anchorage Public Library. Join USFWS Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge for a slideshow and talk by author Nancy Lord followed by a reception and art show opening.
INTERIOR
FAIRBANKS | Marilyn Sigman will present a public reading and talk at UAF at the Murie Auditorium on April 12, 2018. She will also teach a 49 Writers class called “The Wild, the Ruined, and the Merely Anomalous: What’s an Alaskan Environmental Writer to Do?” at the Northern Alaska Environmental Center on April 11, 2018. Register now for the class (scroll down) Discounted class fee for members of 49 Writers and/or Northern Alaska Environmental Center.
SOUTHEAST
JUNEAU | Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 6:30-8 PM | Bjorn Dihle will read from his book Never Cry Halibut, a collection of humorous and thoughtful short essays about hunting and fishing in Alaska. Accompanied by photographs, each story reflects Dihle’s 3-decade relationship with the wildest places left in North America as he interacts with brown bears, wolves, wilderness, commercial fishing, and the nearly forgotten act of harvesting food from the wild. Located at Hearthside Books & Toys, Nugget Mall & 254 Front St.
WRANGELL | Friday, April 20, 2018 from 7-8:30 PM | Tidal Echoes Launch. Wrangell writer Vivian Faith Prescott will read and Juneau artist Chris Taylor will discuss his recent work. Copies sold at the door for $5. Facebook event
WRANGELL | Flying Island Writers & Artists group meets every other Monday 6:30-8 PM. Contact Vivian Faith Prescott for more information doctorviv@yahoo.com
HOONAH | June 30 – July 6, 2018 | Environmental Rhetoric: A 3-credit course through University of Alaska Southeast. Join professor Dan Henry at Inian Islands institute for this intensive course on environmental Rhetoric and become a stronger, more persuasive environmental leader. 12 participants. Fee: $400. Meals, lodging, and transport from Juneau provided. For more info please contact professor Dan Henry at mudbase@gmail.com and include a short paragraph on what the class could do for you.
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OUT OF STATE
CONFERENCES, RETREATS, and RESIDENCIES
PALMER | May 11-13, 2018 SCBWI Alaska’s 2nd Annual Alaska Big Thaw Retreat For all Authors: picture book, middle grade, young adult, adult literature, and illustrators at the Knik River Lodge. Workshops by Stephen Barr of Writers House Lit. Agency, optional critique groups and loads of quiet writing and illustrating time, optional professional critique, AK cuisine, a cabin, a classroom yurt with a wood burning stove, and amazing views, and more. Register
SKAGWAY | May 30 – June 2, 2018 | North Words Writers Symposium in Skagway is now taking registrations for its 2018. Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief, is the keynote writer. Other faculty include Juneau Writer Laureate and Ernestine Hayes, Portland novelist Willy Vlautin, Juneau poet Emily Wall, Ketchikan writer-artist Ray Troll, Washington writer Colleen Mondor, and Fairbanks writer Frank Soos. Features include author panels, writing workshops, and outdoor activities. Limited to 40 participants. Organizers include Buckwheat Donahue, Jeff Brady, Daniel Henry, and John Straley. For more information, click here.
HOMER | June 8-12, 2018 | Registration is open now for the seventeenth annual Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference. Held in Homer, Alaska, this nationally recognized writing conference features workshops, readings and panel presentations in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and the business of writing. Keynote presenter Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize winner and National Book Award finalist, will be joined by fifteen other writers, poets, and publishing industry professionals. Optional manuscript reviews, agent/editor meetings, post-conference workshop at Tutka Bay Lodge and boat cruise. Scholarships available. All information and faculty bios at our website: http://sites.kpc.alaska.edu/writersconf/. The deadline for “early-bird” registration rate is May 1st.
TUTKA BAY LODGE | The 9th Annual 49 Writers Tutka Bay Writers Retreat with Hannah Tinti will take place September 7-9, 2018. Retreat details to be announced soon along with application information.
OPPORTUNITIES and AWARDS for WRITERS
Permafrost Magazine | 2018 New Alchemy Contest deadline April 15, 2018. All formats welcome. $500, publication, and web feature prizes. More details.
Scholarships to Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference 2018 | Deadline May 1, 2018, at 5 PM | Scholarships cover $395 registration fee only; transportation, activities, housing, etc. are the recipient’s responsibility. Applicants must submit a letter describing why they want to attend the conference and reasons for scholarship assistance. Details. Email application to: KachemakBayWritersConf@alaska.edu
Alaska Women Speak is now accepting written submission and cover art ideas for the upcoming Summer 2018 issue, Walls. Deadline is May 15, 2018. Details
49 Writers’ Active Voice: Writers Respond | In the series, we ask Alaska writers to reflect on the current state of the democratic values of justice, freedom, equality, and liberty in our society. Is there an issue or event that has shaped your writing in recent months? Share it with us by submitting your Active Voice: Writers Respond piece to our blog editor at cmboyle@gmail.com.
What’s missing? Submit your announcement for the next Roundup. Send an email with “Roundup” as the subject to 49blog@gmail.com
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