When I called my father to tell him that I was switching my undergraduate major from Biomedical Engineering to English he remarked, “And how are you going to make a living?” If only I had known then about the myriad options for English majors, the unlimited prospects for those who have learned to craft language …
From the Archives: Erin Hollowell on Teachers as Writers Read More »
Thoughtful conversation from Sherry Simpson & Ernestine Hayes and engaged audiences in each community Thank you to the many partners, writers, and readers who contributed to the success of our recent Crosscurrents Southeast program in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Craig. More than 200 people participated in nine community events, and it was wonderful to meet …
The board of 49 Writers is delighted to welcome two new members from Juneau, Joan Pardes and Katrina Pearson. Board president Don Rearden speaks for all of us when he says, “We’re excited to add Joan and Katrina to our ranks for so many reasons, including the incredible breadth of experience and knowledge they’ll bring …
Thanks again to Erin Hollowell, who has been our June featured author. I had the good fortune this past week to spend some time at the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference where Naomi Shihab Nye was the keynote presenter. From her Friday night keynote through the close of the conference, Naomi shone as an inspiring example of literary …
A few years ago, I was part of a discussion that consisted of people listing current poets and then shouting “Walt Whitman!” or “Emily Dickinson!” The conceit of the game was that every contemporary American poet can be classified into one of two camps based on which poet seems more influential to their work, Whitman …
When the Rasmuson Foundation announces its annual Individual Artist Awards, it’s always exciting to see Alaska’s creative community acknowledged and supported in this way. Attendees at the awards reception earlier this week included trustees of the Western States Arts Federation, who were in town for a meeting. I happened to be standing next to the …
It was wonderful to see such a great turnout for both Debra Gwartney events on Monday. Twenty writers attended her brown bag lunch seminar on Publishing Nonfiction, and thirty of us gathered for the evening talk on Pitfalls of the Memoir. Debra was generous of her time and knowledge during her brief stay in Anchorage, …
We are proud to announce another Crosscurrents literary weekend, coming up April 28 and 29 in Kodiak. Thanks to support from the Alaska Humanities Forum and our amazing local partners, Kodiak College and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, 49 Writers is bringing Eva Saulitis (Into Great Silence) to Kodiak for a series of events that …
Tonight’s main event: First Friday, April 5, 7:00pm, Crosscurrents with visiting writer Nancy Zafris and Fairbanks author Frank Soos at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center (7th Avenue entrance), who will discuss The Short Story: Alive and Well? Check out Nancy’s blog post earlier this week about Stories That Matter. There is still one slot …
Seth Kantner and Loussac director Mary Jo Torgeson, photo courtesy of Lila Vogt It was wonderful to see such a strong turnout for the two 49 Writers events at the Anchorage Reads celebration last Saturday. Thank you to the Anchorage Public Library for initiating the collaboration and to our fantastic guest authors who volunteered their …
