“What’s in a title?” riffs David Petersen in Writing Naturally, his down-to-earth guide for aspiring nature writers. A good title, he answers himself, must grab a browsing reader’s attention, foreshadow what is to follow, and prompt you to flip over a book for its back cover text or, more likely nowadays, click on its link […]
Mao’s Head: The Quest for the Perfect Title by Michael Engelhard Read More »
I am always surprised when I hear fellow writers admit that they are not avid readers. The reason they often give is a lack of time, or that they’d rather not let another author—especially a disciple of the same genre or subject matter as theirs—influence their own style. Similarly, there seem to exist more bloggers
Michael Engelhard | The Writer as Reader Read More »
It’s an old saw that, once writers release their creations into the world, they sort of relinquish control over them. Released like birds, words come home to roost or fall prey to sniping ambush. I am not speaking of rights signed over to publishers here, or of the comments sections of online publications—home for truculent
Michael Engelhard | Breitbarted Read More »
Fireside Reading: Some books of nature writing As a “nature writer” myself, I read voraciously in this field. In part, this is research for my own nonfiction projects. I’d also like to know what fellow writers are up to, and about new developments. Lastly, I read these books for inspiration, to be reminded of some
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Ice Bear: The Cultural History of an Arctic Icon, by Michael Engelhard I, who normally shun crowds, had shown up at a Fairbanks political rally with a crude homemade sign: Polar Bears want babies, too. Stop our addiction to oil! I was protesting recurring attempts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the area with
Spotlight on Alaska Books | Ice Bear by Michael Engelhard Read More »
You can spend much time in the North’s backcountry without ever bumping into some of its more secretive denizens—lynx, wolves, or wolverines. I’d like to use this opportunity to share my encounter with an Arctic critter I had never met face-to-face until recently: Ursus maritimus, the polar bear. It happened in 2010, on an 11-day
Michael Engelhard: A Beast for the Ages Read More »
Remember the 49 Writers First Friday book signing from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. tonight at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art, 427 D St. in Anchorage. Deb Vanasse will be signing read-aloud titles for young readers (Under Alaska’s Midnight Sun, Totem Tale, Alaska Animal Babies) and books for older readers (Amazing Alaska, ages 7-10; A Distant Enemy,
Ela: 49 Writers Weekly Round-up Read More »
Another week of summer just flooded by! Around the corner is fall, when we’ll kick off our 49 Writers instruction season with an intensive writing retreat with acclaimed author David Vann Sept. 3-5 at Tutka Bay Lodge. Only a handful of slots remain, so if you plan to attend, register today. And if you or
Ela: 49 Writers Weekly Round-up Read More »
Hang on to your laptops and pens, folks. I let you off easy last week, but today we’ve got lots to share. First off, thanks for the great response to our 49 Writers workshop “Power Writing: Description that Works,” April 24 and May 1 the Kaladi Brothers on Brayton. We’ve filled all ten spots, but
Deb: 49 Writers Weekly Round-Up Read More »
On the day I learned that Alaska’s celebrity author Sarah Palin has inked a new book deal, I also heard that she’s shopping a reality show (at possibly one million dollars per episode). That got me to thinking: Would anyone watch a reality show featuring me as an author? Not likely. I love what I do,
Deb: Your Turn – Fictional Writers Read More »
