Editor’s Note: Please Join us in Anchorage on Friday, November 15, 2019 at 7 PM at The Writer’s Block Bookstore & Café in Anchorage. 49 Writers, Alaska Quarterly Review, and the Center for the Narrative & Lyric Arts present two engaging and provocative stories from the new AQR edition: Lee Conell’s “Ex Party” and Debbi Urbanksi’s …
The 2018 FisherPoets Gathering in Astoria, Oregon took place this last weekend, and I’m still high on fish stories and great companionship. I’d been wanting to attend this event since it began 21 years ago—back when I was still an active fisherperson. This year I finally managed to fit it into my schedule. What is …
Guest Blogger Nancy Lord | FisherPoets Gathering – Why did I wait so long? Read More »
Do characters need to be likable? This is an age-old question that frequently comes up in fiction writing. Does your narrator or main character need to be likeable? If he or she is not likeable, will readers turn away from your story, or at best find it less appealing than they otherwise might? The short …
Guest Blogger Nancy Lord | Do Characters Need to be Likable? Read More »
I’ve loved reading ever since I was a child, and I loved doing book reports for school because I got to write and talk about books I loved. When I was in an MFA program I loved the required book responses (or annotations, as we called them) because I got to take those books apart …
Guest Blogger Nancy Lord | Why I Review Books—and Why You Should Consider It Read More »
A few years ago Marybeth Holleman and I put together a panel for an AWP (Associated Writers and Writing Programs) conference that we called “Wild Writing Residencies.” With three other writers from around the country, we discussed our experiences with a variety of artist-in-residence programs that take place in national parks and other “wild” places. …
Guest Blogger Nancy Lord | Wild Writing Residencies Read More »
Homer writer Nancy Lord is the author of ten books of environmentally-related writing, including the new novel pH. She served as the Alaska Writer Laureate from 2008-10 and teaches for the University of Alaska Anchorage and Johns Hopkins University.
I actually tried, like a fool, not to attend the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference this year. McCarthy, Alaska is a long way from Homer. Fourteen hours of driving each way, barring calamity, distraction, or accident. Too far, I told myself, too much time away from my summer habitat, too many books I would buy, I …
Jeremy Pataky | Notes After the ’16 Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference Read More »
EVENTS IN ANCHORAGE Story Works Alaska: Youth Storytelling Saturday, May 7th, 2016, 7pm at 49th State Brewing Company Theatre 717 W 3rd Ave. Anchorage, AK 99501 Hear students from all across Anchorage share their wonderful stories on stage! Purchase tickets here. All proceeds benefit future story workshops beyond Anchorage. For questions please contact regan@storyworksak.org or blairanneh@gmail.com. The Salmon …
Weekly Roundup of Writing Opportunities for May 6 Read More »
Best wishes of the season to all our blog followers! We hope your winter break with family and friends is both relaxing and restoring.As the year draws to a close, take a moment to put our January events on your calendar. On January 1, we open registration for our spring semester. Although spring might seem …
We have a winner! Our readers have spoken, and “One fish, two fish, red fish, more red fish” surged ahead in the final few days to win this year’s Ode to a Dead Salmon contest. This fishy homage to Dr. Seuss captured the spirit of the challenge to produce clever bad writing with a distinctly …
