Coughlin Hollowell joins 49 Writers as Executive Director
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| Erin Coughlin Hollowell |
a rigorous search for a new leader, 49 Writers is pleased to announce that Erin
Coughlin Hollowell is at the helm of our statewide organization!
is a familiar face in Alaska’s literary world. She is the assistant coordinator
of the Kachemak Bay Writing Conference and the current administrator for the
Friends of the Homer Public Library. As an author and a poet, Erin is the
recipient of the Alaska Literary Award (2014); Connie Boochever Award (2013);
Ramsuson Foundation Fellowship (2013); and the author of Pause, Traveler, a collection of poems published by Red Hen Press
(2013).
miss the members-only upcoming agent event in Anchorage. If you’re a 49 Writers member, you should have received an e-vite for a July 14 event with literary agent Jeff Kleinman. In Juneau, our next member event is on August 6 from 7-9 pm; again, members should watch for details via email. (Not a member? Head over to our website to join.) And stay tuned for the
fall schedule including Melinda Moustakis’ (Bear Down, Bear North – 2012
Flannery O’Connor Award Recipient for Short Fiction) NEA-funded tour of
Southeast Alaska.
49
Writers flagship program, The Tutka Bay Writers Retreat, will take place September
11-13, 2015. Tutka Bay Lodge recently joined a small group of resorts/hotels
recognized by National Geographic as one of the world’s unique lodges! Register
today before the last few spaces are gone.
EVENTS IN ANCHORAGE
Starting September 20th at Hugi-Lewis Studio, Parley will kick off a
new season with readings from 10 (plus) local poets. There will be no marquee
poet. Send a note to poetryparley@gmail.com
if you want to be considered. We will hold a few slots for new readers.
Anchorage Museum has posted their Schedule of Programs for
July and August. Visit www.anchoragemuseum.org/media for the full list of events.
Below are some of the highlights. To confirm details and dates, call the
Marketing and Public Relations Department at (907) 929-9227.
bicycle commuters to submit their harrowing, funny and interesting stories
about using Anchorage’s public trail system. The Anchorage Museum and Bike
Anchorage will lead a bike tour on July 25 based on rider submissions. Email
stories to bike@anchoragemuseum.org by July 13. On July 25, 1-3pm, take a tour
of Anchorage through the stories of bike commuters. The Anchorage Museum and
Bike Anchorage lead a bike tour of Anchorage based on the harrowing, funny, and
interesting experiences people have encountered using Anchorage’s public trail
system. Riders are encouraged to wear helmets and pack their own water.
Register online. $10
best summer? Prove it and share your tales with a Pecha Kucha style
presentation on Aug. 21. Contact lgarrod@anchoragemuseum.org by Aug. 14 if you
would like to be a presenter.
Doug Capra signs his book “The Spaces Between: Stories from the Kenai Mountains
to the Kenai Fjords” at the Anchorage Museum Shop. “The Spaces Between” is a
colorful collection of articles and stories about the people and pioneers that
helped to settle the eastern Kenai Peninsula. Readers gain insight to the life
and times of a unique period of Alaska’s history. Free. Books available for
purchase.
commemorate the historic rise of Anchorage from the first sale of town lots in
1915 to Alaska’s largest city in 2015, 49 Writers published the memoir anthology
“Anchorage Remembers.” The book chronicles the history of Anchorage in the
words of those who have lived it. This book launch includes readings by
anthology authors who reflect on what makes Anchorage such a special place.
This program is presented by 49 Writers and is supported by a Centennial
Community Grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Rasmuson Foundation, and
the Anchorage Centennial Celebration. Free. Books available for purchase.
Riordan guides teens in designing their own ‘zines inspired by the Anchorage
Centennial. Mixing text with historical and contemporary images, participants
create their own publication, reflect on Anchorage’s past and envision its
future. In conjunction with the exhibition “City Limits” and the
Anchorage Centennial, this workshop invites teens to work with a contemporary
artist and consider place and history while helping to create the future of
Anchorage. Ages 13-18. Reservations required; enroll online. $55
July 12-21, 8pm, Northern Renaissance Arts & Sciences Readings Schedule, in
conjunction with the UAA MFA Summer Residency. Join Keynote Writer Ron Carlson, Distinguished Guest Poet Sean Hill, and a class of Alaska writers such as Nancy Lord, Sherry Simpson, and Eva Saulitis for a week of readings to celebrate local graduating MFA students. All of the detailed information can be viewed here.
Editions Fiction Prize. The story collection is inhabited by killers and
thieves, astronauts and cave explorers, moose hunters and country club ladies,
all seeking some exit toward better dreams. Robin McLean was a lawyer and then
a potter for 15 years in the woods of Alaska before receiving her MFA at U Mass
Amherst in Massachusetts. She currently teaches at Clark University. Joining
Robin McLean is UAF professor emeritus and Alaska State Writer Laureate Frank
Soos. He is author of Unified
Field Theory, Bamboo Fly Rod
Suite: Reflections on Fishing and the
Geography of Grace, and he is co-editor with Kesler Woodward of Under Northern Lights: Artists and Writers
on the Alaskan Landscape.
John Haines.” James P. Warren, Professor of English at Washington and Lee
University, has received a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum to research
and write about the poetry and prose of John Haines. He is the author of John Burroughs and the Place of Nature, The
Culture of Eloquence, and Walt
Whitman’s Language Experiment. At this event, he shares his research
about John Haines and the importance of his work.
One Alaska, Many Traditions: The Global History of Alaska. According to
Katherine Ringsmuth, “With every job I take on, my objective is to inspire a
commitment to a place, its history and respect for all people who share it.”
At this event, Alaska history is viewed in a dynamic, global perspective. Katherine
Ringsmuth teaches American and Alaskan History in the UAA History Dept. and serves
on the Board of Directors for the Cook Inlet Historical Society. She has
acted as Alaska Curator for the Anchorage Museum and has published numerous
books as historian for the National Park Service.
Media with Novels to Enhance Communication. Bonnye Matthews is the award
winning writer of the Winds of Change Series. At this event, Tuksook’s
Story: 35,000 BC and its setting in Cook Inlet, accompanied by a 20
minute DVD, will be examined. “Cook Inlet — The Setting for Tuksook’s
Story, 35,000 BC, DVD” tells the story of how that area of Alaska came to
be. It gives a sweeping time travel from Pangea to the present, describes
the dinosaur age, explains what flora and fauna the People might have
encountered, and how the land came and comes to be. Everyone is invited to
explore Cook Inlet’s past with fascinating research, geologic time and
storytelling.
to the public. There is free parking for bookstore events in the South
Lot, the West Campus Central Lot (behind Rasmuson Hall), and the Sports NW
Lot. Note: UAA Campus Bookstore podcasts are posted in iTunes or
iTunes U–just search UAA or UAA Campus Bookstore. Or see http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/bookstore/events/podcasts.cfm.
Book Signings
EVENTS AROUND ALASKA
SOUTHCENTRAL, MAT-SU, KENAI PENINSULA
SOUTHEAST
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITERS
Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop presents RiverSong with Frank Soos, Michelle McAfee, Robin Child, and Nancy Cook, July 22-27, McCarthy to Chitina. The Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop is pleased to partner with McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters to host a six-day, five-night adventure in the fabulous Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. This year’s workshop will feature poet and essayist, Frank Soos, who is currently serving as Alaska’s Writer Laureate, joined by accomplished singer-songwriter Michelle McAfee, backcountry banjo-diva Robin Child, and workshop director Nancy Cook. Together they will explore the ways wilderness can help inspire songs, stories, poems, and essays. Activities include an opening reading/performance and craft sessions in the comfort of the Wrangell Mountains Center’s facility in McCarthy, followed by three nights and four days of creative inquiry along the Kennicott, Nizina, Chitina, and Copper Rivers. Space is limited to eight student writers/ songwriters.
Alaska Writers Guild & SCBWI Annual Writer’s Conference, September 19-20, Anchorage. Early registration starts May 2015. www.AlaskaWritersGuild.com
Alaska Women Speak is looking for a responsible maven fluent with InDesign (CS6) layout and website savvy to join the all-volunteer crew as Layout Editor. Here’s your chance to create for a 23rd year in the running, statewide, quarterly publication! This is not a site-specific volunteer opportunity, but sound Internet connection is required. Occasional Skype sessions apply. If interested, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us at alaskawomenspeak@yahoo.com
13 Chairs Literary Journal, a new literary journal publishing short stories and poetry from new and emerging authors, seeks submissions and volunteers. They are currently composing their flagship issue, straight out of JBER, AK. To learn more, and to submit, email info@13chairs.com or visit 13chairs.com.
From July 1 to August 15 the Rasmuson Foundation Artist Residency Program will be accepting applications from Alaska artists and writers interested in a fully-funded two-month residency in the Lower 48. The eligibility requirements have changed—Alaska-based artists who have not received a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award are now also eligible to apply. A free information session detailing the program, eligibility requirements, and application process will be held June 26, at 6 p.m. in the Anchorage Museum’s Reynolds Classroom. Potential applicants are invited to attend in-person or by teleconference. More information can be found at rasmuson.org. If you have questions about the program, contact Jayson Smart at jsmart@rasmuson.org or call 907-297-2882.
GOOD NEWS!
largest issue ever can be ordered there as well. A 40% discount will be offered
for orders of five or more. Reply via email cirquejournal@gmail.com to ask about
this.
Soon, we will all be able to hear the beautiful words in Lynne Curry’s upcoming book, Beating the Workplace Bully. Brilliance Audio recently purchased the audio rights!
Welcome, Erin! Looking forward to working with you! 🙂