Thank you to everyone who attended our first Crosscurrents event of the fall season this week – it was wonderful to see such support for our visiting author Pam Houston and Alaska writer Heather Lende. We are grateful to the Anchorage Public Library and Anchorage Friends of the Library for hosting this event at the Wilda Marston Theatre, and to the Anchorage Library Foundation for sponsoring the reception that followed the on-stage author conversation. Thank you too to Metro Music and Books, for providing books for our audience to purchase.
If you were unable to attend to due storm clean-up (as we know some of you were–hope power is restored soon) there are other opportunities to see Pam while she is in Alaska. After this weekend’s Tutka Bay Writers Retreat, she will be in Homer with Alaska musician Emma Hill on September 10, 7:00pm for “A Conversation of Story and Song” – a unique evening of literary entertainment at the Pioneer Hall. Pam and Emma will give an encore performance on September 16, 7:00pm at Out North in Anchorage. Admission to both events will be $10.
Registration is now open for our fall classes in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Palmer. We may yet add some to the schedule and will announce them as details are finalized. Check here and on the website for the latest information.
Plans are under way for Alaska Book Week, October 6-13. If you are a writer, reader, teacher, librarian, publisher or bookseller would like to participate, just complete the online form and our ABW coordinator will be in touch with more information.
The Great Talkeetna Festival of Books takes place this year on September 21 and 22. There is still space for another author, so if you are a Graphic Novelist or cartoonist interested in coming to Talkeetna on September 22nd, get in touch!
On September 10, 5:00pm-7:00pm, the UAA Bookstore will be hosting “Writing the Alaska Native Story: Contemporary Perspectives and Challenges” with Jan Harper Haines, Lael Morgan, William L. Iggiagruk Hensley, and Dr. Jeane Breinig.
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| Robert Lee |
Robert Lee, a Montana writer and teacher, hosts “Poetry, A Journey In & Out of Form” from 10 am-4 pm Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Pioneer Home Manager’s Residence in Sitka. The workshop, sponsored by the Island Institute, explores common and lesser known forms in poetry. Cost is $30 adults, $15 students; partial scholarships available.
On September 17, 5:00pm-7:00pm, also at the UAA Bookstore, John Morgan discusses his new book, Form of Feeling: Poetry in our Lives, Eva Saulitis presents her new collection of poetry, Many Ways to Say It, and poet/playwright Arlitia Jones resents Come to me, Leopards.
Out North’s Poetry Parley event takes place at 7 pm September 19. Edna St Vincent Millay is the marquee poet and Marie Lundstrom will read her own work.
Anchorage essayist and author Bill Sherwonit will teach a 12-week nature and travel writing class beginning September 19, 7:00-9:30pm, at the Sierra Club office downtown. Participants will explore and refine their own writing styles, with an emphasis on the personal essay form, and read and discuss works by some of America’s finest nature and travel writers. The cost is $240. To register or for more information, call 907-245-0283 or email akgriz@hotmail.com.
Cirque, an Anchorage-based regional journal, invites emerging and established writers living in the North Pacific Rim (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, Yukon Territory, Alberta, British Columbia and Chukotka) to submit short stories, poems, creative nonfiction, translations, plays, reviews of first books, interviews, photographs, and artwork for Cirque’s Winter Solstice 2012 Issue. Submission deadline is September 21 (fall equinox). Click here for submission guidelines.
On Sunday, September 23, 7-8pm, SCWBI Alaska (The Society of Children’s book Writers and Illustrators) invites you to a webinar with Kathleen Ortiz of New Leaf Literary Agency. the webinar will be geared toward writers of fiction for upper middle grade through young adult but will be packed with great information for all novel writers. Upon registration you will received information on how to access the webinar. Go to www.SCBWI.org and follow the link to Alaska’s home page for more information or email Stefanie Tatalias at statalias@me.com. $17.50 for SCWBI members, $20 for non-SCWBI members.
Also from SCBWI – an invitation to participate in a Virtual Critique with top-notch professional agenda by submitting 15 pages of manuscript for critique via email followed by a workshop gathering to review critiques and share feedback. Rubin Pfeffer of East West Literary Agency will review picture book manuscripts and dummies. The editor, Andrea Welch of Beach Lane Books (an imprint of Simon and Schuster) will review upper middle grade through young adult. There will also be an agent for chapter books through lower middle grade.This is not a formal submission but it makes it easier to submit to the agents later. The Virtual Critique this summer was a sell-out so be sure to register early to guarantee your slot. Manuscripts due October 11, critique workshop November 4. Go to www.SCBWI.org and follow link to Alaska’s home page for more information or email Stefanie Tatalias at statalias@me.com. $55 for SCBWI member, $60 for non-SCBWI members.
Writers beware: If you get an invitation to give a lecture in London at King’s College on October 29, 2012, don’t take it seriously. It appears to be a new scam to rip off writers. A fee and travel expenses are offered but the point is to get your bank and credit card information. King’s College is real enough, but the “professors” sending out the invites are not.
If you have news to share of publishing success, a book signing, or any other literary activity in your community, feel free to email us at 49writers@gmail.com and we’ll help to spread the word.
Submissions:
Sycamore Review is accepting entries for its inaugural Wabash Prize for Nonfiction judged by Mary Karr and open to previously unpublished works of nonfiction of 7,500 words or fewer. The author of the winning piece will be awarded $1,000 and publication in the 2013 Winter/Spring issue of Sycamore Review. Entry fee is $15 and $5 for each additional entry. Deadline: October 1. Visit www.sycamorereview.com/contest/ for more information.
2012 Burnside Review Book Prize for poetry offers winner $1000, plus 10 copies of the book. A second title will be pulled from the submissions and also be printed. Submit 48-64 pages of poetry, with a $25 entry fee. Details at www.burnsidereview.org. Deadline is November 30.
TINGE magazine, Temple University’s online literary journal, seeks fiction, poetry, and nonfiction for its fourth issue. Submissions accepted Sept. 1-Nov. 1. Submission guidelines at www.tingemagazine.org/submission-guidelines.
The Citron Review, an online literary journal created and edited by alumni of the Antioch University Los Angeles M.F.A. Program, seeks micro-fiction, flash fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction for its Winter 2012 Issue, but submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Full guidelines at thecitronreview.wordpress.com.