Weekly Roundup of Writing Opportunities for June 3

EVENTS
IN ANCHORAGE
UAA Bookstore
Monday, June 6 from
11:30am-1:30pm

at the UAA
Campus Bookstore
5
Authors, 5 Genres
Authors
Bonnye Matthews, C.M. McCoy, Steven Levi, Sharon Emmerichs and Alyse Knorr
share their work in various literary genres. Prehistoric fiction, mystery,
fantasy, romance and poetry are on the agenda.

Bonnye Matthews, Winds of Change Series: Ki’ti’s Story, 75,000 BC, Manak-na’s
Story, 75,000 BC, Zamimolo’s Story, 50,000 BC, Tuksook’s Story, 35,000 BC, and
The SealEaters, 20,000 BC. (Prehistoric Fiction)

C.M. McCoy (Colleen Oefelein), Eerie (Alaskan Romance)

Steven Levi, Deadmen Do Come Back (Alaska Gold Rush murder mystery)

Sharon Emmerichs, The Penny Prophecy and Turning a Blind Eye. (SciFi/Fantasy)
Assistant
Professor of Shakespeare at UAA English Department. –under pseudonym Emma
Sharon Rich.

Alyse Knorr, Super Mario Bros. 3, Copper Mother and Annotated Glass (Poetry)
UAA
English Department.
Everyone
is invited to come for readings, book signings and discussion. There is free
parking for this event in the South Lot, Sports Complex NW Lot, West Campus
Central Lot , Sports Campus West Lot. For more information contact Rachel
Epstein at 786-4782 or
repstein2@uaa.alaska.edu.
Tuesday, June 7 from 4:00pm-6:00pm at the UAA Campus Bookstore
Movie
Making  and Documentary, Alaska Style  
What
is changing in the Alaska movie scene?  How are documentaries about Alaska
and by Alaskans created, distributed and stored?   Is there an Alaska
style?  Lael Morgan, Kim Rich, Francine Lastufka Taylor, Carolyn Robinson,
and David Holthouse discuss the Alaska film world.
   
Lael Morgan is an accomplished author, teacher, journalist and
publisher.  She co-established Epicenter Press and is the author of
16 books.  In addition to her many accomplishments and awards is the
title Alaska Historian of the Year.
   
Kim Rich is a writer and teacher.  Her highly acclaimed
memoir Johnny’s Girl : A Daughter’s Memoir of Growing Up In Alaska’s
Underworld
was made into a  television movie starring Treat Williams.
   
Francine Lastufka Taylor created the Alaska Moving Image
Preservation Association (AMIPA) in 1991.  Today the collection, with over
17,000 items, serves as a public treasure chest of Alaska history and
 art.  Francine’s numerous accomplishments include establishing the
Alaska Native Arts Festival, 1966-1972 and being a recipient of the Alaska
Press Women’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
   
Carolyn Robinson is owner of Sprocket Heads, LLC., Alaska’s
only high-end production, production services and post company in Alaska.
 Among her numerous documentary projects is the award-winning film, Aleut
Story
, for which she secured public broadcasting distribution, cash, and
in-kind contributions.  Carolyn also produced
the documentary Alaska’s Bush Pilots: On Location with Jared Leto, a
nationally syndicated and internationally distributed documentary 
   
David Holthouse is a notable Alaskan journalist and
writer.  He is working on a five-part documentary series on the Anchorage
Police Department in the 1970’s and is a contributor to the Magnetic North: The
Alaskan Character, a series of documentaries produced with the AHF that is due
out in 2017.
There
is free parking for this event in the South Lot, Sports Complex NW Lot, West
Campus Central Lot , Sports Campus West Lot. For more information contact
Rachel Epstein at 786-4782 or
repstein2@uaa.alaska.edu.
Wednesday, June 15 from
4:00pm-6:00pm

at the UAA Campus Bookstore
Author
Brendan Jones presents Alaskan Laundry
Brendan
Jones works in commercial fishing and lives in Sitka, Alaska. A Stegner fellow
at Stanford University, he also studied and boxed at Oxford University. His
literary work has appeared in the New York Times, Ploughshares, and
on NPR.
Alaskan
Laundry

has been
described as a “gorgeous and powerful novel that succeeds both as a
page-turning adventure story and an evocative exploration of the meaning of
home.” (Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans)
At
this event, writer and author Brendan Jones reads and discusses Alaskan Laundry
where “a fierce, lost young woman finds herself through the hard work of
fishing and the stubborn love of real friendship”.
There
is free parking for this event in the South Lot, Sports Complex NW Lot, West
Campus Central Lot, Sports Campus West Lot. For more information contact Rachel
Epstein at 786-4782 or
repstein2@uaa.alaska.edu.
Bear
Stories
Thursday,
June 9, evening show, 8:30 pm at Bear Tooth Theatrepub
Music
by Todd Grebe & Cold Country | Tickets: $10, available May 24
Hosted
by the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) with
Arctic Entries volunteers and Bear Tooth. Proceeds benefit bear conservations.
EVENTS
AROUND ALASKA
Readings
Author
Brendan Jones will read from his new
novel, The Alaskan Laundry, in several communities:


June
03
         The Anchorage Museum 7 pm, Anchorage


June
04
         Juneau Public Library Mendenhall
Valley,
6 pm
Juneau | 
After this reading on Saturday, Brendan is glad to go out and talk shop with other writers. The rendezvous point will be announced at the end of the library event. Come on out, support Alaskan writers, and mingle!  


June
13
         Fireside Books, 5 pm Palmer


June
15
         University of Alaska Anchorage
Bookstore,
4 pm
Anchorage


HOMER
Thursday, June 9th,
7 pm, Island and Ocean Visitor Center
Novelist,
Science writer and theoretical physicist Alan
Lightman
and UAA professor of astronomy and deep space photographer Dr. Travis Rector present What Do We Know (And What Do We Not Know)
About the Universe?
FAIRBANKS
The
Fairbanks Arts Association
is the host of the oldest Literary Reading in the State. Every
month, the public is treated to writers reading their own work and a community
meet-up where people can connect with other lovers of literature. Readings
are held on the day after First Friday, usually
the first Saturday
of the month at 7
pm
. Most reading are held in the Bear Gallery in Pioneer Park, although
occasionally in the summer (June, July, and August) the weather is beautiful
reading are held outside to another spot in Pioneer Park.
Upcoming: 
June
4: Community Writers Group and Alaska Writers Guild 
July
9: Nicole Stellon O’Donnell
August
6: Paul Greci
September: UAF
Faculty Reading
October: TBA
November: TBA
December: Rosemary
McGuire
Additional
readings and literary events may be held, but the First Saturday Literary
Reading Series will always be at 7 pm the day after First Friday (Except
February). 
SOUTHCENTRAL,
MAT-SU, KENAI PENINSULA
49
Writers is pleased to partner with the 
Machetanz Arts Festival at the Mat-Su College on June 4 and 5 to facilitate six writing
workshops and two panel discussions. 
Register today!
Full
schedule: 
Saturday,
June 4, 2016
Session
I (9:30 – 11:30 am)
Julie
LeMay | Finding Yourself in a Poem
While
focusing on poetic techniques like metaphor and repetition, this workshop will
use writing exercises to create poems about the self. Whether you’re a
beginning or experienced poet, you’ll find this workshop a playful approach to
getting some poems on the page. Open to all levels. 
Session
II (12:30 – 2:30 pm)
Alyse
Knorr | How Shall I Begin? Starting Your Piece with a Bang 
How
do writers keep readers reading? What’s the best way to begin your short story,
novel, memoir, or poem to set the mood, establish themes, and introduce
conflict? This workshop will explore the art of beginnings, introductions, and
first words. We will look at some top-notch examples, work through craft
exercises, and finish class with several new beginnings and approaches to
beginnings!
Session
III (2:45 – 4:45 pm)
Don
Rearden | The Sphere of Writing
Learn
how to advance your fiction and nonfiction to the next level by giving your
writing a 360-degree transformation. In this workshop you’ll be guided through
a series of fun writing prompts that will help you understand and see the world
your characters live in a new light. Learn how to craft complex and detailed
environments and watch your characters come to life within their new realm of
existence.
Panel
Discussion (5 – 6:30 pm)
Panel:
Julie LeMay, Alyse Knorr, Don Rearden | “You’ve Written Something,
Now What?” 
You’ve
written your masterpiece, now what? This panel will explore the different ways
to get feedback on your written work and how to decide where to submit your
work for publication. We’ll discuss literary journals, agents, developmental
editors, and all the behind-the-scenes work you need to accomplish between your
first draft and getting your words in front of readers.
Sunday,
June 5, 2016
Session
I (9:30 – 11:30 am)
Lynn
Lovegreen | Playing With Description
Good
writers use description to set the scene or reveal character. We’ve all read a
great line or sentence that describes perfectly, or cringed when a writer does
too much or not enough. But how do we do that effectively? This workshop will
explore description through reading and discussing examples, playing around
with writing exercises, and finding what works for the writer in a specific
audience, genre, and style.
Session
II (12:30 – 2:30 pm)
Martha
Amore | Capturing Character: The Mechanics of Writing Great Characters in
Fiction and Nonfiction
Whether
you are writing fiction or nonfiction, crafting complex and emotionally moving
characters is critical to a successful piece of writing. This workshop focuses
on how to develop your characters while advancing your story.
Session
III (2:45 – 4:45 pm)
Susanna
Mishler | Walking the Line
What
exactly is a poetic line made of? What difference does it make where the line
“breaks”? In this workshop participants will examine lines by
contemporary English-language poets that are used to achieve very different
effects. We will also experiment with lineation strategies and types with
in-class exercises. Our exercises and guided discussion will help illuminate
what makes a strong poetic line, and how an understanding of poetic lines can
enhance our own writing and reading. Suitable for poets and prose writers, as
well as readers, who would like to broaden their knowledge of poetic craft.
Panel
Discussion (5 – 6:30 pm)
Panel:
Lynn Lovegreen, Susanna Mishler, Martha Amore | Writing About Alaska
Without Moose
How
do you write authentically about a place that has inspired so much clichéd
literature? We’ll explore how to develop written work imbued with place that
doesn’t descend into overly-familiar themes and images.
OPPORTUNITIES
FOR WRITERS
Seeking
Storytellers
On the evening of Thursday, June 9, the International
Association for Bear Research and Management 
is hosting a Bear
Storytelling Night 
at the Bear Tooth Theatrepub. The
format will be inspired by Arctic Entries. The theme for the show is bears: bear
encounters, bear lessons, bear observations, bear obsessions, bear ANYTHING.
Bear biologists, Alaskans of all ages, visitors, anyone who has a good bear
tale – are welcome to tell us their best bear stories!
Arctic
Entries 
volunteers
will help with story selection and story coaching for the show. This event will
feature seven storytellers who will be selected based on the range of stories
submitted – from the funny to the scary, adorable to the bizarre, and
everything in between.
Once
a story is submitted, they will follow up either in person, on the phone, or
through email. Arctic Entries volunteers will work with you on developing the
story, fleshing out the parts that elicit a range of reactions from the
audience, and finding a storytelling technique that works for you. 
We also
provide assistance with stage fright.
Please
submit stories to 
submityourbearstory@gmail.com. Include your name, email
address, and phone number along with your story pitch. Thank you!
Seeking
Writers and Photographers for New Alaska Food Magazine
Edible
Alaska
, a
new magazine focused on food culture and practices in Alaska, will hit the
newsstands in June. Currently they are getting ready to launch 
their website with lots of new
content. They seek writers, photographers, recipe writers, and local chefs (who
want to be a resource to them). 
Article
pitches should fall (loosely) into the categories: eat, drink, and food for
thought. Web articles will be between 250-400 words and will pay about $50 per
piece and an additional $25 for an accompanying photograph. The rate is
somewhat negotiable for more experienced writers/photographers and for longer
pieces. 
They
seek original recipes that can include your standard recipe and a
“how-to” video. They are not looking for another profile about a
great microbrewery or reviews of well-known restaurants. They want to expand
what people know and think about food (and food culture) in Alaska while
creating an archive of food practices throughout the state (both urban and
rural).
Please
email your pitch to bree@edibleak.com with the subject line: Edible Article
Pitch.  Please include in your pitch sample writing clips, if you have
any. The magazine is particularly interested in recruiting writers from
outside of Anchorage and writers who live in rural/bush areas of the
state.  Don’t let a lack of writing experience deter you from pitching a
story, they are interested in cultivating new writers who have great stories to
share.”
CONFERENCES,
AWARDS, RETREATS & RESIDENCIES
The
fifteenth 
Kachemak
Bay Writers’ Conference
 will
be held on 
June 10-14 in Homer. This
year’s keynote is Pulitzer Prize winning, National Poet Laureate Natasha
Trethewey, who will be joined by Miriam Altshuler (agent), Dan
Beachy-Quick, Richard Chiappone, Jennine Capó Crucet, Alison Hawthorne Deming,
Forrest Gander, Lee Goodman, Richard Hoffman, Erin Coughlin Hollowell,
Sarah Leavitt, Nancy Lord, Jane Rosenman (editor), Peggy Shumaker, Sherry
Simpson, Frank Soos, and David Stevenson. For more information and
to register go to the 
website
Register
now 
for
the 2016 
Tutka
Bay Writers Retreat
, a
49 Writers program which will take place on September 9-11, 2016 at
the fantastic Tutka Bay L
odge. Faculty instructor award-winning writer Debra
Magpie Earling
 will lead fiction writers in an in-depth writing
workshop. Emphasizing 
in-class writing supportiveness, collegiality, and constructive
atmosphere, the engaged student will emerge with improved techniques for
further work. Early registration fee is $600 for members and $650 for
nonmembers. Learn more and 
register.
Wrangell Mountains
Writing Workshop’s Riversong float trip
July
20-26, 2016
in beautiful McCarthy, Alaska and the surrounding Wrangell St. Elias
National Park & Preserve. 
This
year’s workshop features a dynamic staff including poet, essayist and
singer/songwriter
David Lynn Grimes; professional
singer/songwriter 
Michelle McAfee; visual artist,
writer, and songwriter
Robin Child; and longstanding
workshop director, poet, and essayist
Nancy Cook.  The workshop will
include two nights and a full day of craft sessions at the Wrangell Mountains
Center in McCarthy, followed by a four night educational float trip along the
Kennicott, Nizina, Chitina, and Copper Rivers of South-central Alaska.   $975
includes all meals, instruction, and guided river trip with
McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters.  (And yes, that’s an
amazing deal!)  Check out the smiles in last year’s
Riversong album, or paddle on over to the Wrangell Mountain Center’s website to register. 
Workshop limited to eight student writers/songwriters.  Register now!
 
Thank
You for Your Support!
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10,000 people read the blog each month. The blog is made possible by 49 Writers
members, along with all of the workshops, author tours, Crosscurrents events,
readings, and craft talks we offer. Won’t you join them by becoming a
member? 
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