ANNABELLE AND BUDDY

There's still time to read John Straley's The Big Both Ways, a featured Alaskan book this fall at 49 Writers. In online book club format, you're invited to stop by 49 Writers on November 1, post your comments, and read comments left by others.

I'm nearly finished with this newest book of Straley's, and while not his typical mystery, it's definitely worth the read. You'll meet quite a few characters in the early chapters. Once I got acquainted with Annabelle and her yellow bird, Buddy, I was hooked. The novel earned a couple of starred reviews, a notable achievement for Alaska's former writer laureate and for his publisher, Alaska Northwest Books.

ALASKAN AUTHORS WEEKLY ROUND-UP

Prolific and popular Alaskan mystery writer Dana Stabenow announces that the first chapter of her 17th Kate Shugak novel Whisper to the Blood is now available for an online sneak peek. You can also preorder a signed first edition. If you're one of the few who are unfamiliar with Stabenow's work, fair warning - it's addicting. If you don't believe me, check out the Danamaniacs, who are hosting a chat about all things Stabenow on October 20 at 5 p.m. Alaska time.

The Alaska Writer's Guild is featuring Professor John Strohmeyer, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing, at their monthly meeting this Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Anchorage Barnes and Noble. Strohmeyer is also the author of
Historical Anchorage.

Also in Anchorage, novelist and former Alaska writer laureate John Straley will speak tonight at the Alaska Historical Society conference; $45 will get you dinner at UAA's Cuddy Hall and a chance to hear Straley's thoughts on "The Gray Area: Liars, Storytellers, and Private Detectives." Finally, authors Velma Wallis, Harold Napoleon, and Aaron Leggett will speak Monday, Oct. 20 at the UAA Bookstore from 5-7 p.m. on "Alaskan Natives Looking Forward."

For writers who've tired of slogging through the gatekeepers of publishing, another online option has come on the scene. At BookRix, you can publish your opus and make it available for all to read online. Is this information overload or another chance to get noticed, like the latest self-pubbed sensation The Lost Epistle of Jesus, which is being shopped at this week's Frankfort Book Fair.

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

Cold is what our early Anchorage winter has delivered, but it's not how most of us want to characterize our careers, unless we're professional skiers or snowmachiners like the newly-illustrious Todd Palin.

With the economy sending pre-Halloween shivers down most every spine, the book industry is not exactly in fine shape. Indeed, as the New York Observor reports in "Baby, It's Going to be Cold Outside in Book Publishing," the puddle from the meltdown is about to freeze to the bottom in publishing.

Before you give up on that break-out book, remember publishing is notorious for examining its navel and pronouncing itself dead. Still, Leon Neyfakh makes some good points in his piece, not the least of which is that for a book to grab the attention of editors and agents these days, it needs to be "riveting and brilliant."

If I had one word of advice to new writers, it would be to post those adjectives, along with others like "compelling" and "pageturning" alongside their computers. Time was when just writing pretty well about a great place like Alaska snagged contracts and readers. Not so anymore.

And that's one of those good things, like generosity and reflection, that can come of hardship. In our books, as in politics, we're poised to embrace the highest standards.

THAT'S ALASKA

With the election less than three weeks away and the gap in the polls widening, it looks like Alaska may get its governor back - or some semblance of who we thought she was. Having penned coming of age novels, I hope we'll look back on these past few months as a coming of age of sorts for our state, from which we emerge from tumult and naivete into some semblance of reflective, mature adulthood.

Writing will continue to help us grow. Of recent note are an insightful essay by Nick Jans in Salon, "Sarah Palin: The View from Alaska," and today's ADN front page story "Polarizing Journey." We know our governor better now, and more importantly, we know ourselves.

One point we've been trying to drive home for folks Outside is what it means to cherish and care for a place that reaches into the core of who we are, all with precious few to lead us. Despite what our governor claims, we're not a microcosm of America. We're not like everywhere else.

A few days ago, I braved a chill wind to cheer on the North Pole Patriots at the high school football playoffs. My team lost, but guess who plunked down in the bleacher below to support athletes from the conservative railbelt community? None other than Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell and State Representative Gene Thierriault. And here's the thing - it was no big deal. No handshakes, no attention. Just a couple of guys hanging out at the game. That's Alaska.

(Pictured above on June 28, 2008, at a statehood anniversary celebration, from left to right: Alaska's governor Sarah Palin, lieutenant governor Sean Parnell (who lost a primary challenge to Congressman Don Young in the Repulican primary), and Anchorage mayor Mark Begich, Democratic challenger for the seat of Senator Ted Stevens (now on trial for federal charges of fraud)

NEW ALASKAN AUTHORS

Today we're celebrating new Alaskan authors, a whole book full of them, from Alaska's Kuspuk School District along the middle Kuskokwim River. Last fall, mystery author Donna Moore visited Aniak, Kalskag, and Sleetmute as part of Alaska Sisters in Crime's Authors to the Bush program. There it's safe to say she fell in love with our state and the warm folks of the region.

Last night she returned to Anchorage, all the way from Scotland, with beautiful anthologies in tow - polished, professionally bound collections called "Imagine," featured stories and poems by Kuspuk students. Today Donna, on vacation from a day job in what she calls "the exciting and thrilling world of pensions," headed back to Aniak and surrouding villages for ten days of work with students. "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather go," she said.

Nick, an anthology contributor from Aniak who, like many villagers pushed out by rishing costs in the Bush, has relocated to Anchorage, was on hand at an Alaska Sisters in Crime reception last evening to see his published work for the first time. "She was the key to the door I didn't even know was there," said Nick, pictured above with writer Donna Moore.

ILLITERATE ALASKA?

Eleven percent of Alaskans function at the lowest level of literacy, according to the National Institute for Literacy. Sad to say, it appears our governor may be among them. The same woman who claims to read everything put in front of her reportedly hasn't bothered to read the 263-page report on her Troopergate misdeeds.

And her comprehension is so low that when informed of Finding 1, in which independent investigator Steve Branchflower says, "I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.100(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act," Sarah maintains that she has done nothing illegal and has been completely vindicated by the report's findings.

Forget No Child Left Behind. We need No Governor Left Behind.

Eighty-nine percent of us do read. We do comprehend. And we're insulted to be treated as if we don't.

ALASKAN AUTHORS WEEKLY ROUND-UP

We're in the midst of a meltdown. Not just on Wall Street, which is alarming enough, but on Main Street Anchorage. Okay, Anchorage has no actual Main Street, but we're riding a roller coaster of early winter snow and a major meltdown thereof. Seasonal shifting, not so strange. May the market recover as quickly as our snowcover undoubtedly will.

Speaking of market meltdowns, I hope you caught Stephen Colbert's uproarious spoof on commie lending practices at our public libraries. And speaking of libraries, Ketchikan librarian Charlotte Glover spoke with Library Journal about book selection in small towns like Ketchikan and Wasilla. While not condoning Palin-style banning threats once books are on the shelves, she points out that with limited budgets and less-than-diverse clientele, librarians have to be prudent and selective.

Speaking of Palin, I'll bet you're not surprised to learn there's another Sarah book in the works. The Alaska Dispatch reports that Sarah Takes on Big Oil, by Kay Cashmen and Kristen Nelson, comes out this Sunday, October 12, released by PNA Publishing, a division of Petroleum News.

And finally, don't forget that today is the last day to RSVP for the Alaska Sisters in Crime event this coming Monday, October 13. At the reception, the group will receive the 2007 Alaska Contributions to Literacy Award for the outstanding work they've done promoting literacy in our state. Also on hand will be Scottish author Donna Moore, AKSinC's 2008 Author to the Bush, who'll do a short presentation on her work with students in Aniak. AKSinC invites you to join them for refreshments, door prizes, live music, and special guests, starting at 6 p.m. at the BP Energy Center. Be sure to RSVP today to info@aksinc.org.