I'm glad Alaska's Writer Laureate Nancy Lord spoke of John Haines and his take on Alaskan Literature over at 49 Writers yesterday, because it spurred me to think some more about the question of whether there could be a serious course in Literature of the North.
Regional lit courses are nothing new. There's Literature of the American West, Literature of the American South. Granted, there's no Literature of the American East, but that's because the East thinks it IS literature. So what about Literature of the North? Is it true, as Haines contends, that we're generations away from a body of work that will stand on its own?
Note that in proposing Literature of the North, I'm conceding that we need input from our Candadian friends. And I'd include not only writers who live in the North, but also those writing about the North, like Barry Lopez. I'd start with Native legends, then segue into the Gold Rush (Jack London, Robert Service, Tappan Abney). Remember, nobody says it all must be stellar - rather, it needs to be representative, shedding light on where we've been and where we're headed. I admit there's a big dry spell spanning several decades, but then we get to Seth Kantner and John Straley and Nancy Lord and a host of other good writers who really have something to say.
I like the idea of a course in Northern Lit. Sometimes you have to set the bar so people will reach for it.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
ALASKAN AUTHORS INTERVIEW: WILLIE HENSLEY
Coming soon (January 2009) from Inupiat elder and activist Willie Hensley is Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People . We caught up with Willie as he's preparing for his first book tour.
Deb: Fifty Miles from Tomorrow is your first book. What inspired you to write it?
Willie: I wrote Fifty Miles from Tomorrow, in part, to inspire our own people to tell their story and to convey their knowledge of culture, history and the natural universe--that we didn't need our story to be filtered through people from the Outside.
Deb: Tell us how the process of writing was for you. What were the greatest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Willie: I was fortunate to have a good editor who took my early writing and described what she thought would be a successful way to write for me. My sentences tended to be too long and I didn't realize how much my early cultural upbringing affected how I wrote. It is very hard for an Inupiaq to take credit for anything due to our understanding that it takes many people to create success. I didn't find the writing too difficult and I did very little rewriting. I tried to describe the images in my life and my feelings and recollections of the various stages and efforts in my life.
Deb: Memoir is a tough genre, because you end up telling truths that may cause some discomfort for people you love. How did you resolve these issues when crafting your story?
Willie: Very early on I realized there were painful experiences that our people felt uncomfortable in expressing. We have lived in a harsh universe and for over ten thousand years, we learned to suffer through difficult circumstances without becoming whiners. To me, it was important that I not only try to describe our way of life before great changes began to occur--it was also important for us to expose the human toll of government and missionary policies and practices on our people. Before I started the book, I called my relatives to let know that I was going to write a book and they encouraged me--painful subjects and all.
Deb: What has been most rewarding about seeing your project through to completion?
Willie: The reward is the result. I never in my wildest imagination thought that I could write. The thought that I could write something that others will find worth their time and money is exhilarating. Also, I wanted our own people to know that despite my college degree and succession of good jobs and experiences, I also had to deal with my own adjustments to difficult circumstances that we all have faced due to forces beyond our control. I also am proud of that fact that other Americans and the world will have a book that sheds some light on a part of America that people know virtually nothing about.
Deb: What creative work has engaged you since finishing the book?
Willie: I had to work on the book at night, weekends, holidays and on planes--as I had not retired at the time I was writing. Since then, I have retired and tried to learn to be less driven--now beginning the effort to help my publisher publicize the book. I will spend most of January and the first quarter on the road. If the book sells reasonably, my publisher has first option on another book. I have not decided what the subject might be but I have some thoughts. I am not like most writers who are "driven" to write. I would like to try a novel.
(Deb’s note: For a schedule of Willie’s book tour, including stops in Seattle, Portland, California, Washington DC, and Anchorage, go to http://us.macmillan.com/Tour.aspx?id=246)
Deb: Fifty Miles from Tomorrow is your first book. What inspired you to write it?
Willie: I wrote Fifty Miles from Tomorrow, in part, to inspire our own people to tell their story and to convey their knowledge of culture, history and the natural universe--that we didn't need our story to be filtered through people from the Outside.
Deb: Tell us how the process of writing was for you. What were the greatest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Willie: I was fortunate to have a good editor who took my early writing and described what she thought would be a successful way to write for me. My sentences tended to be too long and I didn't realize how much my early cultural upbringing affected how I wrote. It is very hard for an Inupiaq to take credit for anything due to our understanding that it takes many people to create success. I didn't find the writing too difficult and I did very little rewriting. I tried to describe the images in my life and my feelings and recollections of the various stages and efforts in my life.
Deb: Memoir is a tough genre, because you end up telling truths that may cause some discomfort for people you love. How did you resolve these issues when crafting your story?
Willie: Very early on I realized there were painful experiences that our people felt uncomfortable in expressing. We have lived in a harsh universe and for over ten thousand years, we learned to suffer through difficult circumstances without becoming whiners. To me, it was important that I not only try to describe our way of life before great changes began to occur--it was also important for us to expose the human toll of government and missionary policies and practices on our people. Before I started the book, I called my relatives to let know that I was going to write a book and they encouraged me--painful subjects and all.
Deb: What has been most rewarding about seeing your project through to completion?
Willie: The reward is the result. I never in my wildest imagination thought that I could write. The thought that I could write something that others will find worth their time and money is exhilarating. Also, I wanted our own people to know that despite my college degree and succession of good jobs and experiences, I also had to deal with my own adjustments to difficult circumstances that we all have faced due to forces beyond our control. I also am proud of that fact that other Americans and the world will have a book that sheds some light on a part of America that people know virtually nothing about.
Deb: What creative work has engaged you since finishing the book?
Willie: I had to work on the book at night, weekends, holidays and on planes--as I had not retired at the time I was writing. Since then, I have retired and tried to learn to be less driven--now beginning the effort to help my publisher publicize the book. I will spend most of January and the first quarter on the road. If the book sells reasonably, my publisher has first option on another book. I have not decided what the subject might be but I have some thoughts. I am not like most writers who are "driven" to write. I would like to try a novel.
(Deb’s note: For a schedule of Willie’s book tour, including stops in Seattle, Portland, California, Washington DC, and Anchorage, go to http://us.macmillan.com/Tour.aspx?id=246)
Friday, December 5, 2008
ALASKAN AUTHORS WEEKLY ROUND-UP
Forget Golden Apples. There's no greater reward for a teacher than seeing a student make good with her talent, so I couldn't have been more pleased than to read former student Nancy Slagle's "Fahrenheit Be Darned," subtitled "A Fairbanks Woman discovers the joy and pain of running in winter," in the December/January issue of Alaska Magazine. Nice work, Nancy!
In the December 3 issue of the Anchorage Press, there's nice coverage of Maia Nolan, one of two literary recipients of the Rasmuson Award. Maia blogs at ownthesidewalk.com.
In reading about Idaho author Anthony Doerr, I discovered a new anthology edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey called State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. Seeing the book was billed as "original writing on all 50 states by 50 of our finest novelists, journalists, and essayists," I was eager to discover who they'd chosen to write about Alaska. The contributor is non-Alaskan John Greenberg.
In the December 3 issue of the Anchorage Press, there's nice coverage of Maia Nolan, one of two literary recipients of the Rasmuson Award. Maia blogs at ownthesidewalk.com.
In reading about Idaho author Anthony Doerr, I discovered a new anthology edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey called State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. Seeing the book was billed as "original writing on all 50 states by 50 of our finest novelists, journalists, and essayists," I was eager to discover who they'd chosen to write about Alaska. The contributor is non-Alaskan John Greenberg.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
ARE BOOKS RECESSION-PROOF?
Before the massacre in publishing began last week, there was some talk that books were recession-proof. Thankfully a small shred of evidence now points that way. Nielsen BookScan shows that for the week ending November 30, bookstore sales are up 6% as compared with Thanksgiving week 2007. For the most part, that's without the literally door-busting discounts offered by general retailers. Sales were especially strong with independents and children's books.
Just as rising gas prices made us think more about where and how we drive, let's hope this nasty recession bug reinforces the true value of a book. What makes a better gift than a book that enriches, entertains, informs? Books are good for us individually, and they're good for society. And there's no dilemma about regifting. When you're done enjoying your book, you do the environmentally friendly thing and trade at your local used book store. Why buy anything else?
The company delivering this morsel of hope is the same Nielsen that compiles ratings used to decide which TV shows stick and which get canned. In a related development, Nathan Bransford reports there's a Harper UK website, Authonomy, where books are ranked by readers rather than reviewers in a more formalized version of the Amazon sales tracking phenomenon. But what do these rankings really tell us? This week satirist Stephen Colbert poked fun at the concept by urging viewers to all download his Christmas album at 5 p.m EST on Wednesday, with the idea of propelling it to number one in the iTune rankings.
What does the future hold for independent reviews? Were they ever really independent? And do we need them? Or do shall we all just follow the herd, tracking with the cult of the masses?
Just as rising gas prices made us think more about where and how we drive, let's hope this nasty recession bug reinforces the true value of a book. What makes a better gift than a book that enriches, entertains, informs? Books are good for us individually, and they're good for society. And there's no dilemma about regifting. When you're done enjoying your book, you do the environmentally friendly thing and trade at your local used book store. Why buy anything else?
The company delivering this morsel of hope is the same Nielsen that compiles ratings used to decide which TV shows stick and which get canned. In a related development, Nathan Bransford reports there's a Harper UK website, Authonomy, where books are ranked by readers rather than reviewers in a more formalized version of the Amazon sales tracking phenomenon. But what do these rankings really tell us? This week satirist Stephen Colbert poked fun at the concept by urging viewers to all download his Christmas album at 5 p.m EST on Wednesday, with the idea of propelling it to number one in the iTune rankings.
What does the future hold for independent reviews? Were they ever really independent? And do we need them? Or do shall we all just follow the herd, tracking with the cult of the masses?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
ABOUT THAT NOVEL
How much will you say about your work in progress?
It's a weird writer thing, the perception that only novices talk - and sometimes, indeed, talking supplants actually writing. We have a big need to feel safe, and telling too much means putting ourselves out there. Someone might expect us to actually perform, and from the initial spark of our project to actually seeing it in print there's an outrageous amount that's beyond our control. Some of us get downright superstitious, as if in saying too much we'll jinx the whole deal.
Dysfunction or survival? Non-fiction projects aren't such a problem. Even if you don't have a contract, it's not that tough to spit out what you're up to and where you are in the project. But novels are scary. We know how easy it is to fall short.
In this big fat recession, angst piles on angst. If you're feeling especially masochistic, check out Nathan Bransford's low-down on the latest blood-letting among publishers. Then remind yourself how people succeed. They take risks. They set goals. They persevere. And they're not afraid to believe in themselves.
I know, it would be a lot more fun to stick your head in a big mound of snow and hope by the time it melts things have turned around. But have courage and faith, and talk about that novel.
It's a weird writer thing, the perception that only novices talk - and sometimes, indeed, talking supplants actually writing. We have a big need to feel safe, and telling too much means putting ourselves out there. Someone might expect us to actually perform, and from the initial spark of our project to actually seeing it in print there's an outrageous amount that's beyond our control. Some of us get downright superstitious, as if in saying too much we'll jinx the whole deal.
Dysfunction or survival? Non-fiction projects aren't such a problem. Even if you don't have a contract, it's not that tough to spit out what you're up to and where you are in the project. But novels are scary. We know how easy it is to fall short.
In this big fat recession, angst piles on angst. If you're feeling especially masochistic, check out Nathan Bransford's low-down on the latest blood-letting among publishers. Then remind yourself how people succeed. They take risks. They set goals. They persevere. And they're not afraid to believe in themselves.
I know, it would be a lot more fun to stick your head in a big mound of snow and hope by the time it melts things have turned around. But have courage and faith, and talk about that novel.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
REALLY BAD VERSE
From a wannabe Alaskan author, here's a portion of a poem inspired by - you guessed it - our fair governor. The poem was posted on a website called TeamSarah.org, a hang-out for Obama-haters and Sarah-lovers.
"We are the people that don't watch the news,
except for FOX.
We are the people that even after the election,
are wearing buttons.
We are the people that can watch youtube videos of Sarah,
and never get tired of them.
We are the people that have Sarah Palin ringtones,
making our liberal friends uncomfortable.
We are the people that are thinking about moving to Alaska,
just to be closer to Sarah to protect her from the smears."
I don't know about you, but I find those last lines truly frightening. If you're a glutton for punishment, you can read the entire poem in the Alaska Dispatch article "Team Sarah out for Blood." Be warned: much of the chat quoted in the article is exponentially more disturbing than this doggerel.
"We are the people that don't watch the news,
except for FOX.
We are the people that even after the election,
are wearing buttons.
We are the people that can watch youtube videos of Sarah,
and never get tired of them.
We are the people that have Sarah Palin ringtones,
making our liberal friends uncomfortable.
We are the people that are thinking about moving to Alaska,
just to be closer to Sarah to protect her from the smears."
I don't know about you, but I find those last lines truly frightening. If you're a glutton for punishment, you can read the entire poem in the Alaska Dispatch article "Team Sarah out for Blood." Be warned: much of the chat quoted in the article is exponentially more disturbing than this doggerel.
Monday, December 1, 2008
ABOUT GRACE
We enjoyed a big, beautiful snowfall this weekend, the kind that settles in a hush over the landscape and propels you on walk after walk. Even my little boxer puppy plowed bravely through the (for her) chest-deep snow.
It's no surprise that in Anthony Doerr's masterful novel About Grace, snow is the unifying theme, for what spawns more grace than a single crystal of snow? Spanning Alaska to the Caribbean, this is the tale of snow enthusiast David Winkler, who flees the north in hopes of outrunning a terrifying vision of his daughter's death.
"Snow fell in the city; ice reached across the ponds; the sea groaned as it collapsed, again and again, onto the wharf," he writes. Doerr lives in Idaho but he understands this place, landing his book on my list of best reads on Alaska, and snow.
It's no surprise that in Anthony Doerr's masterful novel About Grace, snow is the unifying theme, for what spawns more grace than a single crystal of snow? Spanning Alaska to the Caribbean, this is the tale of snow enthusiast David Winkler, who flees the north in hopes of outrunning a terrifying vision of his daughter's death.
"Snow fell in the city; ice reached across the ponds; the sea groaned as it collapsed, again and again, onto the wharf," he writes. Doerr lives in Idaho but he understands this place, landing his book on my list of best reads on Alaska, and snow.
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