John Keeble's (assocate faculty member) essay on the artist, Ruben Trejo, "Trejo's Perfect Havoc," will appear in May 2010 in a retrospective show and book on his life and work issued by the University of Washington Press. Keeble is also reviewing proofs of Broken Ground, which is scheduled to be reissued by the University of Washington Press in a new critical edition, and he's finishing a new novel, The Appointment.
Josip Novokovich (associate faculty member) gave a reading at the Brooklyn Book Festival in early September.
The Best American Poetry Blog http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/ recently featured Professor Anne Caston's poetry book, Judah's Lion, published by Toad Hall Press. They also mentioned UAA's Low-Residency MFA Program.
Associate Faculty member Zack Rogow's new play recenty had its first dramatic reading in Berkeley, California. The play, "Nazim," is based on the life and work of the great Turkish poet, Nazim Hikmet. The director is Barbara Oliver.
Nancy Lord, Alaska Writer Laureate, and associate faculty member, has a new book, Rock, Water, Wild: An Alaskan Life, published by the University of Nebraska Press. The book is a collection of essays and memoir that trace her interests in place, the environment, and conservation. A nice review appeared in the Homer News.
On a recent visit to Kodiak, Lord spoke to students at Kodiak College about essay writing and presented a reading with local writers at the Kodiak public library.
Associate faculty member, Derick Burleson's poetry collection, Never Night, was recently listed as a Notable Book 2007-2008 in Poetry International. He also appeared on Detroit Today and gave a reading from Never Night.
Professor Linda McCarriston's poems: "Bear Valley: Overlooking Anchorage," "To Judge Faolain, Dead Long Enough: A Summons," and "A Castle in Lynn" recently appeared in International Psycholanalysis.
Professor Jo-Ann Mapson’s essay, "Gandalf the Great Gray," appears in the new anthology, Wild Moments: Adventures with Animals of the North edited by Michael Englehard, University of Alaska Press. Her novel, Bad Girl Creek was discussed on Chatzy (website) and with the Danamaniacs Book Club (named after acclaimed mystery writer, Dana Stabenow). Jo-Ann is also hard at work at her next novel.
Anne Caston, UAA Associate Professor of Creative Writing/Poetry and core faculty member was recently interviewed in a special poetry program featured by the Library of Congress.
Caston and fellow poet, Laura Orem (Pennsylvania), were interviewed by Grace Cavalieri for the weekly radio broadcast and Web podcasts of "The Poet and The Poem." Anne read selections from her forthcoming poetry collection, The Empress of Longing, and talked with Cavalieri about writing, UAA's MFA Program, the students who study here, and the artist's life and work.
Many national poets are featured in "The Poet and the Poem" interview series, including such notables as Louise Gluck, Robert Pinsky, Billy Collins, W.S. Merwin, and the late W.D. Snodgrass. The Web podcasts, in alphabetical order, are available at the Library of Congress Poet and Poem Web site.
The Creative Writing & Literary Arts Department (UAA, Low-Residency MFA Program) co-organized the Alaska State Writer Laureates on Alaska's Land & Literature at the UAA Campus Bookstore in spring 2009. Funds for John Haines and Richard Dauenhauer's visit were graciously provided by Lila Vogt and the Poetry League. Four distinguished Alaskan authors appeared on the panel, including Nancy Lord, current Writer Laureate for the State of Alaska, and an associate faculty member in the UAA Low-Residency MFA Program; John Haines (Poet Laureate, 1969); Richard Dauenhauer (Poet Laureate, 1981); and Anne Hanley (Writer Laureate, 2002). Kathleen Tarr, Program Coordinator (CWLA) served as moderator. Co-sponsors were: UAA's College of Arts & Sciences; the Alaska Humanities Forum; Alaska Center for the Book; Lila Voigt and the Poetry League; and the UAA Campus Bookstore (with special assistance by Rachel Epstein).
Rich Chiappone, associate faculty member, appeared on the BBC radio show, "The Verb" hosted by Ian McMillan. One of Chiappone’s short stories was also excerpted and read on-air. Professor Ron Spatz, founding editor, Alaska Quarterly Review, was also on the radio show to talk about Alaskan literature.
One of Chiappone's stories, "Uncommon Weather," will appear in the October 2009 issue of The Sun.
Sherry Simpson, Associate Professor (literary nonfiction) recently spoke at the Alaska State Council on the Arts’ annual statewide conference held in Anchorage. Simpson joined fellow artists, Alvin Amason & Kes Woodward, to give the closing remarks about the future of literature.
David Stevenson, organized and moderated a mountaineering literature symposium at UAA's Campus Bookstore. The Alaska Mountaineering Symposium featured the following panelists: Clare Chesher, literary critic from UAA's Department of English; Charlie Sassara, climber and owner of Alaska Rock Gym; Bill Sherwonit, author of Living with Wildness and numerous other nature books; and David Stevenson, Director of the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program, UAA, and book review editor of the American Alpine Journal. To tune in to a podcast of the event: http://greenandgold.uaa.alaska.edu/podcasts/.
