UAA Campus Bookstore talks for October 2015

All UAA Campus Bookstore events are informal, free and open to the public. See the full schedule of September events below. Please note: As the UAA Campus Bookstore undergoes renovations, all October events will take place at the UAA/APU Consortium Library or Wendy Williamson Auditorium.

Event podcasts can be found at the bookstore website or by searching for "UAA Campus Bookstore" or a guest speaker's name in iTunes.

'Lithuanian Poet Judita Vaiciunaite' with Svaja Worthington and Leslie Fried Saturday, Oct. 10, 1-3 p.m. UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

The art, life and times of Lithuanian poet Judita Vaiciunaite (1937-2001) will be highlighted at this event with Svaja Worthington and Leslie Fried.

Leslie Fried is the curator of the Alaska Jewish Museum in Anchorage. She received a B.A. in fine and applied arts from the University of Oregon and holds a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Washington. Also a poet, many of her poems have appeared in Cirque Literary Journal.

Svaja Vansauskas Worthington was just 18 months old when her family fled Lithuania to escape the devastation caused by World War II. For the past 40 years, she has called Alaska home. In 2013, she was named the Honorary Consul from the State of Alaska to the Republic of Lithuania. Although retired, Svaja occasionally teaches one English class at UAA's Chugiak-Eagle River Campus. Her translations of two poems by Judita Vaiciunaite appear in Cirque Literary Journal Vol. 6, no. 2.

There is free parking for this event in the Library Lot, Library NE Lot and the East Garage.

Beyond Limits Community Tour with Bonner Paddock, author of 'One More Step' Monday, Oct. 12, 6:30-8 p.m. Wendy Williamson Auditorium

The Arc of Anchorage is proud to present Bonner Paddock-the first person with Cerebral Palsy to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and complete the IRONMAN Kona challenge in Hawaii, unassisted. The event is free and open to the public! Come for this awesome opportunity to meet Bonner and hear about his amazing story of perseverance, motivation and his work with the OM Foundation.

His is a remarkable journey that has taken him across the globe and introduced him to a fascinating cast of characters who have supported his inspiring quest. An athlete, adventurer and philanthropist, Bonner is today no longer defined by his limits, but by the moments that pushed him past them. Infused with his irresistible charisma, courage and heart, illustrated with 16 pages of color photos, One More Step shows us that we can all conquer our own challenges and embrace every moment life has to offer.

This event, with book signing, is sponsored by OM Foundation, Young's Market Company and The Arc of Anchorage, along with the UAA Campus Bookstore. Event parking is free in the West Lot (directly across from the auditorium building).

For more information, contact Lisa Noland at lnoland@thearcofanchorage.org or (907) 646-5710 or Rachel Epstein at repstein2@uaa.alaska.edu or (907) 786-4782.

About One More Step: In this exhilarating and inspirational memoir, the first man with cerebral palsy to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and complete the brutal Ironman competition shares the exhilarating adventure that led to his achievements-redefining our ideas of normal and proving that life is never truly limited for any of us.

Bonner Paddock summited 19,341 foot-high Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's tallest freestanding mountain. Four years later, he earned the elite triathlete title, Kona Ironman. Thousands have done each individually. Bonner is the first person with cerebral palsy to do both.

Diagnosed in his youth, Bonner swore he wouldn't let this neurological disorder limit him, and for twenty-nine years he guarded the truth about his health. But the sudden death of a friend's young son who also suffered from CP forced Bonner to reevaluate his life. No longer would he be content striving for normal. Instead he would live life to its fullest, pursuing one breathtaking experience at a time-while raising money for special needs children along the way-and never turn down a challenge for fear of his physical limitations.

Tea and conversation with Katherine Donahue, author of 'Steaming to the North' Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1-2 p.m. UAA Engineering and Industry Building, Express Café (second floor)

Come welcome guest speaker, author and anthropologist Katherine Donohue at this informal gathering.

Author Katherine Donahue presents 'Steaming to the North: The First Summer Cruise of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear, Alaska and Chukotka, Siberia, 1886' Tuesday, Oct. 13, 5-7 p.m. UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

The life of Alaska Natives and whalemen, accompanied by photographs of the last sail-and-steam whaling ship, the Bear, are highlighted at this event. Katherine Donahue is professor of anthropology at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. Steaming to the North is published by University of Alaska Press.

Book description: Steaming to the North follows the Bear from May to October 1886 as it takes its first summer cruise from San Francisco up to Point Barrow and back again. This is the first book to exhibit the photographs taken by 3rd Lt. Charles Kennedy of New Bedford, introducing rarely seen photos of the last sail-and-steam whaling ships, capturing early interactions of natives with white whalemen and explorers, and showing lives otherwise lost to time. Essays follow the logbook of the cruise and allow readers to vividly ride alongside the crew on a history-making voyage.

This event is sponsored by the UAA Campus Bookstore and held in celebration of Alaska Book Week.

There is free parking for this event in the Library Lot, Library NE Lot and the East Garage.

Professor Sudarsan Rangarajan presents 'French Poets from A Gray Barn Rising' Saturday, Oct. 17, 1-3 p.m. UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

At this event, Sudarsan Rangarajan will discuss French poets from A Gray Barn Rising, including Francis Ponge and Robert Desnos. Sudarsan Rangarajan is professor of French and coordinator of the French Program in the UAA Department of Languages. His areas of interest include 20th-century French and Québécois literatures, and critical theory. His book Critical Essays on Michel Butor's L'Emploi du temps was published by Peter Lang in 2012.

There is free parking at UAA on Saturdays.

Sarah Hayes presents 'Tails and Trails: Winter Recreation in Denali National Park' Friday, Oct. 23, 1-2:30 p.m. Student Union, Lyla Richards Conference Room

Sarah Hayes, National Park Service backcountry ranger, explains the history and wonders of Denali National Park sled dogs and the ways you can enjoy the winter with them.

The sled dogs of Denali, and their kennels, have played a distinct role in the history and life of Alaska's first national park. They are the only sled dogs in the United States trained to help protect a national park and the wildlife and wilderness therein. They also help patrol the inner two million acres of designated wilderness where mechanized vehicles are prohibited.

Everyone is encouraged to come learn about the resident sled dogs at Denali National Park.

There is free parking at UAA on Fridays.

Heather Hudson presents her book, 'Connecting Alaskans: Telecommunications in Alaska from Telegraph to Broadband' Monday, Oct. 26, 5-7 p.m. UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

Connecting Alaskans tells the unique history of extending communication services including telephony, radio, television and the Internet throughout rural Alaska. Her book includes an analysis of successful policies and strategies to serve Alaska's remote regions, as well as how Alaskans' innovation, advocacy and persistence helped to connect more than 200 isolated villages. It also discusses the role of telecommunications in Alaska's rural development, including applications ranging from telemedicine and distance education to eGovernment and eCommerce.

Fran Ulmer states about Connecting Alaskans: "Effective telecommunication links have the power to erase distance as a barrier and in vast geographic areas like the Arctic-that is incredibly important to the safety, health, education and economies of rural residents. Professor Hudson has provided the historical an analytical perspective for readers to better understand what has happened in the 20th century and what needs to happen in the 21st century to carry on the tradition of innovation."

Heather Hudson is affiliate professor of communications policy at ISER and was the director of ISER from 2010 through 2012. She came to ISER from the University of San Francisco, where she founded the Telecommunications Management and Policy Program.

Free parking for this event in the Library Lot, Library NE Lot and the East Garage.

Jervette R. Ward discusses 'Real Sister: Stereotypes, Respectability, and Black Women in Reality TV' Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5-7 p.m. UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307

Jervette R. Ward is editor of and contributor to the book Real Sister: Stereotypes, Respectability, and Black Women in Reality TV, recently published by Rutgers University Press. At this event, she discusses how the book came together, the characterization of African-American women in reality TV shows, pervading stereotypes and the representation of beautiful, powerful black women.

About Real Sister: The first book of scholarship devoted to the issue of how black women are depicted on reality television, Real Sister offers an even-handed consideration of the genre. The book's ten contributors-female scholars from a variety of disciplines-provide a wide range of perspectives, while considering everything from "Basketball Wives" to "Say Yes to the Dress." As regular viewers of reality television, these scholars are able to note ways in which the genre presents positive images of black womanhood, even as they catalog a litany of stereotypes about race, class and gender that it tends to reinforce.

About the speaker: Jervette R. Ward is an assistant professor of English at UAA. She earned her Ph.D. in English - Literary & Cultural Studies) from the University of Memphis. Her research and teaching areas focus on American literature with an emphasis in African-American women's literature.

Free parking for this event is available in the Library Lot, Library NE Lot and the East Garage.

October Archive