Writing in Alaska

So, we just got to see a world-famous and personal hero of a writer up here for free (Nikki Giovanni), and now I'm finding out that Alaska is quite the hot-bed for writing! I've been aspiring to be a writer for some time, and the more I dedicate myself to that end t the more I am finding things in synchronicity of that goal. Anyway, here are some of the things I'm finding out! I know most people won't be that interested, so I'll try to keep it brief.

Great blog for/by Alaskans writers: 49 Writers, which is actually where I've found most of this information! I'm going to join their online discussion of Rock, Water, Wild: An Alaskan Life by Alaskan author Nancy Lord.

There are quite a few writing workshops up here. The two I'm most excited about are the Kachemak Bay Writer's Confrence, this year featuring none other than my writer super-hero Michael Cunningham, and the Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop. Both occur annually and are in AMAZINGLY spectacular settings. Kachemak Bay is my favorite place in Alaska so far--Homer is there with this awesome little spit and great little shops and restaurants, and you look out over this pristine bay to towering mountains and volcanoes. The Wrangell mountains, on the other hand, are part of one of the largest national parks (I hope I'm getting that right, writing from memory and my relatively new acquisition of the gigantic Alaskan geography) that is supposed to be pristine and lovely. The town it's in, McCarthy, is a top pick in my AK Lonely Planet, and supposed to be this quirky off-the-beaten-path little place.

Then, I found out UAA has this low-residency MFA in "Creative Writing and Literary Arts". Never heard of low-residency programs, but the gist is you only have to be on campus for a very few weeks each year, allowing for some serious flexibility in location for the rest of the year. How cool. Plus, they emphasize the connection of landscape to art and writing, which is a personal passion of mine.

Just thought I'd share, I don't really know any other writers (OK, I know one other writer, and I already barraged her with some of this information), but I just thought this was all so neat. Who knows what I'll be able to take advantage of--from my vantage point even applying for an MFA program is just not even on the map--but I found it all exciting just the same. I AM off to a local writing conference tomorrow on voice, which I am very much looking forward to.

Here's hoping you are all nurturing the creative spirit with-in you, and finding some synchronicity of your own!