Go to a REAL Book Signing in Palmer Sunday - Purely Alaska: Authentic Voices from the Far North

Sunday afternoon, you can go to Fireside Books in Palmer and meet the authors of one of the most honest and authentic books written by Alaskans about the Arctic regions of our state.

You can meet the author/editors, Susan B. Andrews and John Creed.

Unlike what happened to some of the people at Sarah Palin's book signing at Costco in Anchorage on Saturday, if you disagree with Susan and John, they won't have the security people eject you.

Here's what Willie Hensley had to say about this marvelous compilation:

Purely Alaska portrays the stunning physical world of Alaska and its spectacular challenges. These stories open hearts and memories to reveal the pain and strength, the joy, endurance and faith of those who survive and thrive within Alaska's often unforgiving wintery power.

Tom Kizzia, whose stories of rural Alaska helped him share in a Pulitzer Prize, wrote:

Here are the beginnings of a true indigenous literature from modern rural Alaska. These stories describe amazing situations in matter-of-fact style. Within the raw immediacy of the writers experiences, we find great human themes of life in transition pain and loss, redemption and exaltation all depicted before the astonishing backdrop of Alaska s natural and cultural landscapes.

Susan and John have lived in Kotzebue for decades. Here's how John described their activities there and the making of this anthology, in an interview/review of the book at 49 Writers:

Since the late 1980s we have taught in the humanities at Chukchi College, UA’s branch in Kotzebue, which lies 26 miles above the Arctic Circle in Northwest Alaska. Most contributors to Purely Alaska do not live in Kotzebue or even Northwest Arctic Alaska, although all writers were living in rural Alaska when they wrote their stories. All the contributors have been our students. All but one student story was composed in a Chukchi writing class.

When we first began teaching in rural Alaska, we realized that our writing students’ subject matter might interest an audience beyond the classroom. So we started applying our journalism skills toward publishing our students in the Alaska press. Most editors welcome the opportunity to publish polished writing by rural University of Alaska students. We appreciate that.

The vast majority of our students are beginning writers, including many village students still struggling with basic, standard English in a cross-cultural setting. Most of our students have not been published before enrolling in our writing classes.

Stories were contributed by elders, by Outsiders, and by a local girl who was 11 years old when she enrolled in her college writing course with Susan and John.

John is a good friend, and one of the most courageous, giving individuals I've met in 38 years in Alaska. He and Susan will be at Fireside from 3:00 p.m. until closing, signing books and meeting more Alaskans. I'll be there too.