Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Southeast literary talent

Pound for pound, we have a pretty hefty allotment of artistic and creative talent here in Southeast Alaska, and we have a new book on the shelf that showcases some of that talent. Tidal Echoes: UAS literary & arts journal 2008 features Ketchikan authors, illustrators, photographers and poets Peter Bolling, Rebecca Bowlen, Judy Christensen, Elizabeth Flom, Dawn Rauwolf, and MJ Turek. The featured writer of the collection is Nora Marks Dauenhauer, a Tlingit writer from Juneau whose works have been widely anthologized and who has spent the last 30 years working with traditional folklore and culture. The featured artist, Ray Troll, is well known to everyone in Ketchikan.
The pieces in this book are diverse and wide-ranging:brief stanzas of poetry, watercolors, short stories, reminiscences, and beautiful photos. Some of the subject matter deals with life in Alaska, and the Southeast in particular, but many of the pieces have broader themes of love, family, hopefulness and dreams. A long, lingering browse through this book will leave the reader impressed with the visions of their Southeast neighbors.

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