Alaska Writing Resources
Posted by David Duhr in 
Second in our new series, State Writing Resources, is Alaska, the penultimate state admitted to the Union. “North to the Future” is Alaska’s motto, which I know because I am a diehard Northern Exposure fan. (How many of us are left?) “The Last Frontier” is Alaska’s nickname, and among those writers brave enough to explore it–or who were merely born there–are Marty Beckerman, R. N. DeArmond, and former state poet laureate John Haines.
Presented below in no particular order are ten Alaska writing resources, from conferences to local critique groups to literary magazines. If you live in Alaska or are planning a move there, these are some organizations you might want to take a peek at.
1) 49 Writers
49 Writers, Inc. runs the 49 Alaska Writing Center, which through programming and outreach supports creative writers throughout Alaska at all stages of their development while building an audience for Alaska literature.
49 offers affordable creative writing classes of interest to writers at all levels—beginning, intermediate, and advanced—in Anchorage.
A home on the Web for writers from Alaska, and those who share Alaska’s pioneering spirit.
AQR is a literary journal devoted to contemporary literary art, publishing fiction, short plays, poetry, photo essays, and literary non-fiction in traditional and experimental styles. The editors encourage new and emerging writers, while continuing to publish award winning and established writers.
The mission of the Alaska Writers Guild is to educate and inform beginning, intermediate, and published writers throughout their creative process to become published authors and increase their sales. Monthly meetings in Anchorage.
A gathering place for families, communities and teachers, LitSite Alaska features narratives illustrating many cultural aspects of life in Alaska. As an online learning tool, LitSite Alaska showcases a living archive of lesson plans used in Alaskan classrooms and an extensive collection of excellent peer work by Alaskan students.
7) Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference
Held in Homer, this nationally recognized writing conference features workshops, readings and panel presentations in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and the business of writing.
8) Alaska State Writing Consortium
The ASWC is affiliated with the National Writing Project, “a collaborative university/school professional development program to improve the teaching and learning of writing in the nation’s classrooms.” ASWC is dedicated to improving the teaching of writing in all disciplines from kindergarten through college.
This is the world’s only general interest magazine about Alaska and only Alaska.
10) Alaska Center for the Book
Alaska Center for the Book partners with literary, educational, arts and humanities organizations, as well as the Library of Congress, to host and sponsor many literary events throughout the state.
Help us add to this list, Alaskans! Do you run a local writing group or a lit journal we should be aware of? Feel free to share info and links in the comments section below.
Alaska Writers Guild has monthly meetings in Fairbanks too.
OK, thank you. I’ll add that info to our main Alaska page: https://www.writebynight.net/alaska/