Two Alaskans featured in national literary magazine

Upon opening the January issue of The Sun Magazine, I took great delight in noting that an Alaskan had written the main article. The small but highly respected literary journal, largely driven by reader-contributed content, usually puts a lengthy interview with a notable personality in the front of the magazine right after the letters to the editor. December, for instance, featured a chat with Ralph Nader.

January's interview is by Christine Byl, who lives in the Denali-Healy area and is best known for writing "Dirt Work," her memoir about professional trail-building in the wilderness. Even more delightful was the fact that the person Byl interviewed was also an Alaskan, the late Homer author Eva Saulitis.

In "Every Reason to Stay: Eva Saulitis's Life with Whales" the conversation ranges from science, ecology, killer whales and personal quests to Saulitis' impending death from cancer; she passed away in January 2016. To ice the cake, the interview is followed by an essay by Saulitis, "In the Body that Once was Mine," an excerpt from her final book, "Becoming Earth." It leads off The Sun's essay section.

New Cirque released

Speaking of literary journals, Alaska-based Cirque magazine's latest edition has been released. It's said to be the biggest issue ever, with 166 pages containing work from more than 100 writers and visual artists. Contributors to Cirque 8.1 include Rich Chiappone, Vivian Faith Prescott and just-retired state writer laureate Frank Soos.

Single copies of the magazine go for $25 ($75 for your pick of any five available copies) at cirquejournal.com. You can also read the full edition (and back editions) there, though the courtesy of a donation for doing so is meet and proper.

A launch event will be announced for later in January.

A show about being gay and Native

The Alaska Humanities Forum will exhibit "Continuous," a series of portraits by Jenny Irene Miller of "Alaska Native lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and Two-Spirit people," from Jan. 13 to Feb. 7.

The photos of people from various tribal backgrounds are accompanied by stories from the subjects. An opening reception will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at the AHF offices, 161 E. First Ave., door 15. An "open dialogue" session will take place at 6:30 p.m.

Caston featured at Poetry Parley

The next Poetry Parley, tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 18 at Becky's Gallery in the Olympic Center (36th Avenue and Arctic Boulevard), will feature Anchorage poet Anne Caston. A former nurse and recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts award, Caston now teaches at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

As is the custom, the Parley's featured poet is asked to select a "marquee" poet, living or dead, whose works also share the stage. Caston has selected Guggenheim fellow Marie Howe, former state poet of New York. Readers, declaimers, elocutionists and reciters are all sought for the event. If you'd like to take part, email poetryparley@gmail.com.

'Tundra Vision' talks to resume

The Tundra Vision and the Participatory History Series at the Mountain View Library, 120 Bragaw St., will resume at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 when UAF professor Terrence Cole — probably the most knowledgeable single individual with regard to Alaska's past — will present a talk titled: "Northern Justice: Tales, Trails, and Trials of 'The Judge,' Alaska's James Wickersham."

The talks take place on the fourth Thursday of every month. As 2017 is Alaska's "Year of History and Heritage" there'll be a theme stringing the series together, to wit: Alaska and the Law. Upcoming speakers will include William Iggiagruk Hensley and former Alaska Supreme Court Justice Dana Fabe.

Admission is always free and each talk is preceded by a "public engagement" session at which refreshments are served, starting at 6 p.m.

Watercolor Society meets

The Alaska Watercolor Society will have their first meeting of the new year at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at the BP Energy Center, 1014 Energy Court, behind the big BP building at Benson Boulevard and the Seward Highway. Attendees will bid on African-inspired paintings created at a workshop with Karen Crandall back in November. Christ Zafren will present her own paintings inspired by a trip to Bhutan. All art lovers are welcome to attend these meetings, but show the love by bringing a light snack to share.

Selling stock photos

The Jan. 10 meeting of the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers will present Ann Matchett of Alaska Stock in a discussion about how people can get started in stock photography.

Matchett will discuss how stock photo agencies work, what they're looking for and what they're not looking for, how to make your images more "commercially viable" and generally what it takes to be successful in what is probably Alaska's No. 1 export industry.

The meeting will take place in the Anchorage Museum auditorium (use the Seventh Avenue entrance) and starts at 7 p.m.

Bringing the Iditarod Trail to life

The Eagle River Nature center invites you to step back 100 years to the time when the Iditarod Trail — a chunk of which is now Eagle River Road — was the main thoroughfare to Alaska's interior. They'll have a vintage dog sled, artifacts from the Crow Pass Roadhouse and food "at almost 1917 prices."

Events will include instructions in outdoor cooking with a Dutch oven, complete with tastings of grub from one of the pots simmering over a fire out back, just like the sourdoughs did it. Historians will recount the saga of the Iditarod and Chilkoot trails. The Storyteller's Guild of Anchorage will spin yarns of the old days and the AllGood Family band will play foot-stompin' old time folk music.

Historic Iditarod Roadhouse Day will go from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at the center and admission is free.