In commemorating the anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe’s death on October 7, 1849 (170 yrs. ago), playwright Shane Mitchell, director Erin Dagon, actors Wayne Mitchell, Tyler Browning, and stage designer Amy Kropp come together to discuss and recite passages from and their highly acclaimed play, Death of Edgar Allen Poe that was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In the play, moments before his death, America’s most celebrated author of the macabre reveals how his sins and the...

Contributing poets to Alaska Women Speak--Ray Ball, Tara Ballard, M.C. MoHagani Magnetek, m.f. nagel and host Pam Simmons come together to celebrate Alaska Book Week 2019. Ray Ball (4:08- 15:46) is a history professor, editor, and author. She was associate editor of Alaska Women Speak from fall of 2018-fall of 2019. In addition to numerous scholarly articles and two books, she is the author of a chapbook entitled Tithe of Salt (Louisiana Literature Press, 2019). Her creative work has...

Sharon Emmerichs’ historical novel, A Man Marked Not by Fate, takes place within the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf and explores how stories often mask the truths of history, and it also answers the question, “Who woke that deadly dragon?” in Beowulf's third and final battle. In 994, an unnamed slave, in exile from his master’s house, finds a huge hoard of treasure in a cave. He steals a goblet thinking to give it to his master as a way to allow his return to the clan, and unfortunately wakes the...

UAA WRTG Department Student Readings is the first annual celebration of original writing by UAA WRTG Students. 16 students read their written work. This event is sponsored by the UAA Department of Writing and is hosted by professors Don Rearden, Sarah Kirk and Aisha Barnes.

In honor of Tolkien Reading-Day 2019, all the many lovers of Tolkien's work come together to share their favorite passages from his Middle-earth fiction. All Tolkien fans are invited to participate. This event is hosted by Professor Toby Widdicombe in the Department of English, UAA.

This event highlights the International Women’s Poetry Movement, Anchorage Chapter and the theme, “Woman Scream”. Hosted by Itzel Yarger-Zagal, people from all walks of life are encouraged to share their own poetry and/or that of other women poets. Instead of offering bilingual or translated poems, readers will explain the meaning of their poem and then recite it in the poem’s original language. Poems in English can be recited, too. Other highlights include: Gabriela Olmos will be awarded...

Dr. Sharon Emmerichs presents Traversing Monstrosity: Power and Peril upon Shakespeare’s Roads. Sharon Emmerichs examines how Shakespeare uses roads not only as a means to get from one place to another, but also as a means to go from one state of being to another. Using references from As You Like It, Titus Andronicus and Twelfth Night, Sharon Emmerichs explores how in Shakespeare comedies women change from "natural" to "monstrous” and then are able to recover from this change. However, in...

Tara Ballard's first book of poetry is House of the Night Watch, published by New Rivers Press. It is the winner of the 2016 Many Voices Project. At this event, Tara ballard reads poems and discusses experiences that have influences her writing. Tara Ballard was born and raised in Alaska. She and her husband have lived in the Middle East and West Africa, for eight years now, where they teach English in local area schools and universities. Tara Ballard holds an MFA from the University of...

Barrett Martin presents The Singing Earth and shares films of musicians he has played with and their music. (The volume may need to be raised in sections of the podcast.) The book, The Singing Earth, is a collection of musical adventure stories that chronicle his musical work in 14 musical regions, across 6 continents, over the course of 30 years. Barrett Martin is a Grammy-winning producer, composer, and renowned session drummer and percussionist who has played on over 100 Rock, Blues,...

An Appreciation for John Haines' Poems-- From the Perspective of Chinese Tradition is the topic of this event. Summer Hu, who works at the UAA Confucius Institute, discusses John Haines' poems through a Chinese lens. (Note, the presentation that accomapnaies the audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) Explored are the influences of Chinese poets in John Haines' early poems and the challenges in translating his poetry into Chinese. An Alaska Poet Laureate and recipient of numerous...

This presentation accompanies the event An Appreciation for John Haines' Poems-- From the Perspective of Chinese Tradition. (The audio podcast is also posted in iTunes.) Summer Hu, who works at the UAA Confucius Institute, discusses John Haines' poems through a Chinese lens. Explored are the influences of Chinese poets in John Haines' early poems and the challenges in translating his poetry into Chinese. An Alaska Poet Laureate and recipient of numerous literary awards, John Haines...

Chaun Ballard’s poetry collection Flight, published by Tupelo Press, is winner of the 2018 Sunken Garden Poetry Prize. The poems give testament to the struggle of skin color in contemporary America. “Utilizing both innovation and tradition, Chaun Ballard gives voice to the silenced, proof to the disenfranchised, and life to the gone.” Chaun Ballard was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and San Bernardino, California. He is a graduate of the MFA Program at UAA, an affiliate editor for Alaska...

Hosted ny Alexandria Bako, Karen R. Nelson and UAA students who have recently published in the literary journal Understory offer readings of their work including poetry, fiction, academic papers and play recitation. Time is dedicated to answer questions about Understory and the flourishing of creative writing by UAA undergraduates. There is free parking at UAA on Fridays. This event is sponsored with Understory, UAA English Department.

UAA undergraduate students from Professor Ron Spatz' and Don Rearden’s Creative Writing classes read and discuss their current work. Professor Ron Spatz and Professor Don Rearden teach creative writing in the Department of English at UAA. Ron Spatz is founder and editor of Alaska Quarterly Review. Don Rearden is the author of the novel, The Raven's Gift and the co-writer of Never Quit, the memoir of Alaskan Pararescue Operator Jimmy Settle.

Poetry Slam for Sigma Tau Delta is held in celebration of National Poetry Month. Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society is one of the largest members of the Association of College Honor Societies with over 600 active chapters. In support of STD, UAA students share their poetry.

In celebration of Dizzy Gillespie’s 100th birthday, David G. Brown shares his intimate experiences with this amazing humanitarian, innovator, and magical musician. After a chance meeting in Georgetown, in 1985, David Brown had the opportunity to spend countless hours with Dizzy Gillespie at performances, street corners, restaurants, and all night card-playing sessions. His book, Shadowing Dizzy Gillespie is a triumphant memoir and read. Joining David Brown is musio professor Karen...

In celebration of J.S. Bach’s 333rd birthday, musicians around the world will unite to perform Bach in subways and public spaces. At this live event at the UAA Campus Bookstore, Dr. Armin Abdihodzic, D.M.A. offers a concise introduction to Bach, and describes his life and expansive repertoire. Two Parts Inventions in D Minor (18:50-23:18), in A Minor (23:36-26:16), Minuet (29:04-30:52), Prelude 999 (33:33-36:01), Jesus Remains My Joy (40:35-44:04), Prelude #1 (46:22-49:00), guitarist Rossi...

Behind the Symphony of Sounds welcomes musicians and faculty participating in UAA's 22nd Symphony of Sounds with Dr. Armin Abdihodzi acting as host. Featured are classical artists Erin Kim (cello), James Bodolosky (guitar), Garrett Rossing (guitar) and the UAA Jazz Combo with Clay Johnson (piano), Ben Sobek (electric bass), Julie Webb (drums), Mark Glasionov (drums), Fredrico Delgado (saxophone) and guest Professor Karen Strid-Chadwick (piano). Nevertime composed by Mischa Shimek is...

At this event, a range of literary genres is represented when UAA students from Professor Don Rearden’s Creative Writing class read and discuss their current work. Professor Don Rearden teaches creative writing in the Department of English at UAA. He is the author of the novel, The Raven's Gift and the co-writer of Never Quit, the memoir of Alaskan Pararescue Operator Jimmy Settle.

Dr. Sharon Emmerichs' published research examines the role of landscape in Shakespeare's plays— how and when characters suffer moral degradation when they transgress the culturally known and accepted meanings of various landscapes. At this event, the relationship between national identity and language in Shakespeare is addressed. Dr. Sharon Emmerichs teaches Shakespeare in the UAA English Dept. She received her B.A. in English literature from the University of Oregon and her M.A. and Ph.D....

Approximately 20 multilingual Anchorage School District students, grades seven through 12, read original poetry and prose they have written during theASD/UAA Summer Academy. The Summer Academy is a partnership between ASD's English Language Learner Program and UAA's College Preparatory and Developmental Studies Department. Through this exciting collaboration, over 200 students have spent three and a half weeks on campus. They are earning high school math and English credit from...

Kate Partridge and Alyse Knorr come back to Anchorage to discuss their new books, Ends of the Earth and Mega City Redux. Poet Alyse Knorr is the author of the Mega-City Redux (Green Mountains Review 2017), Copper Mother (Switchback Books 2016), and Annotated Glass (Furniture Press Books 2013) and the non-fiction book Super Mario Bros. 3 (Boss Fight Books 2016). Poet Kate Partridge is the author of the Ends of the Earth (University of Alaska Press, 2017) and the hybrid chapbooks Guide to...

A selection of poems will be signed in ASL and read in Chinese French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, with English and ASL translations, by current UAA students in the Department of Languages. Come celebrate the arrival of spring by listening to bilingual poetry on Spring Breakup. This event is held in celebration of National Poetry Month.

UAA professors Dr. Rebeca Maseda Garcia (Dept. of Languages) Dr. Ray Ball (Dept. of History) and Dr. Patricia Fagan (Dept. of Languages) introduce Jorge Manrique’s classic poem “Coplas a la muerte de su padre” (Coplas on the Death of his Father) with historical background and bilingual readings. Alaska Poet Laureate John Haines (1924-2011) recited and referred to this poem throughout his life. This event, held in his memory and in celebration of National Poetry Month, will explain the...

Poet Anne Caston discusses writing her memoir Deep Dixie, and reads from her forthcoming poetry collection Sea Change. A former nurse, a writer, and an educator, Anne Caston is a founding faculty member of the Low-Residency M.F.A Program in Creative Writing at UAA . Her poetry collections include Flying Out With The Wounded, Judah’s Lion, and Prodigal. She is currently working on a new collection of poems called Sea Change. Her forthcoming memoir, Deep Dixie: A Southerner's Take on Life,...