Posts Tagged ‘Alaska’
Mercy Pilot, by Dirk Tordoff
Mercy Pilot, by Dirk Tordoff Joe Crosson, a brave and skilled pilot, became a national hero between the world wars flying mercy missions in the North. He pioneered air routes throughout Alaska and foresaw the future of commercial aviation. Above all else, he loved to fly. In 1929, Crosson generated newspaper headlines worldwide flying a…
Read MorePatsy Ann of Alaska, by Tricia Brown
Patsy Ann of Alaska, by Tricia Brown In 1929, Patsy Ann arrived in Juneau, Alaska, with an independent streak as big as the territory. The English bull terrier cycled through a couple of households, running away each time, making it clear that she was nobody’s dog. She was everybody’s dog. Meet the canine free spirit…
Read MoreThe Oceanside History of Alaska, by Mike Coppock
The Oceanside History of Alaska, by Mike Coppock A history of Alaska’s seaports settled by fishermen, gold seekers, Scandinavians, Native peoples, and Russian trappers. It is a time of a violent history as these diverse people carved their own isolated world from forests, cliff faces, and raging seas. This is a tale of wild men…
Read MoreCaught in the Rush, by W. Mace Brady
Caught in the Rush, by W. Mace Brady As the depression of 1893 worsened, many began seeking a new life. By 1895, hundreds of banks and thousands of businesses had gone under. As the stock market collapsed, jobs became scarce, and the value of the dollar declined. In 1894, Bill Schooley, with two childhood friends,…
Read MoreAnswering Alaska’s Call, by Linda Fritz
Answering Alaska’s Call, by Linda Fritz Milo Fritz always dreamed big, ever eager to push the boundaries of what was considered possible. In 1940, the young Columbia- and Duke-educated eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist and his wife Betsy, an RN, leave the familiar comforts of Milo’s hometown of Pelham, New York to begin a…
Read MoreHo’kwat, by David Hooper
Ho’kwat, by David Hooper John Williams, an aging Englishman, recounts his adventures from the early 1800s, which include his service as a young Royal Navy officer at the Battle of Trafalgar and a traumatic shipwreck at sea. He becomes a British spy and embarks on a voyage to the Columbia River, which ends with the…
Read MoreHardship Alaska, by Donald Proffit
Hardship Alaska, by Donald Proffit Some memories of his two years of alternative service as a Vietnam-era conscientious objector continue to haunt Donald Proffit, aka Buzz, in unresolved conversations and partings over dinners and by front doors, in beds and at bars. Others, however, have been exorcized completely, leaving him with a better understanding of who…
Read MoreVoyage of the Eclipse, by Erik T. Hirschmann
Voyage of the Eclipse, by Erik T. Hirschmann Spring 1802, the apex of the lucrative Pacific maritime fur trade. After troubled encounters in the South Pacific and Hawai’i, the crew of the Boston brig Eclipse gamble their lives on the Alaskan coast amid furiously competitive English and American ships, Russian fur hunters, and hostile Tlingit…
Read MoreWriting on the Edge, by David A. James
Writing on the Edge, by David A. James Writing on the Edge brings together twenty-four authors who use literary essays and fiction to describe contemporary life in Alaska in the twenty-first century. Spanning the state from the Southwest Panhandle to the Arctic coast, from the rugged landlocked Interior to the rough open seas, from wide…
Read MoreSivulliq: Ancestor, by Lily H. Tuzroyluke
Sivulliq: Ancestor, by Lily H. Tuzroyluke In the spring of 1893, arctic Alaska is devastated by smallpox. Kayaliruk knows it is time to light the funeral pyres and leave their home. With her surviving children, she packs their dog sled and they set off to find family. Kayaliruk wakes with a bleeding scalp and no…
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