We revisit the Cache Creek Murders of 1939, and hear about a new vampire movie that takes place in Barrow — it was shot in New Zealand, but hey, who doesn’t get the two mixed up? Plus, killing off invasive northern pike in Yakutat and spreading literary mayhem across the state. All that and more on AK, from APRN stations statewide, starting today.
Authors in the Schools
In 2001, Alaska mystery writer and “Sisters in Crime” member Dana Stabenow created “Authors in the Schools,” a program that brings mystery authors to Alaska, to teach writing to rural and urban students. Rebecca Sheir caught up with Donna Moore and Deborah Turrell Atkinson, crime fiction writers who visited schools during Bouchercon 2007, the world’s largest mystery-literature gathering.
- Music Button: “Everyday I Write the Book” performed by Alison Brown from Fair Weather
Cache Creek Murders
Seventy years ago, a set of grisly murders in Talkeetna captured national attention. Despite FBI involvement, the Cache Creek Murders still remain unsolved. With help from Talkeetna author Roberta Sheldon (The Mystery of the Cache Creek Murders) and Cook Inlet Historical Society’s Bruce and Audrey Kelly, AK’s Ellen Lockyer tries to unravel the mystery.
- Break: “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” performed by Leroy Holmes from Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 16: Mondo Hollywood
Making a Killing in Yakutat
In many Yakutat ponds, voracious northern pike have pretty much wiped out other fish. Officials like Bob Piorkowski worry they could spread to other salmon-rich waterways nearby. CoastAlaska’s Ed Schoenfeld explores the measures being taken by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, US Forest Service and Yakutat Salmon Board to kill off these killer fish.
- Calendar of Events (Song: “Too Many Fish in the Sea” performed by Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers from 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Funk Brothers)
Eyes Wide Open
“Eyes Wide Open” began as a national exhibit, organized by the American Friends Service Committee to represent the human cost of the Iraq war. First displayed in Chicago and Washington DC, the exhibit is coming to Alaska. Rebecca Sheir speaks with Anchorage organizer Taylor Brelsford about the project.
300 Villages
Kasigluk
Teller
Prickly Peruvian Mayhem
Last month, APRN’s Annie Feidt set off with her husband on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. They went to Peru, in search of adventure. And they found it, too – just not the kind they were searching for. They also found that sometimes, even the littlest of things can cause mountains of mayhem.
- Break: “In the Midnight Hour” performed by Booker T. & The MG’s from And Now!
Author Interview: Amy Bloom
Amy Bloom’s new novel, Away, tells the story of Lillian Leyb, a Russian who comes to America after her family is slaughtered in the pogroms. She begins in New York, but winds up in Alaska. Rebecca Sheir speaks with the author, who’s also the driving force behind the new Lifetime network drama series, State of Mind.
Grandma Banana
Nicole Stellon’s mom turned her life stories of growing up in a bit of mayhem into tales about death and “murder” that were somehow funny.
- Music Button: “Strange Bath” by Jon Brion from I Heart Huckabees (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
30 Days of Night
Comic writer Steve Niles’ story about a gang of down-on-their-luck vampires in Barrow is soon to be released as a motion picture. AK’s Scott Burton speaks with the author, as well as Barrow police captain Kelly Alzaharna, about the film’s portrayal of Barrow life.
- Closing: “Spooky” performed by King Curtis from Sweet Soul
