Hometown Alaska: Telling Alaska’s story

Heather Lende (top), Leigh Newman (left), Laureli Ivanoff (right)

This week Hometown Alaska hosts three writers telling significant parts of Alaska’s story.

The idea for our show began with the hope of bringing Alaska’s current writer laureate, Heather Lende, to the mic, and picking her brain for what we should be reading this winter. We called, she agreed, but we have ended up with so much more.

Since Heather took the state writer mantle for 2021-23, she has made her mission to bring forward other voices from Alaska. When I called to invite her to Hometown Alaska, all we talked about were other writers she wanted to share.

We have two such voices with us today: journalist and writer Laureli Ivanoff of Unalakleet – whose essays and reflections have appeared in The New York Times, High Country News, Alaska Dispatch and elsewhere; and Leigh Newman of Connecticut, author of a memoir about growing up in Alaska, and her new book, a short story collection called “No One Gets Out Alive,” about women navigating male-dominated Alaska.

HOST: Kathleen McCoy

GUESTS:
Heather Lende, Alaska’s Writer Laureate
Laureli Ivanoff, author
Leigh Newman, author

LINKS:

Ammon Swenson is Alaska Public Media’s Audio Media Content Producer. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from UAA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and integrated media. He’s previously worked for KRUA radio, the Anchorage Press, and The Northern Light.

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