Blog Entry 10

Alaskan/Yukon Literature is as unique as the individuals who compose it. There are myths, short stories, novels, and poems that all contain a piece of Alaska. Whether the work is describing a landscape, family life, religious beliefs, or Alaskan recourses, each one has the ability to convey images and meanings that are not necessarily expressed through words. Over the course of this semester, we have read a large body of work that has spanned many centuries, from the oral stories of tribes to the contemporary poems of writers who are still living in Alaska today. Which has presented us with the opportunity to see the sights that the writers envisioned, live through the eras they did, and enjoy the Alaskan wilderness as they had.

This week, I really enjoyed John Straley's "Every Single Day" poem. The ability to evoke so many memories and thoughts with just the words "Springtime" or "King Salmon" speaks volumes to the wealth of experiences Alaskans can have. Just from reading the poem I began to think about my first spring after winter and my first time seeing a king salmon. Alaska is full of many seemingly insignificant events that turn out to be the memories we reflect on most.

It would be difficult to go through each and every thing I have learned about Alaskan Literature from this class. However, I will sum it up by saying, I have gained a greater appreciation for the state of Alaska that I did not have before taking this course. As an English major, I like to know what inspires people to write. I have usually looked at British authors and authors from the lower-48, but I never really paid attention to Alaskan authors. Reading some of the works this semester has taught me to look at my surroundings to find the inspiration the authors we've read felt.

(http://wikitravel.org/en/Alaska)

Blog Entry 9- Seasons in Alaska

The seasons in Alaska vary greatly. While Fairbanks to Anchorage might only be 450-miles, there is a drastic temperature difference. I remember running track in high school in the Interior meant we didn't get to go outside to practice until we could shovel the snow off of the track. Our first and second scheduled meets were usually canceled due to weather, and the first part of our season was spent running through the halls and practicing on the gym floor. Schools in Anchorage, however, usually had three or four official meets before we even got to do one. It was a great advantage for all of the Achorage athletes, who got to compete with various schools and travel.

The difference between the two largest cities in Alaska is drastic, and Alaskan weather only gets more drastic as you reach out to the Arctic and the Coast. Alaskan seasons are unreliable. Temperature, season length, snowfall, wind, precipitation, hours of sunlight, ice fog, ect are all dependent on where you live. There is no consistency in the Alaskan seasons. One summer may be beautiful with clear skies and very small bug populations, while the next may be darks and gloomy with overcast caused by large forest fires.

Alaskan seasons are never consistent or distinct, they tend to blend together at the most strange times. The Winter darkness, the Summer sunshine, the Fall chill, and the Spring rain are about the only identifiable characteristics of each season, but even they can happen in random order. All in all, Alaskan seasons are as unique and undefined as the Alaskan landscape and people living within it.