I live and write on Lingít Aaní, and gratefully acknowledge the past, present and future caretakers of this beautiful place, the Jilkaat Kwaan and Jilkoot Kwaan.
“This is my true religion: arbitrary moments of nearly painful happiness for a life I feel privileged to lead.” – Elizabeth Berg in her novel, The Art of Mending After the Holly Jolly Follies, as I braced myself out on the porch of the Chilkat Center for the walk up...
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”- Mathew 6:21 When I was earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Alaska , Anchorage our first get-know-you assignment was to write about the place you loved most in all the world. The...
“The give and take of it all, my muddled pride.”– Jessica Gigot in her poem, “Amends.” The highest and best use of my time is not baking. I did a lot of it the past two days. But, as we all know, or at least I do, the quickest way to a...
“Even the sun, on earth beneath, turns in space like a gold wreath.” – Paul Engle, from his poem “The Wreath” in A Christmas Feast: Poems, Sayings, Greetings and Wishes. Compiled by Edna Barth On our walk this morning down River Road and more out of the wind than the...
“Perhaps knowing that you are enough for one person goes a long way.” – In Fredrik Backman’s new novel, My Friends. (He also wrote A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She’s Sorry– and more.) I did not want to go out into the cold gale of a...
“It is good just to sit quietly in that place of loss and sadness, and let the feelings be feelings.”—Jeanette Winterson in Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days. I’m half in the middle of unpacking from Tenakee, sorting mail, catching up on...