North to Alaska!

An Alaska Diary

Tuesday.  Bouchercon, a.k.a. The World Mystery Conference, was held this year in Anchorage, and since I’d never been to Alaska, I was eager to go.  After what seemed like an endless plane ride, connecting through Minneapolis, I arrived in Anchorage mid-afternoon on Tuesday, checked into the Hilton, and began lookin’ round.

Alaska is due north of Hawaii (!) but appears to be 4 hours ahead of the East Coast and in its own time zone, called the Alaska Time Zone, so we're on AKDT.  The sun set around 7:30 last night, but at 7 a.m. this morning, it’s still pitch dark outside and dawn is a l-o-n-g time coming. The St Laurence Islands and the Aleutians are on the same time zone as Hawaii, but do not practice daylight savings time, so they are currently two hours ahead of the rest of Alaska, and an hour ahead of Hawaii. All of which explains my confusion about where to set my watch.

Anchorage is built on a flat plain near the harbor, with wide straight roads. There are some skyscrapers in the city, primarily hotels, but most of the city consists of two and three story businesses, giving the place a small-town feel. It's industrial, too -- tankers coming and going, railroad yards, warehouses, factories and processing plants. At the airport, more than half of the planes coming in and out are cargo planes. All night, I heard the train whistles moaning, a sound that this l'il ole Midwesterner finds comforting.

We are framed by spectacular mountains in the Chugach Range, more than 13,000 feet high. Most of the early conference arrivals are here to take advantage of the tours, like one that goes to 21 glaciers, or the Kenai fjords boat trip which is on my agenda for Wednesday.

Dinner my first night was at Phyllis' Cafe and Salmon Bake a couple of blocks from the Hilton, opposite JC Penny. Formica tables and 50s-style chrome, Phyllis's pegs low on the ambiance meter, unless you're a fan of over-the-sofa-sized wildlife paintings of wolves, sled dogs, grizzlies and Eskimo. Dinners were “moderately” priced in the mid-20s, the halibut I had was fresh and delicious, and although they had a monster "early bird" snow crab special — tempting! — I simply didn't have the strength to wrestle with my food. SJ Rozan and I dined with James Sallis and his wife, both from Phoenix.

Off now to find coffee at the Kobuk Coffee Company; highly recommended by my cab driver. There is a Starbucks in the hotel, but that's, like, so ordinary.

Wednesday.  If folks in Anchorage start their workday before ten, they do so without coffee from Kobuk’s. Long before sunup, I trudged out in a light drizzle only to discover that Kobuk does not open until ten.  Later in the day I went back and had a truly splendid cup of cappuccino (TIP: head for the back of the store) and also purchased my “what did you bring me, grandma?” souvenirs at their wonderful native-craft gift shop.

After pocketing my credit card, I hustled off for my first program, a panel on staying alive in this crazy business where I shared the dais with Charlaine Harris and Thomas Perry.  Long-time friend, Charlaine, told me about “a shop that is YOU, Marcia,” so I just had to visit Pia Sweaters, where they sell the most outrageously beautiful Icelandic sweaters and coats. You can see the result in the Kenai snapshot below.  In town for less than 24 hours, and the credit card is already getting a workout.

Dinner tonight was with my long-lost cousins — honest.  I hadn’t seen Jake Tuckerman and his younger brother, Murray (sons of my mother’s older brother, also named Jake) since 1957, so it was a real treat to find them both living in Anchorage.  We had dinner at Simon and Seafort’s where I watched the sun set over Cook Inlet behind Mt. Susitna. Pure magic!

Thursday. Had breakfast with my agent, who is encouraging and supportive in every way, including leading me to a shop she'd discovered (Style of Russia) where I found truly unique souvenirs.  After lunch, I took notes for nearly three-hours at a Sisters in Crime Board meeting, where the discussion was seriously enlivened by passing around a box of Alaska Wild Berry Jelly Center Chocolates — visit their website if you dare! —and a panoramic view of Cook Inlet and the mountains beyond. 

Not having anything I absolutely had to do after that, I went in search of Oomingmak, the Musk Ox Producers' Co-operative.  They organize rural villagers into knitting circles that make scarves and nachaqs out of quiviut, which is musk ox under fur.  Qiviut (pronounced "kiv-ee-ute") is the color of café-au-lait, downy soft, light, and warmer than any other "wool" on the planet.  NOTE:  The hats are w-a-y expensive, but two days later, I was high bidder on one that had been donated to the Bouchercon auction, so I got a hat and helped a good cause, too.

The opening session for the conference began at 6pm, with Anthony award nominees announced.  I was introduced as one of 29 authors who had volunteered to go "to the bush" as part of the Authors in the Schools program organized by Alaska Sisters in Crime, chaired by the amazing Anne Rothe. (See below.)  The highlight of the opening session was a welcoming speech by the governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, who is a young, attractive, charming, and very funny woman!  (At least her speechwriter is!) The whole proceedings were then blessed/purified by shaman Kenny Timberwolf Gardner, dressed in robes and fur, carrying an abalone shell of burning sage, the purifying smoke from which he wafted over the crowd with an eagle feather.

We had a full moon tonight over the mountain ... something that really stops your heart ... and impossible to capture on film unless you're, say, Ansel Adams with a $5000 camera.

Friday.  "Achieving Critical Mass," my panel with authors Roberta Isleib, Irene Marcuse, Gayle Wigglesworth, and Rebecca Tope, was surprisingly well-attended.  Apparently the audience had figured out what the topic meant --  where we get our ideas.  I had a quick lunch (gourmet box-type are provided daily as part of our Bouchercon registration), then joined author Roberta Isleib for a bike ride on the amazingly beautiful coastal trail.

Roberta had an appointment, so she reluctantly turned back at the 4.5 mile point, but I continued on to the end, which was about 9 miles, then retraced my steps, for a total of 18 miles. I saw bald eagles, a mother/daughter moose team, birds, spectacular mountains, mudflats, meadows.  The weather was cloudy, but not terrible cold, and I was comfortable the whole time in my silk long johns, turtleneck and a fleece jacket, with gloves and hat. 

Here's a picture of me on the trail at "Hannah Cove"!  The mountain in the background is Mt. Susitna.  You can also see that the tide in Cook Inlet is w-a-y out!  The mud flats are extremely dangerous -- warning signs all over -- like quicksand, I imagine.

The round trip took 3 hours, and I arrived back at the hotel in just enough time to return the bike, shower, change and go to the St Martin's cocktail party, followed by the Berkley party, followed by the Harper/Collins dinner.  Dinner was at the Marx Brothers Café , a fine restaurant in an historic house just half a block from the hotel, small and cosy -- I don't believe they could have had more than 14 tables total.  Seafood was delicious, and I was ravenous after the bike ride.  Good to sit next to my editor, Sarah Durand, and across from Barbara Peters from Poisoned Pen.

Saturday.  Gathered up my aching bones (and sore butt) early this a.m. to have breakfast with Sarah Durand, my editor at Morrow/Avon, and learn what she's up to.  She's been concentrating on tie-ins, i.e. getting people to write novelizations of movies.  Someone I know just did the novelization for the Elizabeth: The Golden Age which is about to be released. Not sure I'd want to do that kind of thing -- VERY short deadlines — but you know me, I’ll try anything once.

This afternoon I'll be sitting in the Mystery News booth for a while, then there is the banquet tonight where the Anthony winners will be announced. Tomorrow I leave for Seward in a rental car.  To show you how small-town it is up here, I'm picking up the car behind somebody's apartment building, the back left door is unlocked, and the key is under the mat.  There is a number to call if I can't find the car, and ask for Rosie.  LOL.

Tuesday.  I'm still in Alaska as part of the "Authors to the Bush Program".  Found a wireless connection at the Seward Community Library and have a free afternoon, so I'm trying to catch up with my email!

Located the rental car without a hitch, and drove the 130 miles to Seward along the most heart-stoppingly beautiful coastal road, stopping so many times to take pictures that it's a wonder I got here at all!  A highlight -- pit stop at Estes Brothers Grocery in Moose Pass for a fine, fine cup of cappuccino. 

The folks here in Seward couldn't be nicer.  Absolutely everything is taken care of by volunteers:  the rental car from the owner of the local Hertz franchise, the B&B from the proprietor, every meal courtesy of the Friends of the Library (dinner last night included the mayor of Seward, Vanta Shafer), volunteer chauffeurs, all organized by the indefatigable Patty Linvale, Director of the Seward Community Library.  My talk at the library was well-attended, even though it conflicted with the annual School Board Meeting, but as one woman told me — ‘they never give us the funding we ask for, anyway, so I’d rather come hear you.’ 

Monday after classes, one of the volunteers drove me up to Exit Glacier, so called because it is the easiest "exit" if you happen to be up on the Harding Icefield.  As if.  The hike to the base of the glacier was releatively effortless, and standing at the foot of this living, breathing, monster ice thing was truly amazing.  It's actually blue!  The trees in the valley below are turning yellow, so you've got these incredible panoramas -- gray of the river bed (almost completely dry at this time of year), yellow trees, evergreens, red moss on the mountains, snow peaks.  Stunning.  Coming down off the mountain, I saw the most incredible rainbow ever -- wide and bright, arching across the mountains.

“Dairy Hill Lodge”, the B&B where I'm staying, has a large room with two double beds, a kitchenette, a sofa and two chairs, and a bath, all in spotless polished pine.  The owner, Kathleen Barkley, has instructed that whenever I leave, I’m to switch on the light and make sure there are no bears on the porch.  That doesn’t happen in Annapolis!  Kathleen and her husband, Jim, also own the Alaska Saltwater Lodge, so if you need a place to stay while visiting Seward, call Kathleen!

But the reason I'm here, is the kids! --  the high school yesterday, the middle school today.  Everyone was so well prepared for my visit; in fact, Laura Beck, the middle school teacher I was working with this morning has just been voted Alaska Teacher of the Year.  How cool is that?

I've just left the elementary school where I did a presentation for both the 5th and 6th grades classes, the last of which was a lively discussion initiated by the 5th graders on murder mysteries I could set in Seward based on 1) an old children's home/TB hospital ruined in the earthquake; 2) a woman murdered in a bathtub (stabbed?  shot?  strangled?  the stories varied) at the Van Gilder hotel. 

I've had a ball, but I am soooo ready for a break after having been on the road for a week!!  Tomorrow is my treat -- the 6 hour cruise on the Kenai Fjords -- and it looks like the weather is going to be sunny and just about perfect.

Wednesday.  Ann Rothe and her husband, Tom, came down to Seward to join me for the six-hour boat trip to the Kenai fjords.  Ann put the whole Authors in the Schools program together, and Tom is Waterfowl Coordinator for the state of Alaska.  What a gorgeous day!  Seals sunning on rocks, the Aialik Glacier "calving" in a major way.   On the way back to Seward, the boat stopped where there is a resident pod of killer whales, but we were stunned to find that instead of one pod, there were many — a once-a-year "super pod" event, orcas, 60-70 in number, swimming, diving and puffing around our boat.  I took a video with my mini-camera, and all you can hear on the soundtrack is me repeating, ‘ohmahgawd, ohmahgawd, I can’t believe it!”

After a delicious seafood dinner in Seward, and an overnight at Ann and Tom’s home in Eagle River, Anne drove me to the airport, just as the sun began to rise, setting the sky on fire.  Alaska’s way of telling me, “You-all come back now, hear?”