Wednesday, February 16
School was cancelled due to icy roads! No Middle School presentation. I was sorry to miss it, but the conditions really were treacherous. Instead I walked the Bishop’s beach, thanks to ice cleats attached to my trusty boots, with fellow children’s author Ann Dixon. What a joy to catch up with Ann.
Friends of the Homer Library board member Lyn Maslow graciously gave me a tour of Homer, shepherding me through gift stores glittering with the creative handy work of local Kenai Peninsula artists and ending with a visit to the Homer Book Store, a unique local treasure, where my books were, of course!, prominently displayed. Thank you to owners Jenny Stroyeck and Sue Post for your support.
A rather quick and wind-blown walk around the Homer Spit concluded the tour. I posed in front of the iconic Halibut Hook at Homer Spit.
Community Conversation and Book Talk
That evening, in front of a welcoming fireplace in the beautiful Homer library, a group of masked attendees filled up their previously reserved 25 seats. Homer Friends of the Library Dave Berry and assistant Kevin Co mastered the technical demands of linking in remote attendees virtually.
Afterwards the panel discussion focused on Nita’s many experiences as an Alaska Native living in the wake of Elizabeth Peratrovich. It was as though my book came full-circle. She recalled being asked by a white teacher in a staff room at an elementary school to not speak her language because no one understood it and captivated us with other experiences that were shocking but, unfortunately, not surprising. Lia kept things running smoothly through several insightful questions and discussion. At the close of the evening we all dug into yummy take-out Thai food from Vida’s.
