The newest issue of Southeast Alaska’s undergraduate-led literary and arts journal launches April 15, and features Ravenstail and spruce root basket weaving, thoughts on motherhood and the wild in Tracy Arm, and writing and art from around Southeast Alaska.
This year’s edition of Tidal Echoes features Sitka weaver Teri Rofkar and Juneau biologist and writer Aleria Jensen.
Jensen said she was “absolutely stunned” to be chosen as the featured writer.
“It was humbling and also a complete delight, and it’s been such fun to work with the Tidal Echoes staff on this project,” she wrote in an email.
She sent in a selection of new and older writings, including an essay, “In the Wild Without Child: One Mother’s Invitation to Self,” and poems, one of which is featured in this issue of the Capital City Weekly as well (page 7).
“I’ve been a huge fan of Tidal Echoes since I was first introduced to it back in 2004,” she wrote. “We are so lucky to have a journal dedicated to the literary and visual arts of this place we call home. It’s such a consistently lovely publication, carefully constructed, full of voices and images unique to Southeast. I open it and I feel the people and place rising off the page — it’s a touchstone for connection.”
Rofkar, whose Tlingit name is Chas’ Koowu Tla’a, is a renowned Ravenstail and spruce root weaver. Right now, she’s working on her “Tlingit Superman” series. One of those is the robe featured on the Tidal Echoes cover, which is likely the first all mountain goat robe woven in 200 years, with DNA double helixes woven into its borders to highlight the special nature of Baranof Island goats. She plans on wearing it to the launch on Friday, April 15.
The launch party will include talks from both Jensen and Rofkar, as well as readings from some of the other writers selected for publication, while images from the journal play in the background. Jensen said she’ll address the origin of each of the pieces included in the journal and her writing process; Rofkar will talk about what she’s been working on, and, in addition to the mountain goat robe, may show her current robe-in-progress, which will incorporate LEDs and an aurora that changes with the dance of the person wearing it.
“It’s really nice, as a visual artist, to be included in that kind of annual venue,” Rofkar said.
The journal strives to represent all of Southeast Alaska, faculty advisor and UAS Associate Professor of Creative Writing Emily Wall wrote in an email. “We are always striving to reach diverse communities… we really want this journal to be a reflection of as much of Southeast Alaska as possible,” she wrote.
This year, they had more than 350 total submissions from communities around Southeast, including Hoonah and Haines. One they’re especially excited about is a poem from Yaakoosgé Daakahídi freshman Jasz Garrett; they received several “excellent” submissions from the school, Wall said.
Tidal Echoes’ editors are UAS Creative Writing students. This year, Alexa Cherry is the senior editor; Maranda Clark is the junior editor. The fall intern was Chrystal Randolph.
“The three of them did an outstanding job on the journal this year. It’s very unusual to have a regional literary journal run entirely by undergraduate students (this is more commonly work done by graduate students),” Wall wrote.
The Tidal Echoes launch is 7 p.m. Friday, April 15 at UAS in the Egan Lecture Hall. Beginning at 6:30, journals will be on sale for $5. There will also be light refreshments.
There’s no cost to attend.
Any UAS student or Southeast Alaskan resident can submit to Tidal Echoes. Submissions will open again this September. The deadline for the 2017 issue is Dec. 1. For more information, go to http://www.uas.alaska.edu/arts_sciences/humanities/tidalechoes/.
• Contact Capital City Weekly managing editor Mary Catharine Martin at maryc.martin@capweek.com.
