Ever wanted to take a long cruise down the Yukon? Join Athabascan master artist Daisy Demientieff on her 750-mile trip to gather materials for traditional birch bark and split willow root baskets.
You won't even get wet, because the whole thing's on film.
A new documentary, "A Beautiful Journey," about Demientieff and her work will debut Wednesday at the Anchorage Museum with a reception at 6 p.m., screening at 7 p.m. If you miss that, it'll re-debut on Friday at the Alaska Native Heritage Center; again, reception at 6 p.m., show at 7.
Demientieff is one of three women who still know how to find the right roots, where and when to look, how to split the whole root into workable fibers then tediously weave the unique baskets. She's also among the few remaining speakers of the Deg Xinag Athabascan dialect.
You see Demientieff's split root and (more common) birch bark baskets at museums and public spaces throughout Alaska. This 70-minute film supplies a chance to see how she does it.
Both screenings are free. Besides, it's lovely on the Yukon at this time of year.
Literati hit the Spit
The 2009 Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference will take place June 12-16 at Lands End Resort on the end of the world-famous Homer Spit.
Speaking of world famous, the keynote speaker will be poet Li-Young Lee, recipient of the American Book Award. Other award-winning, nationally recognized authors, editors and agents will conduct creative writing workshops, readings, craft talks and panel presentations in fiction, nonfiction, children's writing, poetry and the business of writing.
Notable locals include Alaska Writer Lauerate Nancy Lord, John Morgan, Peggy Shumaker, Rich Chiappone, Sherry Simpson and others. Advanced registration is required. The early registration fee is $375 before June 11, space available. For more information, visit writersconference.homer.alaska.edu.
Return of the bard
Former state Poet Laureate Tom Sexton recently returned to Anchorage from travels Outside, just as the University of Alaska Press is releasing a collection of new poems, along with some previously published work, as "For the Sake of the Light." Sexton will present a talk and a reading at noon and 4:30 p.m. Monday at the University of Alaska Anchorage bookstore.
Sails on Bristol Bay
The net loft at the Peter Pan Cannery in Dillingham will host an exhibit celebrating 125 years of commercial fishing in Bristol Bay. "Sailing for Salmon" will open on June 6, right after the annual blessing of the fleet ceremony, featuring salmon chowder and hardtack in tribute to the tough guys who pulled in the nets back when fishermen needed to know how to sail as well as how to fish.
On the blog
"The true brilliance of this play is the talented youth that gloss the stage," reads a "You Be the Critic" review of "Anne of Green Gables" at Valley Performing Arts in Wasilla. Check the rest online. adn.com/artsnob.
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
By MIKE DUNHAM
mdunham@adn.com