Anchorage Daily News

Fairbanks composer John Luther Adams has become the first Alaskan to be the subject of a major profile in The New Yorker, to my recollection, since John McPhee's "Coming Into the Country" series 30-some years ago. (And McPhee's sprawling documentary was not exactly a "profile.")

Alex Ross, the magazine's well-respected classical music writer, traveled to Alaska to interview Adams for the article, "Song of the Earth." The title is a nod to Gustav Mahler's symphonic song cycle, "Das Lied von der Erde." He calls the composer "one of the most original musical thinkers of the new century ... perhaps the chief standard-bearer of American experimental music."

The article, now online with an audio sample (you can link from adn.com/artsnob), is included in the May 12 edition of The New Yorker. It recounts a trip the men of words and music took to Lake Louise. It also includes a visit with former state poet laureate John Haines in which Ross mentions "a good bottle of whiskey." The brand is not identified. At press time, Art Beat is making inquiries with Adams. While there's no reason to doubt that, if America's most prominent literary periodical calls a whiskey good, it surely is. But further research is required.

-- Mike Dunham

John Straley's latest mystery -- his first in seven years -- is keeping the Alaska author busy these days. Publishers Weekly gave "The Big Both Ways" (Alaska Northwest Books, $25.95) a starred review and described it as "a gripping tale of survival, betrayal and murder set in the Pacific Northwest ... a riveting, unpredictable ride." Booklist said, "Straley hits all the right notes here: vividly detailed scenes ... almost Dickensian vignettes ... a Jack London-like man-versus-nature story."

Straley, a former member of the Alaska State Council on the Arts and current state writer laureate, gave the University of Alaska Fairbanks commencement address last weekend and received an honorary doctorate. He will arrive in Anchorage on Monday for a flurry of public appearances, to be followed by book signings in the Lower 48. Here's this week's schedule.

Tuesday: Title Wave Books, Anchorage, 7 p.m.

Wednesday: Barnes & Noble, Anchorage, 11 a.m.

Wednesday: Fireside Books, Palmer, 4 p.m.

Thursday: Powell's-Cedar Hills, Beaverton, Ore., 7 p.m.

Friday: Murder by the Book, Portland, Ore., 6:30 p.m.

Saturday: Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Seattle, noon

Saturday: Village Books, Bellingham, Wash., 7 p.m.

Then things get really exciting. On May 18-19, somewhere in Puget Sound, Straley will be the guest of honor in "A Mysterious Night at Sea." June 6-10, he'll be back in Alaska for the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference in Homer, followed by the Alaska Book Festival in Fairbanks, June 12-14, then back on a plane for the Ashland (Ore.) Mystery Festival, June 20-23.

Not bad for a humble Sitka gumshoe.

-- Mike Dunham

A glimpse of things to come at museum

At last week's First Friday shindig, folks were awed and shocked and confused by the new multimedia, electronic and film installations by Michael Joo at the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center.

Whatever your reaction was, look forward to feeling it again.

In a recent interview, museum CEO James Pepper Henry said the exhibit -- which featured a wall-sized film installation and real-time video projections from the gallery -- is a sign of things to come.

"It's certainly fair to say this represents a lot of exciting changes to come for the Anchorage Museum," he said. "In the next six months or so we're going to debut our exhibition schedule for the next two years ... and we certainly want to push the envelope."

Pepper Henry said the schedule is under wraps for now, but he did let it slip last month that an Andy Warhol exhibit is in the works for sometime after the building expansion is complete in 2010.

-- Sarah Henning

Grants for projects exploring statehood

The Rasmuson Foundation is offering $1 million in grants to groups and individuals exploring Alaska's "journey to statehood and its past, present and future impact on all Alaskans." Individual grants will go up to $100,000. Eligible projects include media, public meetings, exhibits, oral history, research, planning and arts and creative expression. The deadline for submission in Thursday. Applications can be submitted at the Alaska Humanities Forum Web site, akhf.org.

Tell us about talented teens

This is the last week for nominations in the Daily News search for young Alaskans with noteworthy artistic talent. Submit online at adn.com/teentalent. The deadline is May 18.

Seeking nominations for Governor's Awards

The Alaska State Council on the Arts is taking suggestions for the Governor's Awards for the Arts. The categories include Individual Artist, Native Arts, Arts Organization and Arts Education. The deadline is May 30, and the awards will be presented in October. Details and forms are at eed.state.ak.us/aksca.

Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332. Find Sarah Henning online at adn.com/contact/shenning or call 257-4323.

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