Alaska Writers Guild brings local wordsmiths together at Wasilla Library

WASILLA — The Alaska Writers Guild recently gathered at the Wasilla Public Library for the Fall Writers Social.

This event brought writers from across the state and across genres to one place to talk about the craft, network, and win prizes.

The event drew a large number of Valley writers such as Berry Dearborn.

“It was fun,” Dearborn said.

Dearborn said it was nice having so many different types of writers converge in one place. He said Guild is a valuable resource for any local writer with the constant exchanges of ideas and stream of support.

“It’s been a great experience. It’s a group of great people, and they’re always interesting to talk to,” Dearborn said.

AWG President Caitlin Buxbaum said that she was thrilled with the overall participation of this event.

“We had a lot more organic participation than I expected,” Buxbaum said.

Buxbaum is also a longtime Valley resident. She said the Guild would normally hold a Valley and Anchorage meeting monthly, but the pandemic forced members to hold solely virtual meetings until recently. She said the plan is to have hybrid meetings from now on.

“We have lots of members outside the Anchorage area... So having online meetings helps,” Buxbaum said.

Hailey Staker and Krysta Voskowsky attended the Writers Social as friends and fellow writers. Voskowsky said that she felt especially energized from the AWG Writer’s Social after interacting with so many different people.

“It was really inspiring to meet other writers in the community that appreciate the power of story,” Voskowsky said.

Staker and Voskowsky meet regularly at The Gathering Grounds Cafe in Wasilla to talk about writing and work on their projects in between the demands of their everyday lives. Staker said that social settings like their weekly cafe meetups and those offered by the Guild are essential to helping writers build a routine outside of their comfort zones.

“This is my attempt at making friends that get to see the other side of me. I’m grateful that they’re opportunities like this,” Staker said.

Voskowsky said that writing is normally a solitary activity so having an outlet for like-minded peopled to interact with each other can make a world of difference.

“I think it’s absolutely essential to our mental health, whether you’re a writer, a builder, or a fisherman because we are social creatures as humans, and as we go into the long, cold, dark winter- I think having a social outlet with other people is really crucial,” Voskowsky said.

For more information about the Alaska Writers Guild, visit alaskawritersguild.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com