Arctic Entries

Charlotte is an intrepid hiker, climber, runner, skier, and people-watcher. She once biked across the country, subsisting primarily on peanut butter and bananas. Charlotte is originally from New Hampshire and moved to Anchorage in 2014. When she’s not at work as an Occupational Therapist, you’ll find her adventuring in, around, and way, way out of town.

Originally from Minnesota, Catherine has lived in Alaska for 20-plus years. She has three kids, two dogs, and one husband. She’s a nurse, and is part of a band.

Linda is a journalist who got her start covering the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in 1980. Despite (or perhaps because of?) a horrific wardrobe malfunction and swearing loudly on live TV as the volcano erupted, her career took off and brought her across the Pacific Northwest. She has two grown, energetic children and three old, lazy cats.

Lizbeth works for state government. Her memoir, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters, was featured in Buzzfeed, Brit&Co., and Reader’s Digest.

Kate, a self-proclaimed certified badass #platinumstatus, is a born-and-raised Alaskan who has done her time ‘Outside’ long enough to know AK is her home. When she is not saving this Great State one cleanup at a time as an environmental engineer, Kate is influencing the next generation though various outreach events, as well as participating in her ‘hobby job’ as the U14 Alpine ski coach for Alyeska Ski Club. In the summertime, you can find Kate pretending to be a triathlete, but above all else, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dogs.

Jessica is a sophomore at West High School with a passion for music, traveling, and the outdoors. She spent her entire childhood outside in Alaska, whether it was cross-country skiing or hiking, and she absolutely adores traveling, especially internationally. She has two younger sisters with whom she does everything, and unlike most people, never checks her phone.

Sarah is a mother, photographer, and lifelong Alaskan. She loves to travel, and once schlepped a nun costume around Europe for five weeks just so she could spin around in the Austrian Alps singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music,”for a few minutes.

Darl has been in Alaska nearly 40 years and plans parties for a living. When asked what his autobiography would be called, he responded: Don’t Try to Out-Southern Me. He claims to be only slightly less dysfunctional than the rest of his family.

Daniel recently quit his job and started school in what may only be a premature midlife crisis. He grew up in North Pole, but currently lives in Anchorage.

Zac grew up in Talkeetna where he learned many things, including how to get drunk. Two weekends ago he practiced being drunk and that’s why he’s here.

Jake grew up in Utah, bounced around Europe and Africa for a few years, and moved to Anchorage in 2002. He describes himself as a mountain guy with a flair for the arts. He is happily married to Amy Malouf. So far they have climbed, along with their 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, the highest mountain in 44 of the 50 states. This introduction has basically nothing to do with the story he is about to tell.

Jeff moved to Alaska in 2004. He graduated from UAA in 2009 and worked in the IT and telecom industry for 7 years. He has run for the state senate twice, unsuccessfully (maybe third time is the charm?). He is widely known around Alaska for the infamous“Speedo-gate”scandal. He recently returned to Alaska from Australia, where he spent almost a year working and traveling. He started a blog, the Alaska Landmine, after he got back last October.

Sarah is a born-and-raised Alaskan. When she is not working as an employment attorney, Sarah loves to spend time exploring and adventuring with friends and family. She is a big fan of tutus and fanny packs.

With fist pounding on the lunchroom table for a bass beat in the 5th grade, this Wonder Woman used to be known as Kid Dynamite. Over the years, she cultivated her poetry, creative writing and emcee skills through contests, published works and open mics until she felt she reached a level of self-mastery. Nowadays, she is acknowledged as the dynamic M.C. MoHagani Magnetek.

Kokayi attended the Million Man March on October 16, 1995. Since that day, he has dedicated himself to addressing social injustice, using very interesting means to do so.

Gabriela’s native language is Spanish. Growing up, she thought that by memorizing all the words in the dictionary, she could better understand the world in which she lived, and made it all the way through M, before having to set the task aside. Many years later, she became a writer and an editor. She has published 11 books and is the editor of Sol de Medianoche, Alaska’s Hispanic newspaper. She plans to cover N to Z when she gets old.

Nettie is a lifelong Alaskan who moved back to Fairbanks after a brief period of misspent youth in Berkeley, California. She and her husband continue to toil in the cold and dark of Fairbanks, where they successfully raised two children. Their now-adult children have fled to Anchorage and to Denver, where they are contributing members of society, to their parents’ pride and joy.

Sarah is from Dillingham, newish to Anchorage. She spends most of her free time outdoors with her two dogs, or sitting somewhere with a drink in her hand obsessing over AK politics.

Nikka is a proud believer in the magic of the Christmas season— and she thinks you should be, too.

Tim got to Alaska as soon as he could, arriving a dozen years ago on the two year plan, although it’s unclear where exactly he came from. No matter, Alaska is home now. When he’s not busy experimenting in the kitchen or listening to music, he’s often making dinner for friends who come over to listen to music.