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From the Print Edition
“John Smelcer is Alaska’s modern day Jack London.”
—W. P. Kinsella, Field of Dreams
“A celebration of the diversity of cultures. Undeniably important!”
—James Michener, ALASKA
“This writer speaks from the land, and for the land, and the people who belong to it.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin
“John Smelcer is an Alaskan literary treasure.”
—Jay Hammond, former Governor of Alaska
“One of our best writers. Few people can afford not to have his writing in their library.”
—Denise Levertov
“A compelling voice, unforgettable and highly recommended.”
—Library Bookwatch
“A talented storyteller.”
—Tony Hillerman
Books by John Smelcer
Fiction
Lone Wolves
The Trap
The Great Death
Native Studies
The Raven and the Totem
A Cycle of Myths
In the Shadows of Mountains
Trickster
The Day That Cries Forever
Durable Breath
Native American Classics
We are the Land, We are the Sea
Poetry
The Indian Prophet
Songs from an Outcast
Riversong
Without Reservation
Beautiful Words
Tracks
Raven Speaks
Changing Seasons
Alaskan
Stories from the Great Land
John Smelcer
Leapfrog Press
Fredonia, New York
Alaskan © 2014 by John Smelcer
All rights reserved under International and
Pan-American Copyright Conventions
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a data base or other retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover art ©2014 by Larry Vienneau
eBook published in 2014 in the United States by
Leapfrog Press LLC
PO Box 505
Fredonia, NY 14063
www.leapfrogpress.com
Print edition originally published in 2011 by
Standing Stone Books, Syracuse, NY
Printed in the United States of America
Distributed in the United States by
Consortium Book Sales and Distribution
St. Paul, Minnesota 55114
www.cbsd.com
E-ISBN: 978-1-935248-69-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Information is available from the Library of Congress.
for Ted Stevens, Alaskan
Acknowledgements
Over the past quarter-century, many writers have helped shape these stories. The most important and most enduring is my longtime editor and father-figure, Bard Young. He is my harshest critic, and I love him for that. Every writer should have such a mentor. Also, I received a great deal of incite from Rod Clark. During my years as a Fellow at Binghamton University, Jamie Wriston-Colbert and Jack Vernon gave me useful advice on the craft of writing fiction. I’d also like to thank James Michener, James Dickey, Ursula K. LeGuin, Denise Levertov, John Updike, John Gardner, Saul Bellow, Bill Kinsella, Norman Mailer, James Welch, Ralph Ellison, Michael Dorris, Frank McCourt, Ray Bradbury, and J. D. Salinger. I’d also like to thank Larry Vienneau for the striking cover design.
Stories in this collection have appeared in the following periodicals: Aurora, Powder, Provincetown Arts, Pearl, Witness, Quick Fiction, Talkeetna Times, Fiction International, Rosebud, Buffalo Carp, Prairie Schooner, and Terminus.
Contents
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction to Alaskan
Sunday Drive
The Pond
Darkness
The Bear
The Mammoth Eaters
River’s Edge
The Awakening
The Death of Charley Secondchief
A Stroke Before Midnight
The White Hills of Denali
The Walrus Hunters
The Abduction of Lucy Secondchief
White
