Writing & Reporting

Meet Alaska’s newest reality star

Alaska Dispatch, April 7, 2011

“You know, taxidermists were with Charles Darwin when he went to the Galapagos,” Knight said, adding that a taxidermist was also sent along on the Lewis and Clark expedition. “Taxidermy has had a great, rich history, but most people aren’t aware of that.” On Wednesday, Knight was getting face-to-face with taxidermy and history right there in his shop as a camera crew looked on. “We have two passenger pigeons that we’re working with today that are extinct — that are very unique animals,” he said. “And we also have — we’re working with today, as a matter of fact — Teddy Roosevelt’s actual taxidermy kit that he traveled around the world with.”

Read more…

A new year, a fresh start for Out North

Second Place, Arts Coverage, 2012 Alaska Press Club Awards

Alaska Dispatch, January 13, 2011

Back in the fall, while the state’s attention was focused on the theatrics unfolding in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, Out North quietly lost a third of its funding. And for a while there, no one was really sure the Anchorage institution, now in its 26th season, would survive.

Money is tight at plenty of nonprofits, but Out North was facing a crisis that could very possibly mean closing its doors. Ticket sales for an upcoming production of a musical based on “Reefer Madness” were suddenly very, very important. And that was where things started to get messy. In the middle of a fiscal emergency, human emotions bubbled into the mix, further complicating an already difficult situation.

Read more…

Judge’s comments: “‘A New Year’ was a well-written piece, and I was impressed as well by the quality of the reporting. The writer did a great job of getting frank accounts of the situation and crafting a complex story into a coherent narrative.”

‘Whales’ shoot stretched local stagehands to the limit

Alaska Dispatch, January 6, 2011

While film production has been a windfall for local stagecraft professionals, it has at times made life a bit more challenging for Anchorage’s performing arts organizations. In the months “Everybody Loves Whales” spent filming in Anchorage, the local arts season forged ahead as scheduled — but with lucrative movie jobs luring away experienced theater techs, stage crew members were suddenly scarce. The issue, local artists say, is one of a pool of talent that’s already small and spread thin being spread even thinner.

Read more…

Recap: Bristol’s ‘Dancing’ debut

Alaska Dispatch, September 20, 2010

Bristol Palin established herself as a solid middle-of-the-packer in her “Dancing With the Stars” debut Monday night. It cost me half a bottle of wine and my laptop battery, but here’s the blow-by-blow.

Read more…

Barreling into statehood

Alaska Dispatch, December 31, 2009

I don’t think Hickel’s water pipeline was such a great idea, but you’ve got to respect the man for thinking big. Statehood was a big idea. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was a big idea. The Permanent Fund was a big idea. The gas line is a big idea. None of them are universally popular ideas, and there are those who would argue they’ve all been flawed in their execution. But we’ve got to keep coming up with those big, flawed ideas, figuring out whether they’re viable, and doing our honest best to make them work for this state. We’re Alaskans. That’s what we do.

Read more…

King of the box office

Alaska Dispatch, September 27, 2009

Other than providing Alaskans with an evening of entertainment, what kind of effect does a show like “The Lion King” really have on the community?

Read more…

The ghost in the machine: Have Palin-obsessed blogs changed state politics in Alaska?

Anchorage Press, August 20, 2009

I’ll be the first to admit I’m a worrier. Mostly I worry about things that are out of my control, like clear-air turbulence and elevator malfunctions. And lately, I’ve been worried about the impact Sarah Palin’s notoriety (or popularity, or infamy, depending on who you ask) has had on Alaska politics.

Read more…

That Day

Portland Magazine, Spring 2007

We call death the pink elephant. It sits in the back of the room all year in the rest of their lives but no one talks about it. At camp, though, they can talk about it if they want to. Or not. Everyone understands. Everyone here has an elephant.

Read more…

Actor goes from fish boots to footlights

Anchorage Daily News, July 7, 2008

A word to the wise: Meet Danny Jones now. That way you’ll be able to say you “knew him when.”

Read more…

Let’s not all go jumping on the ‘Elect The AG’ bandwagon

Alaska Dispatch, February 13, 2009

If there’s one thing that bothers me more than Crocs at the opera, it’s people who want to mess around with Alaska’s constitution, which is recognized nationwide as one of the greatest legal documents ever written in these United States.

Read more…

Review: ‘The Boy Friend’

Anchorage Daily News, December 6, 2008

“The Boy Friend” isn’t exactly long on plot. Expect a few variations on: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl sing and dance. Enter chorus. All sing and dance.

Read more…