Conversations in Alaska

The Traverse and the Reunions: Returning to Ketchikan (2)

July 23, 2019July 23, 2019 First Person ForeignAlaska

“Alaska lulled me here on some sort of fantasy.” I thought as I ran up and down the hills of the residential streets. I pushed myself to scale them because I am trying to keep[…]

Bear, Conversations in Alaska: 16 of 50

September 15, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

JT comes in from his tri-nightly cigarette break. He is in his 40s, originally from Kodiak, wears house slippers and keeps to himself usually. When he walks in the door, he faintly whistles through his[…]

“The Goods Are Odd but the Odds are Good” Conversations in Alaska, 17 of 50

September 14, 2016September 14, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I meet Molly at Fat Stan’s. I don’t really know her that well, but I remember when we first met on the Nona. I got picked up from the airport on a boat. Still a[…]

Peridot Sally, Conversations in Alaska 35 of 50

September 6, 2016September 6, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I was stationed at Tongass with the flag. Someone gets put at Tongass with the flag when there is a ship on 2 and a ship on 3, and we are loading at 3. When[…]

“Well That Was Very Rude” Conversations in Alaska, 38 of 50

August 24, 2016August 24, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I am standing on Dock 2, the one where everyone gets scrunched between the ship and the dock. There is one small lane for the buses to drive through (to get to Dock One, or[…]

Conversations in Alaska: “I wish I could snag” 41 of 50

August 12, 2016August 12, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I pass street kids milling about with their fishing poles, unironically, all season long on my walk to work. I see the same handful of them coming into my apartment in the alley. I’ve never met them,[…]

Conversations in Alaska: “Sometimes I forget we are really weird” 46 of 50

July 30, 2016July 31, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I went to a friend’s house after rehearsal (this was weeks ago), July 20th. I needed to pick up fish to overnight ship to my dad, because we caught it on a fishing trip during[…]

Conversations in Alaska: “Kids Don’t Have to Be Expensive,” 48 of 50

July 27, 2016August 3, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I talked yesterday to a deckhand engineer in his laidback carhartts and button-down cotton shirt. He paused and stood outside Salmon Landing. He said “Where are you coming from?” “I had to deposit some laundry[…]

50 Conversations in Alaska | “The art of conversation” 49 of 50

July 27, 2016August 3, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

50 Conversations in Alaska: 49/50 At Safeway, I grabbed a white wine under $10 and queued in the 4-bodied line. It’s always long lines here- island pace? Atlanta would be restless, Chicago would gripe, New[…]