Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series

Solstice Poetry Cycle

January 30th, 2025

Prepare for an unforgettable evening of poetry in Fairbanks as the Solstice Poetry Cycle takes the stage! Part of the °Ä²Êͼ¿â Department of English's Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series, this event celebrates the season with a vibrant showcase of local talent. Poets will deliver single, powerful poems in a captivating, uninterrupted flow—no introductions, no small talk, just the raw brilliance of creative expression.

Join us on January 30th to celebrate the solstice with words that inspire, connect, and move. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, making this celebration of poetry open to all. Let’s light up the winter night together with the transformative power of poetry!

 

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UAF Department of English
Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series
Solstice Poetry Cycle

Date
Thursday, January 30th, 2025

Time
7-9pm AKST

Location
UAF Salisbury Theatre

Zoom Option


Tickets
Pay as you can at the door

 

2025 Poets

Chelsea Anderson graduated from UAF with a B.A. in English in 2023. Her poetry mainly focuses on interpersonal relationships, especially familial ones, and mental health.
Bukusai Ashagawa has written over fourteen thousand haiku. He’s also published sixteen books, four of which consist of haiku, senryu, tanka, & haiga poetry.
Claire-Elise Baalke received a MA in English at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She has publications in The Bangalore Review, Cirque, and Flying Ketchup Press.
Susan Campbell is a teacher, poet, book artist, and avid outdoor adventurer inspired by northern landscapes. She’s made Fairbanks her home for thirty-five years.
Sarah Doetschman is a wife and the mother of two grown men. She works at the job center and volunteers with children in need.
Ella Engman is a senior at West Valley who enjoys reading and writing. She plans to attend UAF in the fall.
Chris Greenfield-Pastro is a former teacher who enjoys writing, art, and tinkering. You might cross paths with her on the trails near Fairbanks.
Elyse Guttenberg is the author of four novels. She received an Alaska Artist Fellowship, and is one of the founders of UAF's literary journal, Permafrost.
Cindy Hardy retired from UAF in 2018, but still teaches writing. Her second poetry collection, xiRude Weather, is still forthcoming from Salmon Press
Tiumaluali’i Jody Marie Hassel’s work embodies ancestral ritual arts. Her recently published essay, "Blood Born," is currently nominated for Best of the Net Anthology 2025.
Carrie Heimer teaches English at West Valley. Her advent and Psalms collections are available at www.poetryissalt.com, which is chock-full of other goodies, as well.

KJ Janeschek is a poet and labor organizer originally from the Midwest. Their work has won an AWP Intro Journals Project award.

 

Raif Johnson-Kennedy has been attending Poetry Slams since 2004, this format has been life changing for him and he hopes to host more in the future to give others this powerful outlet and source of inspiration.
Sara Eliza Johnson is the author of two books of poetry, Bone Map and Vapor, both published by Milkweed Editions. She is an associate professor in the MFA program at UAF.

Susheila Khera lives and works in Fairbanks. Her work has appeared in Ice-Floe, Cirque, Northern Review and WoodenBoat Magazine

 

Dr. Kathy Kitts, a retired planetary geologist, plans on graduating with her MFA in Creative Writing from UAF in May 2025.
Carolyn Kremers writes poetry and literary nonfiction and is a lifelong musician. Her books include Place of the Pretend People and Upriver. Her website: .
Noah Meierotto is born and raised here in Alaska and is passionate about the outdoors. She will be attending UAF in the fall.
Manuel A. Melendez knows he will be content writing poems or hybrid pieces about fleeting moments that salvage the body, color, and memory from time.
Chris Miles is a poet and a veteran. He is the author of Armor & Ornament and a recipient of an Alaska Literary Award.
John Morgan moved to Fairbanks in 1976, to direct the creative writing program at the university. He’s published eight poetry books and an essay collection.

Tim Ott grew up in rural Iowa, studied Russian at St. Olaf College and University of Washington, and has lived and worked in many places.

 

Linda Schandelmeier is the author of two books of poetry: Listening Hard Among the Birches and Coming Out of Nowhere

Jane Sellin came to Alaska 62 years ago, earned an MFA from UAF in 1990, and is published in AQR and other journals.

 

Zeke Shomler earned a combined MA/MFA from UAF in Fall 2024. His work can be found in Folio, The Shore, AGNI, and elsewhere.
Jamie Simpher spent a decade writing ads before moving to Alaska to pursue an MFA. One day she aspires to be a swashbuckling pirate captain.
Raymond Tamez is a 2nd year UAF student, bridging the gap between engineering and creative arts through music and poetry. He is originally from Texas
Jamy May Wagner is a writer, speaker, performer, storyteller, and soon-to-be entrepreneur. She lives in Denali Borough with her husband and dog.
Julianne Warren (she, settler) is a poet-scholar and land and justice advocate with an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Jaclyn Wilmoth writes novels that are memoirs and memoirs that are novels, often with a sprinkling of poetry. The Snow Witch is her first published novel.

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