This stunning narrative written by a teacher of the Yup'ik Eskimo village of Tununak ""is a memoir worth reading, "" reports the ""Anchorage Daily News.""

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

Poet, nonfiction writer, and lifelong musician Carolyn Kremers moved to Alaska to teach in the remote Bering Sea coast village of Tununak when she was thirty-four. Her first book, Place of the Pretend People: Gifts from a Yup’ik Eskimo Village (a memoir), probed and celebrated that experience. Upriver continues the chronicle of Kremers’ personal journey deep into Alaska and the human soul. Mixing music, Yup’ik language, the natural world, honesty, and an intimate sense of the spiritual and the unobtainable, Kremers presents a cascade of poems made of beauty and pain. The poems fall into five settings—Tununak, the Interior, Shape-Shifting, Return to the Y-K Delta, and Fairbanks. Like salmon swimming instinctively upriver—toward home—this story confronts what it means and how it feels to love a person or a place, no matter the consequences.

Kids: The Caretaker Defiance Guide has quite a bit of information on how this world currently works, which is great for making well-informed decisions about defying your caretakers. You’ll learn when it’s OK to: go against your caretakers, let others be different from your caretakers, and see your caretakers as not very smart. You’ll also learn how adults decide to become boring, unhelpful, dishonest, or bad; and how adults find meaning in your actions. Be warned: this is an extremely challenging read, but vital if you wish to get along with others while doing minimal harm. Parents: The Caretaker Defiance Guide is great for parents who can see how some defiance and rebellion can bring about positive changes in the world, and who view childhood as the time to use the child’s excess energy and brain power to prepare for their future, as opposed to those who view childhood as a time to be ignorant, carefree, and happy. Go over some of the difficulties children may come across in a safe place before they are likely to experience it in the outside world. Age group: thoughtful children 7-12 years old (even older or younger). It is recommended to read them a few pages before they go to bed! View the full book for free on the website: www.caretakerdefiance.com

A Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American West presents a series of essays that explore the historic and contemporary cultural expressions rooted in America's western states. Offers a comprehensive approach to the wide range of cultural expressions originating in the west Focuses on the intersections, complexities, and challenges found within and between the different historical and cultural groups that define the west's various distinctive regions Addresses traditionally familiar icons and ideas about the west (such as cowboys, wide-open spaces, and violence) and their intersections with urbanization and other regional complexities Features essays written by many of the leading scholars in western American cultural studies

Alice Bugg: A Journey Through Turmoil and Transformation – DUNGEON OR DAYLIGHT’ The veil shielded my eyes, yet it was not enough to reach my soul. It is damaged. My only desire was to die. Alice Bugg lives a happy, sheltered life in the ‘Purple House’ in a small town. Craving new adventures, she escapes to the capital city to pursue higher studies. However, her relentless battles with desires lead to an unforeseen night that wreaks havoc in her life. This catastrophe profoundly alters her conscience, reshaping her insights and imagination. Alice drowns in sorrow, with grief pervading her soul as she navigates the distress, deceit, and demise brought on by her divisive emotions. Amidst the turmoil, Alice is propelled to find a new purpose after discovering a fresh perspective on life. Will there be any end to my struggle?