Alaskans and their visitors can enjoy a new travel companion this summer. The Alaska Literary Field Guide, published in March by Mountaineers Books, brings a unique and artistic approach to describing over 90 species of wildlife, plants, and other features of Alaska. The book is written and compiled by Nancy Lord, Marybeth Holleman, and Shaelene Moler.
“It’s not a traditional field guide,” says Lord. Instead, she describes it as a collaboration among writers, artists, and experts on Alaska’s natural world.
The 330-page book features digestible descriptions of a sampling of the things we love about Alaska, including bears, glaciers, birds, plants, and the aurora borealis, to name just a few. Grouped by ecosystem, each description blends writing and illustrations. They bind together Indigenous cultural knowledge, Western science, and more. The diverse approach promises readers a new take on our favorite sights.
“It was fun working with the writers, poets, and artists,” says Lord, adding that subject matter experts in a breadth of fields were also critical. They included co-author Moler, a Tlingit writer born in Kake, who with others provided Indigenous perspectives.
Contributing writers and poets include Kim Heacox, Seth Kantner, dg nanouk okpik, and Heather Lende. Nineteen Alaskan artists – among them Ray Troll, Sara Tabbert, Valisa Higman, and Crystal Jackson – provided full-color illustrations. Literary field guides, which blend art, culture, and natural history, are now available for Cascadia, the southern Appalachians, and a few other regions. Lord calls them an emerging genre. She and her co-authors drew inspiration from the other examples but also took their own approach. The book is available through booksellers everywhere.
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