The people who make the songs you hum and books you read weren’t totally tied up with creating in 2018.<\/p>\n
They saw shows, heard new music, read books and poems and saw movies, too.<\/p>\n
These are year-end picks from some notable folks in Juneau’s arts community. Some had one pick, others had a whole rundown of favorites, but all had something they enjoyed in 2018.<\/p>\n
Here are their favorites in their own words.<\/p>\n
Ernestine Hayes <\/strong><\/p>\n Alaska Writer Laureate and professor of English for University of Alaska Southeast<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n Favorite reading of 2018 <\/strong><\/p>\n Right now, I’m reading “Sing, Unburied, Sing” by Jesmyn Ward. As most of my reading is for courses I teach, this semester I had the pleasure of re-reading “The Boys of my Youth” by Jo Ann Beard, “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius” by Dave Eggers, and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.” I’m preparing for a class for next semester by reading “The Transforming Image,” which came highly recommended. And of course, I read students’ essays and memoirs, which is always the most meaningful, engaging and surprising.<\/p>\n Emily Wall <\/strong><\/p>\n Associate Professor of English for Univiersity of Alaska Southeast and poet<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Favorite poetry collection of 2018 <\/strong><\/p>\n I just finished reading Tom Sexton’s new book “Li Bai Rides the Celestial Dolphin” and it’s pretty amazing. Sexton is a former State Writer Laureate and one of the most powerful poets in Alaska, in my opinion.<\/p>\n Julie Coppens York <\/strong><\/p>\n Perseverance Theatre’s director of outreach and engagement, director and former theater journalist<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n Favorite stage shows of 2018 <\/strong><\/p>\n The American classic “Oklahoma!” is enjoying a renaissance\/revolution, with at least two remarkable revivals this year: one will be transferring to Broadway this spring<\/a> … and the other one, which I was lucky enough to see, was a hit this season at Oregon Shakespeare Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n These stagings are part of a larger, and in my view thrilling, trend of younger theater artists reclaiming some of these Golden Age works for themselves and a new, more diverse and demanding generation of audiences. These productions challenge us to see and hear these stories from a fresh perspective, to consider what has changed in our American landscape — and what hasn’t, for better or worse.<\/p>\n Among the new Broadway musicals this year, there’s only one must-buy cast recording, in my opinion: “The Band’s Visit.”<\/a> David Yazbek’s score is such a refreshing, seductive blend of Middle Eastern styles, both ancient and contemporary, with unfailingly clever lyrics. Even my 4th- and 5th-grade Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM) <\/a>students at Glacier Valley found “The Band’s Visit” irresistible — the number “Waiting” and two of the instrumentals were a much-enjoyed part of our musical theatre soundtrack this semester. And if you don’t trust their recommendation: the show won 10 Tony Awards. Give it a listen.<\/p>\n Annie Bartholomew <\/strong><\/p>\n Alaska songwriter<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n Favorite music of 2018 <\/strong><\/p>\n Revilla-“The North Sea EP”<\/a>: You may have heard them at the Alaska Folk Festival performing as the Amish Robots. Revilla features Juneau’s own Alex Nelson with Alejandro Chavarria and Patrick Troll of Ketchikan. What started as three high school friends from Southeast Alaska has grown to a full on Seattle band with an even fuller sound. Chavarria’s voice will make you swoon, Nelson’s fretwork is fire, and anything Troll touches is wholeheartedly weird and wonderful. Their artwork was even designed by Ketchikan’s Matt Hamilton. Think we can ever get them to move back?<\/p>\n [Alaska bands’ music used for state phone system<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n