Caption: Peggy Shumaker
Peggy Shumaker 

Alaska's State Writer Laureate, 2010-2012, Peggy Shumaker

From: New Letters on the Air
Series: New Letters on the Air
Length: 29:00

Peggy Shumaker, Alaska's State Writer Laureate, 2010-2012, is adept at capturing the beauty of landscapes, both internal and external. She reads from her poetry collection GNAWED BONES and her memoir JUST BREATHE NORMALLY, and discusses how she uses writing to explore ancestral stories, as well as her physical recovery from a nearly fatal accident. Read the full description.

Shumkaerprx_small After recovering from a nearly fatal accident, all Peggy Shumaker wanted to do was read. The poet, and Alaska's State Writer Laureate from 2010-2012, eventually began to write again as well, and while she didn't intend to write a memoir, that's what her collection of vignettes, called JUST BREATHE NORMALLY, became. Shumaker reads from the book and from her poetry collection, GNAWED BONES. She also discusses how writing allows her to take what she calls a kaleidoscopic look at the "broken shards" of her experience, incorporating her physical recovery from the accident with family memories and ancestral stories.

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Piece Description

After recovering from a nearly fatal accident, all Peggy Shumaker wanted to do was read. The poet, and Alaska's State Writer Laureate from 2010-2012, eventually began to write again as well, and while she didn't intend to write a memoir, that's what her collection of vignettes, called JUST BREATHE NORMALLY, became. Shumaker reads from the book and from her poetry collection, GNAWED BONES. She also discusses how writing allows her to take what she calls a kaleidoscopic look at the "broken shards" of her experience, incorporating her physical recovery from the accident with family memories and ancestral stories.

Broadcast History

This program originally uplinked to PRSS' Content Depot on January 20, 2012 for delivery to member stations.

Timing and Cues

PROMO: On the next New Letters on the Air, Peggy Shumaker, Alaska's State Writer Laureate from 2010-2012, reads from her poetry and prose, and discusses how she uses writing to explore family memories and ancestral stories, as well as her physical recovery from a nearly fatal accident. Peggy Shumaker on the healing art of writing, next time on New Letters on the Air...
UPLINK DATE: 01/20/2012
PROGRAM LENGTH: 29:00 minutes
INCUE: (music) "Peggy Shumaker, Alaska's State Writer Laureate..."
OUTCUE: "I'm Angela Elam for NEW LETTERS ON THE AIR."

Musical Works

Title Artist Album Label Year Length
Savannah (Sketch) Kevin MacLeod Royalty-Free Production Music. incompetech.com 2012 00:00

Additional Credits

New Letters on the Air is a production of the quarterly literary magazine, New Letters, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Partial financial support comes from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

Related Website

http://www.newletters.org/ontheair.asp