Writers in Residence, John and Jan Straley on Jan’s research vessel. Courtesy of the Straleys
Writers in Residence, John and Jan Straley at PC. Photo by Giovanni Roverso
By Daniel Blume
John Straley, a former student of James Welch, the first guest of Peninsula College’s Writers in Residence program, will be following in his teacher’s footsteps when he presents at the 15th annual Writers in Residence this week.
Featuring John and Jan Straley, both award-winning authors, the program is comprised of six events open to students and four open to the public.
Professor Jan Straley, marine biologist, presents her work with the endangered humpback whale and the elusive sperm whale, as well as gives tips for making scientific writing more engaging. John Straley, former writer laureate for the State of Alaska, known for his detective fiction, performs a reading of prose and poetry and holds multiple forums on writing. Events take place April 28-30 and are held on and off campus.
Based out of Sitka, Alaska, John and Jan are steeped in Southeast Alaskan culture. Professor Matt Teorey describes the couple as approachable, whimsical, and fun. In his poem “Every Single Day”, John mentions an afternoon spent on a yellow boat. According to faculty member Barbara Blackie, Jan uses a distinctive yellow boat to collect much of her field data, and if you read John’s stories you will find that he always weaves in the image of the yellow boat somewhere as an homage to Jan, his wife.
The Writers in Residence Program is supported by the Peninsula College Foundation. For more information about the Peninsula College Foundation, call (360) 417-6535.