My dear friends and readers,
Times change, circumstances change, people change.... And I am changing the focus of my work from publishing a magazine on Alaska's history to once again publishing books about that history. There are many reasons, some I’ll share, a few I won’t (suffice it to say my life has grown complicated beyond what I could have ever imagined).
One reason for this change, and one of the most important, is an increasingly painful return of carpal tunnel syndrome. I’ve dealt with this demon before, and found the most effective cure is to simply stop typing for a length of time, which is far easier on a book production schedule than with a magazine’s incessant deadlines. A book can be delayed and no one even notices, but delay an expected magazine and subscribers begin to grumble.
When I started Alaskan History Magazine I naively thought I could continue researching and writing books as well, but time has proven the folly of that assumption. There are only so many hours in each day--even Alaskan summer days--and producing the magazine brought my book researching, writing, publishing, and promoting to a standstill. I am only one person, and I have no superpowers.
Publishing books has always been my first love, and I am proud of the books I have written about the history of Alaska, including The Matanuska Colony Barns, Alaskan Roadhouses, The Alaska Railroad 1902-1923, and books about the three great long distance sled dog races: The First Iditarod, The Yukon Quest Trail, and The All Alaska Sweepstakes. I've written over a dozen books, and edited several others, and I am looking forward to producing many more in the coming years.
The July-August issue of Alaskan History Magazine, in print now, will be the last. I will keep producing the email newsletter on Alaska's history, and the magazine's website will be reformatted; I'm still considering options with that. I will maintain the digital magazines at issuu.com, and I'll add the four issues published this year.
Northern Light Media will remain my primary website, and it will become more active in the weeks ahead; this is the site to bookmark and keep an eye on for updates.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Alaskan History Magazine in the past three years. As a token of my sincere appreciation for those whose financial support made it all possible, those with current paid subscriptions to this newsletter will have their subscriptions changed to lifetime subscriptions. The content will continue to be great articles and book excerpts, and news about books from Northern Light Media.
Alaskan History Magazine is now, itself, history. Peace out.
Helen
Thank you for this magazine adventure in Alaskan History! You have shared so much awesome history and insights. But carpal tunnel and whatever other complexities are happening are the new reality. Your books are wonderful, and I'll be watching for your new research and book publications! All the best! ❤