Our 10-day eBay auction is live now!

Go to http://stores.ebay.com/49-Alaska-Writing-Center to bid through Dec 5 (more descriptions of each item or service at the ebay site):

IMMORTALIZE YOUR PET AND ENTER THE AMAZING SCI-FI WORLD OF DAVID MARUSEK.

WOW YOUR BOOK CLUB WITH PHONE-IN OR SKYPE GUEST HOPE EDELMAN, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND MOTHER-DAUGHTER EXPERT

LEAP PUBLISHING BARRIERS WITH THE HELP OF A PARTIAL MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE BY AN ANONYMOUS NEW YORK EDITOR AND PUBLISHING EXPERT, “MOONRAT”

GET ALASKA RESEARCH HELP FROM FAVORITE LIBRARIAN MICHAEL CATOGGIO

ENJOY THE QUIET OF A TWO-DAY WRITER’S OR READER’S RETREAT AT SHEEP MOUNTAIN LODGE

CELEBRATE AND ENJOY THE WORK OF OUR NEWEST STATE AUTHOR, PEGGY SHUMAKER, BY OWNING A FIVE-BOOK COLLECTION OF HER WORK

BECOME SOCIAL-MEDIA SAVVY (IT’S NEVER TOO LATE!) WITH A PERSONAL CONSULTATION BY INTERNET PIONEER ALIZA SHERMAN

A new cookbook for the holiday season

Holiday season is cooking time, and I wish I could tell you that every single one of our book bags had this cookbook, but alas -- only one will. But since I'm going to tuck it into an outgoing box this week, the odds aren't too bad (one in five to ten, maybe?) as long as you're ordering your book bag right now. Kirsten is not only a great writer and chef and lodge owner, she's also on our Board of Directors. We're just a little proud of that fact...

I could spend the weekend with any one of these six books that just arrived and are being added randomly to our book bag shipments heading out the door or next in line for lucky orderers. The donations are all thanks to Miranda Weiss of Homer, who reached out to these great writers for help with our fundraiser. Every one of these books is signed -- all really beautiful editions. They include Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen (amazing illustrations), Early in the Season: A British Columbia Journal by Edward Hoagland, The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by National Book Award winner T.J. Stiles, The Wake of the Unseen Object by Alaska's own Tom Kizzia, and Miranda Weiss's lyrical Tide, Feather, Snow.

Want a chance of snagging one of these? You know what to do!

Nearly 80 Donating Authors

I just updated our author list at right and just as book bags are going out, some new books continue to arrive. Most books were donated directly by authors, but some authors also donated friends' or colleagues' books, and on top of all that, we pulled some of our favorite books from our Book Nook collection of previously solicited fundraiser books. If your name is at right, or if you're one of the great volunteers or friends who made solicitations or went and bought a signed book just to send it to us so we could add it to the mix, we thank you so much!

One of the books that arrived first: Crosscurrents by Marybeth Holleman

One of the books that traveled farthest: From the UK, White Nights by Ann Cleeves

Book that made us sigh and smile: Marjorie Kowalski Cole's Inside Outside Morningside, donated by Peggy Shumaker

Book we wish we needed right now: Europe 101 by Rick Steves (good for daydreaming, though)

Va-va voom book cover: A Knight and White Satin by Jackie Ivie

Books with the best/oddest titles: The thing about life is that one day you'll be dead by David Shields and (Not That You Asked) by Steve Almond

Thanks to the first couple of the Berkeley literary scene and welcome to our Book Bag 2010 Fundraiser!

Credit where credit is due: We stole our Book Bag 2010 Fundraiser idea from Ayelet Waldman, the Berkeley author who also happens to be married to Pulitzer prize-winner Michael Chabon. Waldman used a grab bag idea -- set number of randomly assembled books, seeded with signed or special editions, sold in a tote bag -- to raise money for Obama in 2008.

When I contacted her this year to share the news that we wanted to try her idea, she answered graciously and was among the very first to send some donated books: a signed copy of Bad Mother, her notorious and wonderful essay collection, and a copy of Chabon's Yiddish Policeman's Union, a novel set in Sitka that every Alaskan should read. (Chabon visited Anchorage when the book was released and demonstrated once again his unparalleled nice-guy approachability. These two gifted and socially conscious writers set an incredibly high bar.)

We opened the fundraiser storefront a little early on Tuesday night when I couldn't wait another anxious second. But today is the day we really start beating the drum: We need your help to sell our 50 Corvax McCarthy raven logo tote bags. Each one comes packed with four to five books from our great collection of donated volumes by Alaska and Outside authors. Some are signed, like the Waldman and Chabon books mentioned above; some are rare. We've also included some freebies, like advanced reader copies and other items generously donated by several publishers and a bookstore, Fireside Books in Palmer. The $80 price includes shipping and boxes head out the door within 24 to 48 hours of order receipt, in time to beat the holiday rush. To purchase online, a painless process, please go to http://www.49fundraiser.blogspot.com/.

At this blog for the next week or so, I'll continue to tell you about a few of the generous authors who donated and I'll mention some of the special books that could show up in any of these book bags. Please take part and help us spread the word.

Book Bag inside peek: literary crime fiction and more

Soho Press is the hero publishing house of the month. They sent us an entire box of crime and literary fiction titles, including books by Alaska authors John Straley and Stan Jones, to be included in our book bags. We also have a fantastic collection of mystery titles, thanks to many participating authors with Alaska Sisters in Crime connections.

Don't Need Anything But Books: Book Bag Sale Fundraiser 2010

The storefront is open! Let the Book Bag 2010 Fundraiser begin and a huge thanks to all of our donors, including authors, Soho Press, Epicenter Press, Fireside Books, and all the wonderful volunteers -- Miranda, Eowyn, Karen, Scott, Sandy, Deb, Jeremy, Morgan, Lousie, and many others -- who helped us collect these great books.