July 31st, 2025 by the Seward Folly Staff

Seward readers will have the chance to hear from several local authors this Tuesday, August 5, at 6 p.m. at the Seward Library. Three Seward writers will be featured: Dot Bardarson with her memoir, “Boardwalk Footsteps: A Memoir of an Artist at a Remote Alaskan Cannery”; Shauna Potocky with her newly released poetry collection, “Sea Smoke, Spindrift, and Other Spells”; and Doug Capra, who will read from his forthcoming book, “The Last Homesteaders: Life and Death along the Edge of Alaska.”

Writers from Anchorage will also be joining the event to celebrate the launch of Cirque Journal #29, the latest issue of a poetry and prose journal founded in 2009 by Anchorage poet Mike Burwell. Published in Anchorage, Cirque is a regional journal that showcases the best writing from the North Pacific Rim and supports both emerging and established writers. This Cirque Press Reading and Book Release is a collaborative event with the Seward Library and Museum.

Dot Bardarson’s memoir, “Boardwalk Footsteps,” recounts her family’s life at a remote cannery in Southeast Alaska. When her husband, Linne’, accepted the superintendent position at Chatham Cannery, Dot moved to Alaska with their three young children. The story reflects on cultures coming together to put salmon in cans, the friendships and celebrations, emergencies, and the beginnings of Dot’s art career, all set against the backdrop of raising a family at Chatham Cannery in the 1960s. You can read more about Dot in this edition’s feature article in the Seward Folly: Dot Bardarson: Hometown Heroine adds authorship to her list of life achievements.

Shauna Potocky’s beautiful new book, “Sea Smoke, Spindrift, and Other Spells,” has just been released. This is her second collection of poetry, centered on Seward and its surrounding landscape. Her first book, “Yosemite Dawning,” explored Yosemite National Park, where Shauna spent ten years working. In her latest collection, the poems reflect her deep connection to the Seward community and the land itself. The book captures the experience of living on the Kenai Peninsula, chronicling a full year from one winter solstice to the next. It weaves together threads of local history and contemporary life, highlighting what it means to call Seward, the Gulf of Alaska, and this unique community home. Shauna contributed her artwork, drawing and painting two maps, along with several additional pieces. She also collaborated with artist Kassandra Mirosh, a school teacher in Healy, Alaska, who brought her students to participate in a poetry workshop led by Shauna.

Doug Capra’s book, “The Last Homesteaders: Life and Death along the Edge of Alaska,” shares the true story of John and Ginger Davidson and their child. The family lived in Driftwood Bay for about seven years, making a life for themselves as homesteaders. Then, one day, they left Seward in a small motorboat filled with supplies and were never seen again. Their disappearance still affects the community.

People disappear in Alaska. They vanish in the forests, on the glaciers, and along the alpine meadows. They dissolve within winter blizzards on their snowmachines or smother under avalanches while skiing. Their inflatables surrender to river rapids and their boots carry them along trails that evaporate into the wild. People melt into the waters of the North Pacific Ocean, leaving family and friends feeling abandoned and uncertain as to what exactly happened. There is no closure. The earth-bound story ends only for the departed. Shadows remain like those belonging to the vaporized of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The remaining relatives and friends struggle to survive the tragedy.

-Excerpt from “The Last Homesteaders” by Doug Capra

Capra, who has written other books, like “The Spaces Between: Stories from the Kenai Mountains to the Kenai Fjords,” plans to release “The Last Homesteaders” this fall. It promises to be an engaging story.

For more information about the authors and artists, visit their websites.

Dot Bardarson: Bardarson Studio

Shauna Potocky: SeaSmokeArts

Kassandra Mirosh: Weyekin Studio

Doug Capra: About the Author Blog Spot