The Fairbanks Library Foundation is set to host Alaska Author Night featuring poet Annie Wenstrup on September 17, 2023, at 18:00 in the TOTE Auditorium of the Noel Wien Library. This event will spotlight Wenstrup’s debut poetry collection, “The Museum of Unnatural Histories,” which was published in March 2023 by Wesleyan University Press.
Wenstrup’s work intricately explores personal history through the lens of an imagined museum, blending her lived experiences as a Dena’ina Alaska Native person with the complex narratives of unresolved colonial violence. The collection seeks to illuminate the intersections of culture and history while addressing the impact of colonization on Indigenous identities.
In recognition of her contributions to poetry, Wenstrup has received several prestigious awards, including the 2025 Whiting Award in Poetry and the New England Review Emerging Writer’s Award. Additionally, she has been honored as the 2024 Stephen Donadio Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Scholar. Her poetry has been featured in notable publications such as Alaska Quarterly Review, Ecotone, and Poetry.
Wenstrup is based in Fairbanks, where she also works as a coordinator for Indigenous Nations Poets. The upcoming Alaska Author Night promises to be an enriching experience, including a reading by Wenstrup, an audience Q&A session, and a book signing. Light refreshments will be provided, and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase copies of her book.
For further details about the event, interested individuals can visit the Fairbanks Library Foundation’s website at thelibraryfoundation.org/library-events. This gathering not only highlights Wenstrup’s literary achievements but also serves as an important platform for Indigenous voices in contemporary literature.
