Author Ernestine Hayes hosting writer's workshop this weekend

Ernestine Hayes said that she was raised as the only child of a single mother who was an avid reader. Growing up in Juneau in the '50s, she said, having her mother read to her was one of her main inspirations for becoming a writer.

"The best way to become a writer is to be a reader," she said.

Hayes and her mother moved to California when she was 15, according to Hayes' website, but when she was 40-years-old she "resolved to go home or die with my thoughts facing north." Her first book, "Blonde Indian," tells the story of her life growing up in Alaska, moving south, and her eventual return. She has published several books, essays, and other works.

For those who feel a need to share parts of themselves through the written word, she will be visiting Wrangell on April 13 to host a writer's workshop.

"Normally it's a workshop that's split into two days," Hayes said. "But in Wrangell it's all going to be one day."

The workshop will be held in the Nolan Center, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The morning portion of the workshop will involve discussions about the craft of writing, and giving attendees some writing assignments. After a break for lunch, the workshop will be broken into on-on-one workshop sessions, followed by participants giving a reading of their work.

"It'll be a long day, but it'll be productive," Hayes said.

Hayes will be in town on Friday, April 12, for a meet-and-greet at the Irene Ingle Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. Hayes added that during the workshop, local author Vivian Faith Prescott will be present to help attendees who are more interested in poetry than prose. To learn more about the workshop, or to reserve a spot, contact the library at (907) 874-3535 or at wrangelllibrary@gci.net. More about Hayes can be learned at http://www.ernestinehayes.com.