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A blog by Bill Hess

Running Dog Publications

P.O. Box 872383 Wasilla, Alaska 99687

 

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Wasilla

Wasilla is the place where I have lived for the past 29 years - sort of. The house in which my wife and I raised our family sits here, but I have made my rather odd career as a different sort of photojournalist by continually wandering off to other places to photograph people and gather information, which I have then put together in various publications that have served the Alaska Native Eskimo, Indian and Aleut communities.

Although I did not have a great of free time to devote to this rather strange community, named after a Tanaina Athabascan Indian chief who knew Wasilla in the way that I so impossibly long to, I have still documented it regularly over the past quarter-century plus. In the early days, my Wasilla photographs focused mostly upon my children and the events they participated in - baseball, football, figure skating, hockey, frog catching, fire cracker detonation, Fourth of July parade - that sort of thing. 

In 2002, I purchased my first digital camera and then, whenever I was home, I began to photograph Wasilla upon a daily basis, but not in a conventional way. These were grab shots - whatever caught my eye as I took my many long walks or drove through the town, shooting through the car window at people and scenes that appeared and disappeared before I could even focus and compose in the traditional photographic way.

Thus, the Wasilla portion of this blog will be devoted both to the images that I take as I wander about and those that I have taken in the past. Despite the odd, random, nature of the images, I believe they communicate something powerful about this town that I have never seen expressed anywhere else. 

Wasilla is a sprawling community that has been slapped down hodge-podge upon what was so recently wilderness of the most exquisite beauty. In its design, it is deliberately anti-zoned, anti-planned. In the building of Wasilla, the desire to make a buck has trumped aesthetics and all other considerations. This town, built in the midst of exquisite beauty, has largely become an unsightly, unattractive, mess of urban sprawl. Largely because of this, it often seems to me that Wasilla is a community with no sense of community, a town devoid of town soul.

Yet - Wasilla is my home and if I am lucky it will be until I grow old and die. Despite its horrific failings, it is still made of the stuff of any small city: people; moms and dads, grammas and grampas, teens, children, churches, bars, professionals, laborers, soldiers, missionaries, artists, athletes, geniuses, do-gooders, hoodlums, the wealthy, the homeless, the rational and logical, the slightly insane and the wholly insane - and, yes, as is now obvious to the whole world, politicians, too.

So perhaps, if one were to search hard enough, it might just be possible to find a sense of community here, and a town soul. So, using my skills as a photojournalist and a writer, I hope to do just that. If this place has a sense of community, I will find it. If there is a town soul to Wasilla, I will document it. I won't compete with the newspapers. Hell no! But as time and income allow, it will be fun to wander into the places where the folks described above gather, and then put what I find on this blog.

 

by 300...

Anywhere within a 300 mile radius of Wasilla. This encompasses perhaps the most wild, dramatic, gorgeous, beautiful section of land and sea to be found in any comparable space anywhere on Earth. I can never explore it all, but I will do the best that I can, and will here share what I find and experience with you.  

and then some...

Anywhere else in the world that I happen to get to, such as Point Lay, Alaska; Missoula, Montana; Serenki, Chukotka, Russia; or Bangalore, India. Perhaps even Lagos, Nigeria. I have both a desire and scheme to get me there. It is a long shot. We shall see if I succeed.

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Sunday
Dec192010

The seventh day...

DateSunday, December 19, 2010 at 1:04PM

Driving to Anchorage in sub-zero weather. Margie and I picked up Jobe and Kalib and brought them home with us. Now we need to rest.

Genesis 2:2-3

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.


I know - technically, Sunday is the first, not the seventh, day, but pyschologically it has become the seventh day for a few billion of us. It is also true that I am not a person of religious faith, but today, on this particular seventh day, I feel a need to rest.

Therefore, I shall accept the admonition of these words from the Old Testament, and on this seventh day will follow the example of God and will make it somewhat of a day of rest.

Tavra.

AuthorWasilla, Alaska, by 300 | Comment5 Comments |
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Reader Comments (5)

Thanks for the picture. I try to check in each day. I don't comment much actually rarely comment would be a better description. I miss your weekend posts. Take care of yourself and your family- we'll still be here when you get back.

December 19, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterDusty

doesn't it feel great to relax? i've just learned to do this myself. my boyfriend and i watched two terrific film noir movies - roadhouse and fallen angel - practically unknown but well-done and accompanied by commentary at the end to help us understand the subtleties of film-making. scott also was kind enuf to cook for me since i'm still recuperating from bad back. it's nice when partners - such as you and margie - take c/o one another. that's what it's all about.

December 19, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterruth z deming

enjoy your rest

December 19, 2010 | Unregistered Commentertwain12

We're in definite hibernation mode, though looking round the bend to the coming of the light! We are letting the kids choose all the holiday plans. We'd like to see you both though. I know Margie and I will cook and be at the ready! Waving, Margie!!! Still need to tell you my Oscar the cat story....

December 19, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterCyndy E

Oh, do I know that relaxation thing! I have to say that last night, I stayed up until 10, went to bed and slept soundly until 9. I'm not apologizing, and I don't think that you should either. Enjoy!

December 20, 2010 | Unregistered Commenterdebby

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