Stir up at Edible Alaska yields creative writing alumna as co-editor and co-publisher

This past May, local food magazine Edible Alaska released their quarterly summer edition. The publication's 12th issue overall, it may seem like the magazine is as consistent as it's always been, and that's by design.

Recent changes to the publication have occurred mostly behind the scenes. In late 2018, Edible Alaska's founders decided to sell the magazine to longtime Alaska writer Jeremy Pataky and UAA creative writing alumna Amy O'Neill Houck. To begin, the new editing and publishing duo don't plan on changing much.

"We were super lucky that we inherited a beautiful magazine with a great reputation, so we didn't rush to make big changes," says Houck. "Some of the things we are doing is really more about growth. We are growing the magazine in size a little bit, and also both of our geographical reach and advertiser base. We want the magazine to be accessible in more parts of the state."

What sometimes comes as a surprise to many is the fact that Edible Alaska is part of a wider network of Edible Communities - 90 independently-owned magazines in the U.S. and Canada dedicated to telling stories focused on the complete culinary experience.

According to Houck, Edible Alaska is unique in the way it addresses the state's relationship to subsistence hunting, fishing and foraging.

"With an Alaskan audience, we have a lot of shorthand about subsistence and about things we understand about the value of the food that we eat and gather and hunt. Even the food we have to buy is precious, and that's really interesting to talk about," explains Houck. "When our audience is outside, it takes a bit of explaining. When Alaskans talk about something like food scarcity and food as a resource, we just know what we're talking about. When we say the same things in front of an outside audience, I can see people walking back a little bit to explain."

As a regular contributor to Edible Alaska, Houck was a natural fit to take over editing and publishing duties. Even before the magazine, Houck was a longtime food writer in the Lower 48, serving as nutrition editor for Vegetarian Baby and Child. Perhaps most challengingly, she ran a vegan ready-to-eat weekly meal service in rural North Carolina.

"I became a vegetarian a long time ago in 1996. And as a writer, I write about what's intriguing me at the time. My eldest son was born in 2000 and at that point I started thinking a lot more about food and nutrition," says Houck.

Even when she moved to Cordova and enrolled in UAA's creative writing M.F.A. program, Houck's writing never strayed far from food.

"My focus in my creative writing was more personal essays, but I just couldn't abandon food. A lot of my stories involve food. Even my thesis had recipes," jokes Houck.

Houck and company are getting ready to release the fall issue of Edible Alaska this month. Even though she's made her career as a writer, Houck mentions still undergoing a learning process on the publishing side, especially if she wants to continue the mission to grow the magazine's reach.

"I hope readers find stories they want to know about; things they're fascinated about within the local food community in the state, and that they reach out to us when they have ideas for things that they want to know about," says Houck. "We are looking to engage as much as possible with our readers. I feel really strongly that I want the magazine to strive to represent as much of Alaska as possible in all of its diversity and culture."

Edible Alaska is available throughout the state courtesy of its advertisers and by subscription at ediblealaska.com.

Written by Matt Jardin, UAA Office of University Advancement