ATKINS ON ALASKA ADVENTURE
BOOK EXCERPT: HOW AN OKLAHOMAN FOUND OUTDOOR BLISS IN THE ARCTIC BY PAUL D. ATKINS
W
hen I first came to the Alaskan Arctic in the mid-1990s, I had no idea that I would end up spending almost 25 years of my life here. The first time I came up here is what did it, and looking back I believe it really was that trip that truly hooked me. But if you told me back then that I would spend half my life here – a whole quarter of a century – I would have told you that you were crazy. But I did and with that came a life of incredible blessings.
One of the things I promised myself back then was that I would write a book about my time here and chronicle my adventures in the Arctic, so to speak. I remember sitting on my parents’ couch in Oklahoma having a discussion with my father before I moved north. He asked me why I was going (as if he didn’t know) and how long I might be gone. It was the hunting, of course, and I really didn’t know how long I would be away. “Long enough to write a book about hunting in the Arctic,” I told him. My writing skills were new back then, and even though I had only been published a couple of times I had the bug and wanted to continue doing so, if I could. Anyway, my dad agreed and supported me on my quest. I kept journals in those early Arctic 42
ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL
DECEMBER 2020 | aksportingjournal.com
years, and with much effort and many sealed envelopes full of CDs and cover letters later I got published. Many of those mailings were rejected, and for good reason, but eventually it did happen. Most of those that did get greenlit for publication were in magazines that accepted manuscripts for consideration. In return I received nothing moneywise – only an opportunity. And even though most of those publications were very reader-specific, I was grateful for the exposure. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? For some, having an Alaskan story published once would be enough, but it wasn’t for me. The biggest reason was the extensive amount of storylines I had or could gather. Every day up here was a new adventure, allowing me to write as much as I wanted. It was truly endless. So, as the journals filled – I have boxes of old steno notebooks filled with ink – I kept writing. Eventually over time I got better at the craft and it was no longer “if” I could get it published, but where Oklahoman Paul Atkins dreamed of chasing outdoor adventure in Alaska, and the reality of the experiences he’s enjoyed was more than he could have asked for. He’s sharing some of his memories in a new book, Atkins’ Alaska. (PAUL D. ATKINS)
