Pinned birds: photo courtesy of UA Museum of the North

Fairbanks is amid an annual rite of passage as thousands of migratory birds make their way farther north. Geese, ducks and swans can be spotted at various fields and ponds around town. And a well-timed pair of events at the University of Alaska Museum of the North salutes our transitional and permanent avian neighbors. On Thursday May 17, the museum celebrates the remarkable legacy of Dr. Brina Kessel, who was a passionate scientist, administrator and curator at the museum for decades. On May 10, the current curator of the museum’s bird collection Kevin Winker spoke about the unexpected importance the bird collection is having for researchers looking at more than birds.

Also, Frank Soos is professor emeritus of English at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He’s also the author of several works of short stories and essays, most recently Unpleasantries: Considerations of Difficult Questions.  Frank is also a regular reviewer on Northern Soundings and he’s in today to talk about a book published 50 years ago – Norman Mailer’s Armies of the Night.

And Chris Lott is in with another Katexic Clippings.

Music from Jukedeck – create your own at http://jukedeck.com