Heather Lende, Alaska's previous Writer Laureate, shares a poem read on a cold, dark night during a dinner with friends.

The book is a ballad of appreciation for the lake and all of the many ways that its relationship to our state is symbiotic.

The poems composed by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako contained their prayers for bringing the public health crisis under control. The theme of this year’s ceremony was “mi,” or fruit.