East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew Gray
The East Anchorage Book Club is an interview podcast where Alaskan leaders discuss politics and community issues.
Episodes
275 episodes
Amy Wallace: Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre's ghostwriter
Author Amy Wallace was the ghostwriter for Virginia Roberts Giuffre's, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice. Virginia Giuffre was an American ad...
Stephen J. Cox, Acting Attorney General for Alaska
Stephen J. Cox is the acting Attorney General of Alaska since August 29th, 2025. He was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy after the previous Attorney General Treg Taylor resigned to begin his gubernatorial campaign. Stephen C...
Brenda Stanfill: Director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA)
The Executive Director of the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) is Brenda Stanfill. She moved to Fairbanks from Utah when she was 16 years old as a newlywed. Within a ...
Aubrey Wieber: director of the 907 Initiative
Aubrey Wieber is the founder and executive director of the 907 Initiative. The 907 Initiative is an Alaska-based government watchdog organization working to increase public transparency for state ...
Keri Ladner: Author of "American Dominion: the Rise and Radicalization of a New Christendom"
Author Keri Ladner, PhD, is an expert on fundamentalist politics in America and the radicalization of the conservative movement. She specializes in the religious beliefs of the American right, and her work illuminates how those beliefs h...
Samu El Bayani Neek: Iranian in Anchorage discusses the war with Iran
Samu El Bayani Neek was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. At 12 his parents divorced, and he had to drop out of middle school to begin working as a barber. During this tumultuous period in his life, he discovered a church in Tehran and co...
Will Stapp (R-Fairbanks) on education funding, veterans' court reform, & the effort to overhaul AK elections
The Alaska State House Representative for East Fairbanks is Will Stapp. This is his second appearance on the podcast. To learn more about Will's early life and military service (including his Purple Heart),
AK MEDIA: Wil Courtney, political reporter at KTUU Channel 2 & host of Political Pipeline Podcast
Wil Courtney is a Political Reporter and Multimedia Journalist for KTUU Channel 2 Alaska's News Source and host of the station's
Sen. John Fredrickson (D-Omaha): first gay man elected to the Nebraska state legislature
Nebraska State Senator John Fredrickson was first elected in 2022 by a margin of only 82 votes. He is the first openly gay man to be elected to the Nebraska state legislature. We discuss Nebraska's unicameral non-partisan legislature and...
Jeremy Bynum (R-Ketchikan): on a Pentecostal childhood, the Air Force, being accepted in Ketchikan, & the over-the-top politics of Juneau
The Alaska State House Representative for Ketchikan is Jeremy Bynum. We discuss his childhood growing up in a devout Pentecostal household, his escape to the Air Force, and his struggles being accepted as a newcomer to Ketchikan. We also...
Domestic Violence Protective Orders: Laura Booch & Dr. Ingrid Johnson
Laura Booch and Dr. Ingrid Johnson both appeared at the Alaska State House Judiciary Committee's informational hearing on Civil Protective Orde...
Loss of $700 Million in DOT projects explained by Rep. Zack Fields (D-Anchorage)
Representative Zack Fields of downtown Anchorage explains the Alaska State House's
Edgar Ruiz: Director of Council of State Governments West
Edgar Ruiz is the Director of the Council of State Governments West. The Council of State Governments (CSG), is a nonpartisan national organization that connects and informs all three branches of state go...
Eric Croft: Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party, former State House member, & former Anchorage Assembly Member
Eric Croft is the Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party. Erik was born to Chancey and Toni Croft in Anchorage, but he grew up with his two siblings traveling back and forth to Juneau where...
Foster Care in Alaska 2026: Landen Ryan & Madison Brewer
To learn more about becoming a foster parent, click here.Landen Ryan is a senior at Service High School in Anchorage. Madison Brewer
Cat & Ben Walker: Teachers of the Year forced out of Alaska
2024 Alaska Teacher of the Year Catherine Walker teaches high school engineering and marine biology at Dimond High School. 2018 Alaska Teacher of the Year Ben Walker teaches 7th grade science at Romig Middle School. Both are in th...
Dr. Brandy Seignemartin: Director of the Alaska Pharmacy Association
The Executive Director of the Alaska Pharmacy Association is Dr. Brandy Seignemartin. After a somewhat circuitous route, Brandy found herself in Doctor of Pharmacy program at Washington State Uni...
Clara Baldwin: Supervisor of the Alaska School of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Clara Baldwin is the assistant special education director for the Anchorage School District and she oversees the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She was born in northern Cali...
Pat Pitney: President of the University of Alaska System
Pat Pitney is the President of the University of Alaska System. Growing up in Montana, she started shooting guns at an early age. At age 18 she won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles becoming the first Olympic champio...
Buddy Whitt: Marine Corp veteran, hotel executive, & legislative staffer
Long-time legislative staffer Buddy Whitt spent his childhood moving frequently thanks to his Air Force father. After high school he joined the Marines. Eight years later he left the military, went to college at Texas A&M, and then l...
ASD's $90 million shortfall: School Board President Carl Jacobs, teacher Janice Strickland, & Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt
Without additional funding, the Anchorage School District is facing a $90 million shortfall for the 2026-2027 school year. The pupil-to-teacher ratio is expected to increase by 4. Multiple positions will be cut all over the district, from vice-...
Mark Begich: former US Senator, Anchorage Mayor, and Anchorage Assembly member
Former US Senator Mark Begich was born in Anchorage in 1962 to, at the time, Alaska State Senator Nick Begich who would go on to become US House Representative in 1970 and whose plane would disappear in 1972. Mark opened the Mothe...
Brian Fechter: Deputy Revenue Commissioner (2021-2023)
Brian Fechter was the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Revenue for the state of Alaska from 2021-2023. Brian grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Alaska in 2012. He worked various financial positions in the state government befo...
Nicolas Olano: immigration attorney discusses ICE activity in Alaska
Immigration attorney Nicolas Olano was born and raised in Colombia. He moved to Florida for high school, but went back to Colombia for law school. After a short practice there, he decided to return to America where, due to Colombia's dif...