Vera Starbard facts for kids
Vera Starbard was born in 1982. She is a talented writer, playwright, and editor from Douglas, Alaska. Vera is part of the Tlingit and Dena'ina Native Alaskan communities. She is currently the Alaska State Writer Laureate, which means she is recognized as a very important writer for her state.
Vera started her writing career as a journalist right after high school. For ten years, she was the editor of First Alaskans Magazine. This magazine shared stories about Alaska Native people, their culture, and important news.
She is well-known for her work as a television writer. Vera has written many episodes for the popular children's animated show Molly of Denali on PBS KIDS. She was even nominated for three Emmy Awards for her writing on the show! Vera also worked as a writer for the ABC show Alaska Daily. In 2024, she was chosen to be the Alaska State Writer Laureate for two years.
Her first play, "Our Voices Will Be Heard," was shown at Perseverance Theatre in 2016. After this, she became a special writer-in-residence at the theatre.
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Vera Starbard's Achievements
Vera Starbard has received many awards and honors for her amazing work.
Major Awards and Honors
- Alaska State Writer Laureate: This is a big honor, recognizing her as a top writer in Alaska.
- Emmy Nominations: She was nominated multiple times for her writing on Molly of Denali. These awards celebrate excellence in television.
- Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards: In 2021, she was recognized as an Alaska Native Artist.
- Peabody Award: She received this award as part of the writing team for Molly of Denali. The Peabody Award is one of the oldest and most respected awards for electronic media.
- Mayor's Artist Award: In 2016, the mayor of Juneau recognized her artistic contributions.
- Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award: She received this award in 2009 to support her artistic projects.
- Alaska Literary Award: This award celebrates her contributions to literature in Alaska.
Plays Written by Vera Starbard
Vera Starbard is a talented playwright. She has written several plays that have been performed and published.
- Native Pride (and Prejudice)
- Fog Woman
- Our Voices Will Be Heard: This play was performed in 2016 and published in 2017. It was even turned into a radio show in 2018.
- Devilfish (2019)
- A Tlingit Christmas Carol (2020)
- Yan Tutan (2022)
Television Shows Vera Has Written For
Vera has written episodes for several popular TV shows, especially for children.
Molly of Denali (PBS Kids)
Vera has written many episodes for this animated children's show, which is about a young Alaska Native girl named Molly.
- "New Nivagi" (2019)
- "Turn on the Northern Lights" (2019)
- "Canoe Journey" (2020)
- "Eagle Tale" (2020)
- "Molly and Elizabeth" (2021)
- "Fili-bascan Chefs" (2022)
- "Midnight Sun Fun Run" (2022)
- "Gold Strikeout" (2023)
- "Forget-You-Not" (2023)
- "A Song for Lola" (2023)
- "A Qyah Juneteenth" (2024)
- "Thanks-for-Giving" (2024)
Alaska Daily (ABC)
Vera also contributed to this show for older audiences.
- "Most Reckless Thing I've Ever Done" (2023)
SuperKitties (Disney Junior)
She has written episodes for this animated show for young children.
- "Snow Day" (2023)
- "Showstopper" (2023)
- "Dastardly Dumpster" (2024)
Other Published Works
Vera Starbard's writing can also be found in books and anthologies.
- "Primitive": An essay in the book "My Life: Growing Up Native in America" (2024).
- "Ax X’oos Shaxwatíx: My feet are firmly planted": An essay in the textbook "Applied Theatre with Youth: Education, Engagement, Activism" (2021).
- "Our Voices Will Be Heard": Her full play was included in the textbook "Contemporary Plays by Women of Color, 2nd Edition" (2018).
About Vera's Life
Vera's traditional Lingit name is T'set Kwei. Her clan is Leeneidi, which means "dog salmon." She is a citizen of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.
Vera was born in Craig, Alaska. She grew up in many different communities across Alaska. She graduated from East Anchorage High School in 2000.
In 2011, Vera met her husband, Joseph "Joe" Bedard. They were introduced by Joe's sister, the actress Irene Bedard. Vera and Joe got married in Anchorage, Alaska, and they now live in Douglas, Alaska.
