February at the Narrow Gauge
- Jean Alger
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
"I get up every day and I try to write very beautiful sentences about very hard things because I want to trick people into thinking about things that the world has convinced them they don't need to think about... America is a manufacturer of amnesia. It has to be, because the story we need to tell about ourselves, we need to write it every day because it’s not true. So you have to get people to forget yesterday... a lot of money and a lot of power is invested in getting us to forget. And if I can get people to think and remember against all of those forces that are trying to say 'don't look over there, don't pay attention to that'... I have just never found a better way to do that than a story. I sincerely believe that the only thing that has ever changed the world is a story."
-Tressie McMillan Cottom, in conversation
with Jason Reynolds and Orlando P. Bailey
February is upon us, already, and I'm not quite sure how that came to be. January feels as if it contained months, and not in the way of deep, long winters past. January is often a long month, because it is a month when the light slowly returns, but when the sunset still brings cold. It is a month when we are pushed to be active but our bodies want to rest, when we are worn out from the holiday season and getting back into the routine of work, or school, or being pushed to make New Year's Resolutions.
We don't have the deep and lasting cold of winters past here in the San Luis Valley. The temperature hasn't dipped below zero often or for long, though the dark of winter is still with us. And yet, this month is still so long - and, contrarily, already over.
Perhaps you are like me, in your experience of time, where you find yourself busy and pushing forward with daily tasks - work, meeting with friends, household chores, reading books, taking classes - and also feeling like you are doing nothing at all, like time was gone in a blink and you aren't sure what happened to it.
Perhaps you are looking at the turmoil in the world - in our country, in Iran, in Gaza, in Sudan, in so many places - and trying to figure out what you can do, or, if you've already been doing, what more you can do. Perhaps you are just becoming aware of how things are, just now experiencing the fear that marginalized people in our country have always lived with. Perhaps you are heavy with that fear. Or, perhaps you are weary from carrying that fear for far too long, and still shouldering it anyway.
I shared the words of Tressie McMillan Cottom at the beginning of this message because she is a thinker and writer I admire, and also because I take comfort in her words. She gets up every day and tries to "write beautiful sentences about very hard things" because she believes in the power of story to make change, to influence, to wake people up, to bring understanding.
For many years, I taught writing and literature at the college level. Students often asked me what the point was, of fiction, of poetry. Many of them thought it was a waste. All I could do was teach and share my love of the written word, and hope that the texts I selected got them to think, and more importantly to feel something, about experiences they might never have, and that only imagination could give them. The power of story is in building empathy and understanding, and in inspiring us to action.
As we move forward in these troubling times - because forward is the only way we can move - be discerning in the stories you listen to, in the stories you accept, in the stories you share. Remember that the systems of power benefit from certain stories, and can be toppled by others.
It's Black History Month in February, so it's a perfect time to listen to stories of the struggle for liberation, and to remember that there is no freedom for any of us, without freedom for all of us.
Thank you for reading.
- Jean A.
Non-Profit of the Month:
Food Bank Network of the San Luis Valley
Each month, we feature a local nonprofit that serves the San Luis Valley. This month, you can support the Food Bank Network of the San Luis Valley. Each year, we support the Food Bank Network for two months, because we believe that food access should be a right, not a privilege.
From their website: “The Food Bank Network addresses the immediacy of hunger and malnutrition in the San Luis Valley by providing nutritious food to individuals and families in need. Through a network of 15 food banks spread across 8,000 square miles, the Food Bank Network provides nutritious emergency food to help ensure no one must go to bed hungry in the SLV. More than just a box of food, the Food Bank Network seeks to offer fresh produce and healthy options so individuals and families can make their own choices while getting the most abundant and nutritious options for their budgets.”
When you shop at the NGBC this month, you'll be asked if you want to round up and donate your change. It's a simple and easy way to support local organizations that help make the Valley what it is!
If you would like to learn more about the Food Bank Network, you can visit their website.
If you would like to learn more about food insecurity, check out these titles:
Feeding Each Other: Shaping Change in Food Systems Through Relationship by Nicole Civita and Michelle Auerbach
Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger by Katie S. Martin
Translating Food Sovereignty: Cultivating Justice in an Age of Transnational Governance by Matthew C. Canfield
February Artist: Lenore Ryan
We're thrilled to welcome Lenore Ryan, photographer, to the Narrow Gauge for the first time!
Lenore has enjoyed being behind a camera since the age of nine. She loves being in nature and photographing what she sees. She has always been mesmerized by the changing light throughout the day, especially during the time between day and night.
Join us on Friday, February 13th from 4pm to 6pm for a come-and-go reception and take the opportunity to see Lenore's beautiful photography and to talk with her about her art!
Lenore has her work up in Crestone at the Crestone Artisans Gallery. We're happy to host her in Alamosa!
February Events
We're closing at 5pm on February 12th, so be sure to get your shopping in before then!
Join us for a come-and-go reception for our featured artist, Lenore Ryan!
On Valentine's Day, get 10% off books in our Romance section.
When you make a purchase, receive a gift from us: a letter with messages of love and activities for self-care.
Join us for a letter writing campaign to write your representatives and make your concerns heard!
Holly is starting a monthly story time at the Narrow Gauge! She'll be with us from 11:00am - 11:30am the third Saturday of every month! On February 21st, she'll be reading selections from our Black History Month table!
A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
Oshun and Me: A story of Love and Braids by Adiba Nelson and illustrated by Alleanna Harris
Little People, Big Dreams: Maya Angelou, written by Lisbeth Kaiser and illustrated by Leire Salaberria.
Spadefoot Story Slam: February 21st, 6pm
Each month, we host the Spadefoot Story Slam community, sharing stories based on a theme, selected at the previous month’s Slam. While inspired by the Moth Story Hour, our monthly meetings are not a contest, but instead are a way to come together and practice sharing, and deep listening.
On February 21st at 6pm, the theme is Heart.
Prepare a story about heart. Prepare a story about heartbreak, unrequited love, first or enduring love. Prepare a story about a time you've listened to your heart. A time you stepped into your courage. The thing that fires you up. A lifelong friendship.
Tell us about...
A deep love
A time you stood alone in your integrity
A time you put your heart on the line
Stories should be true as remembered by you, and told from the heart (from memory) rather than from the page.
Stories should be true as remembered by you, and spoken from the heart, instead of read from the page. We don’t have an official time limit, but encourage stories that take 10 minutes or less, especially if we have a large group. We look forward to seeing you on February 21st at 6pm.
Other News
Indie Press Book Club Feature
We've made our selections for the 2026 year, for presses and books. Our next meeting is March 4th at 6pm, and our featured press for January and February is Catapult!
From their website:
“Catapult publishes literary fiction and artful narrative nonfiction that engages with our Perception Box, the powerful metaphor we use to define the structure and boundaries of how we see others in their full humanity, and invites new ways of seeing and being seen.
Our books are alive, insightful, illuminating, and surprising, written by vital voices—emerging and established—that honor the craft of writing, and we are committed to publishing with care, intention, and respect for our authors.”
Learn more about them at their website!
Our book club pick:
My Pisces Heart: A Black Immigrant's Search for Home Across Four Continents by Jennifer Neal.
About the Book:
"With heart, humor, and razor-sharp observation, this intimate and incisive memoir traces the journey of a Black, queer woman as she searches the world for a place of security and acceptance to call home.
Jennifer Neal was born in the United States to a family that moved continuously for their own survival and well-being—from the Great Migration to the twenty-first century. As an adult, she has continued to travel the world as a Black queer woman, across two decades and four countries—from Japan to the US and then Australia to Germany, where she has settled for now.
Throughout her moves, Neal threads her personal story of immigration with local Black histories and racial politics to provide context for her own experiences. The result is both a crucial examination of how racism plays a foundational role in modern-day immigration systems and a tender tribute to immigrants and their stories."
The book is available in store now, and is 10% off through March 4th!You can find more information at our website, here.
Find us at Crane Fest!
Get your tickets for Crane Fest here.
Many Ways to Shop the NGBC
Shop In Store
You can shop with us in store and browse the shelves. Find the book you're looking for, or find a book you didn't know you were looking for! Our booksellers are happy to help you find the title, make recommendations, or order a book if we don't have it in stock.
Shop Online
We have an indie commerce website, through IndieLite, that allows customers to place orders online. Just go to narrowgaugebooks.com and click on the "Shop Online" button. Then, click "order a book" and you'll be redirected to our indie commerce site. You can search for the book you want, and then place your order from wherever you are! There are options to have your book shipped to you, or to pick up your book in store! You can even have your book shipped to someone else, if you're looking to skip the hassle of shipping the book yourself.
Call Us!
You can call us at 719-589-3464 to see if we have a book on the shelf. We'll be happy to put it aside for you! We can hold books for up to one week, so you can be sure that title is ready and waiting next time to stop in!
Preorders
You can preorder your next greatly anticipated book! Preorders help us know what our customers are excited about, and help us more effectively judge how many copies we should order. Often, we get new releases ahead of their publishing date, so when publishing Tuesday rolls around, we'll have your shiny new book ready and waiting for you to dive into the pages!
Be sure to check out this week's Shelf Awareness newsletter. Don't miss releases by your favorite authors, what's going on with your preferred genre, or find an obscure gem. NGBC can order any title referenced, and we can ship it direct to your house.
Happy Book Hunting!
Thank you for reading, thank you for supporting us, and thank you for being our community! - Jean A.
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