July 2025
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June 1 - August 31
Summer Reading Express
From June 1st through August 31st, we invite you to embrace the joy of reading! Our reading tracker provides a list of genres for you to read. You'll choose a book you want to read for each genre, and in case you aren't sure where to start, we'll have a list of suggestions for you!
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When it comes to reading, we encourage you to read what you love, in the way that you love. Audiobooks count, and you can check out Libro.fm if you're looking for an audiobook supplier, or you can ask the librarians at the Alamosa Public Library about using Libby for FREE audiobooks!
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As avid readers, we also understand the joy of finding a new genre, or experiencing a new type of book, so we encourage you to venture into new territory! Try out a new author, a new genre, read a graphic novel, go for a book that seems intimidatingly long, or give novellas a try if you're accustomed to epic chonkers. All we really care about is that you read and enjoy it!
Go to our Summer Reading Program page for full details.
Artists of the month
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We will have two artists for the month of July! Macey Sigaty’s work will remain up until July 17th, and then Joni Franks’ work will be on display beginning on July 18th.
Macey Sigaty
Macey Sigaty is a Colorado-born interdisciplinary artist. She uses many different mediums with an aim to appreciate the ordinary manner of miracles, to see beauty in the banal, acknowledge absurdity, and dabble in whimsy. Her work is often focused on small moments otherwise easily missed, or a collage of symbols.
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You can often find her as the lead instructor at The Church Project in Monte Vista, CO, where she is using her hands to make real things and encouraging others to do the same.
The Narrow Gauge is delighted to have her work in store for a couple more weeks! You can find her on Instagram at @thesigatree @whatonearthink @inyourfootprints and see some examples of her work in June’s newsletter, here.
Joni Franks
Joni Franks is an international award-winning author, artist and poet. She has been named the 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Award Illustrator of the Year. Her books have earned bestseller status and have won over fifty art and literary honors, including the prestigious Moms Choice Award, the International Readers Favorite Award, the American Fiction Award, and the CIPA EVVY Award. Known for her compelling narratives that challenge societal norms, Joni pens books about resilience, inspiration, overcoming adversity, equality, and conservation. Spending time on her San Luis Valley ranch with her Welsh corgis Sagebrush, Gyzmo and Willow, offers her the inspiration to create impactful books and artwork.
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Look for more about Joni in our August newsletter!
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July 2nd, 6pm
Indie Press Book Club
Join us to discuss The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy.
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You can read more about The Sapling Cage, Feminist Press, and our Indie Press Book Club, here.
July 4th, 11am - 1pm
Bill Heersink Book Signing
Come by between 11am and 1pm and chat with former Valley resident, Bill Heersink. He’ll be there signing copies of his latest book, A Tale of Two Colonies, about Dutch and Latter-day Saint colonists in the San Luis Valley in the 1800s.
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About the book:
A five-million-acre expanse waiting to be populated and cultivated; two devout religious groups taking up the challenge with grand visions: Dutch Calvinists with projections to double this valley’s 1880s population of around 12,500 and Latter-day Saints with prophecies to fill it to overflowing.
Bill Heersink explores the question: why this place for these people? The major role their religious faith played is integral to an understanding of these colonists’ experience, both in their decision to participate and in their responses to formidable obstacles. Their sense of a divine destiny and trust (or mistrust) in their church’s leaders will emerge frequently as the story unfolds.
The overall narrative is illustrated with a multitude of fascinating memories from the lives of the individual persons and families whose lives intersected during the nineteenth century’s last quarter in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.
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Bill Heersink grew up in the San Luis Valley and graduated from Alamosa High School. For the past fifty years he has lived in Ogden, Utah, serving as a parish pastor, theology professor and refugee resettlement volunteer. Presently he keeps busy gardening and writing. He and his wife, Claire (also from Alamosa), have never lost their fondness for the valley and have returned almost annually.
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July 18th, 6pm
An Evening with Frank Haug
Join the Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative in welcoming Frank Haug for a reading, Q&A, and signing of his book, In a Morada.
About the Book: Set against the rugged beauty of the early 1980s Southwest, In a Morada follows Doc Schaefer as he steps into a whirlwind of corruption, racism, family tensions, and simmering violence. Over the course of twenty-four gripping hours, Schaefer must face down violent criminals, navigate Crowther’s volatile temper, and confront his own doubts—all while trying to restore order.
More than just a Western, In a Morada is a compelling tale that explores the intersections of faith, heritage, and the true meaning of victory. Richly layered and deeply engaging, this story delves into history, culture, and philosophy. Beneath the fast-paced chases, gunfights, and hand to hand combat lies a profound exploration of humanity’s journey—how we have evolved or, at times, failed to do so—and what this means for us in our daily lives.
About the Author: Frank Haug draws inspiration from his roots along the Rio Grande in Colorado's San Luis Valley. As a dedicated attorney, community college professor, farmer, and author, he embodies the spirit of a fourth-generation Coloradan. His great-grandfather, also named Frank Haug, owned saloons in bustling mining towns throughout 1800s Colorado, including in Creede, Leadville, and Denver. Frank's writing passionately explores the American West. It tackles critical issues faced by small-town America, with a special focus on resonating with rural men. Yet, the themes he presents transcend regional boundaries. His stories possess a universal appeal that captivates a diverse readership.
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With a commitment to crafting accessible and enjoyable fiction, he thoughtfully engages with philosophical, historical, cultural, political, and religious themes. As a philosophy major and former prosecutor, he explores how justice and moral systems succeed and fail in our modern world. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from readers on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads is a testament to the appeal of his work. Now residing in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Frank shares a small farm with his wife and three sons, where they raise and market sheep and lamb, tend a flock of chickens, pasture llamas, and embrace the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. His work invites readers to experience and reflect on the values and stories that define not just rural America, but the human experience as a whole.
July 19th, 6pm
Spadefoot Story Slam
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.
Join us this month for stories about Milestones. Tell us about a time you reached a turning point, a time you crossed the finish line, or a time when getting older was all it was cracked up to be. Think about progress and stages of development: crawling, graduation, the path to fully adulting. Maybe you met a goal at your job, or improved at a skill. Did you earn a black belt? Earn a merit badge? Reach a literal milestone on a hike or cross the finish line at a marathon? Use your imagination and feel free to interpret the theme creatively!
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 July 19th at 6pm!
July 25th, 6pm
An Evening with
Victoria Martinez
Join the Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative in welcoming Victoria Martinez for a reading, Q&A, and signing of her book A Call to Awaken: A Collection of Poems.
About the Book: A Call to Awaken is a heartfelt collection of poems about life, struggle, resilience, and hope. This book offers poems that are both personal and deeply relatable. Through themes of cultural pride, emotional healing, and a desire to spark meaningful dialogue around navigating systems not built for everyone, A Call to Awaken speaks to anyone who has ever felt unseen or unheard. Whether you’re new to poetry or have loved it for years, this collection invites you to pause, reflect, and awaken your own voice. It’s a reminder that your story matters - and that there is power when we come together to create change.
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Victoria (Tori) Martinez is a Latina poet, artist, business owner, and social changemaker, native to the San Luis Valley. She is a proud first-generation college graduate, she writes from a deep well of lived experience and finds healing through creative expression. Her work explores the intersections of belonging, identity, chronic illness, and the power of community, offering a voice to those who have often been left out of the conversation.
When she’s not writing or painting, you'll find her speaking at events, building bridges through storytelling, mentoring young leaders and cultivating connection in rural communities. Through her business, Vida Mestiza, she shares her art, poetry, and advocacy to raise awareness about disability and health equity. With a background in community-based research, higher education and leadership development, she's committed to building inclusive spaces where all voices - especially those most often silenced - can be heard.
A Call to Awaken is her debut poetry collection, which includes some of her artwork. Prior to this collection, she published the following:
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A chapter in The Geology, Ecology and Human History of the San Luis Valley, University Press of Colorado, 2020.
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Increasing Equity Through Place-based Education, Community Works Magazine, 2020.
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Students as Citizen Researchers: Giving Voice to the Community, Community Works Magazine, 2019.
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Three Dimensions of Placed-based Learning at Hispanic Serving Institutions, Excelencia in Education, 2016.
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“Two People”. The Circle Book: A Conejos County Anthology, Alacrity House Publishing, 2013.
July 26th, 6pm
Landlines: San Luis Valley
The Narrow Gauge Book Cooperative is excited to welcome Richard Saxton and Trent Segura from M12 Studio for an event featuring Landlines: San Luis Valley, Journey into the American West. The team will join us on July 26th at 6pm for a reading, Q&A, and book signing.
About M12: The mission of M12 is to support, encourage, plan and execute new projects in the realm of contemporary public art; to facilitate creative research regarding public art making, including forms of experimentation, exploration, and inquiry with respect to the creation, development, and facilitation of public art; to promote and facilitate public art as a vehicle for exploring community identity, contemporary issues, and the creative process; and to engage communities and individuals in explorations of art, including through exhibitions, residency programs, educational programming, or collaborative performing or visual arts programming.
About Landlines: LANDLINES is the culmination of a multi-year engagement with Colorado’s rural San Luis Valley between 2018–2022. The largest alpine valley in the world, the San Luis Valley is characterized by an unparalleled range of physical geography and extraordinary environmental phenomena; social, cultural, and economic diversity. It is a land of sand dunes, wetlands, and farmland, all above 10,000 feet in elevation. The Valley has been home to mixed Hispanic ancestral villages, Spanish and Anglo settlements, Indigenous territories, and Catholic, Mormon, Amish, Hindu, and Buddhist communities. Nestled between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan Mountain ranges, it is home to rivers and acequias; historic adobe architecture; barley, cannabis, and potato farms; deserts and dead volcanoes; UFO activity and cryptids; folk music; and medicinal ecology. Dominated by the presence of the Rio Grande River, the San Luis Valley is the headwaters of lifeways that follow it and branch out. The San Luis Valley is truly “America’s Attic,” and an entryway into a deeper understanding of the American Southwest.
About the Team:
Richard Saxton is the Founder and Creative Director of M12 Studio. He is an artist, designer, and educator whose work focuses primarily on rural knowledge and landscape. Saxton’s work is conceived through an interdisciplinary cultural framework and can be contextualized through social and site-based art practice. Saxton’s work has been described as contemporary vernacular, non-heroic, and art infused with rural experience without subscribing to any one genre or culture. Saxton is an Associate Professor of Sculpture & Post-studio Practice at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the Director of its Art + Rural Environments Field School.
Trent Segura is a researcher, writer, and artist based out of Denver and Saguache, Colorado. He works as an independent graphic designer and is a member of artist collective M12 Studio. He is the Programs Manager for NOON Organization and co-coordinates the San Luis Valley Colcha Embroidery Project, an effort to reinvigorate Hispanic craft traditions in Southern Colorado through workshops, exhibitions, and scholarship. He learned colcha embroidery from artist Delores Worley who was a member of the sewing circle La Costura de Saguache. He has also received instruction from NEA Heritage Fellow Josephine Lobato of San Luis.