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.
About the Author: 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:
- The Geology, Ecology and Human History of the San Luis Valley, University Press of Colorado, 2020.
-Increasing Equity Through Place-based Education, Community Works Magazine, 2020.
-Students as Citizen Researchers: Giving Voice to the Community, Community Works Magazine, 2019.
-Three Dimensions of Placed-based Learning at Hispanic Serving Institutions, Excelencia in Education, 2016.
-“Two People”. The Circle Book: A Conejos County Anthology, Alacrity House Publishing, 2013.
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