Land Shadows: Booktalk with author author RJ Striegel
August 6 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm MDT
RJ Striegel, the author of Land Shadows, a historical fiction set in 19th-century Scotland, New York and New Mexico during the Maxwell Land Grant era, will be at the Press Club for a talk and book signing.
R. J. Striegel is a Citizen Potawatomi Nation author and educator based in New Mexico. His historical fiction is grounded in deep research and a drive to expose the lesser-known truths of the American West—stories often overshadowed by the myth of Manifest Destiny.
Raised in Albuquerque and Taos, Striegel later returned to New Mexico to teach pre-service Diné and Latina educators near the Navajo Nation. His debut novel, Land Shadows, was inspired by a personal journey to reconnect with his cultural heritage and a lifelong curiosity about land ownership, identity, and historical justice.
The book has won or been nominated for the following awards:
Wins:
- Hoffer Award — da Vinci Eye (WINNER)
- Maxy Award — Historical Fiction & Adventure (WINNER)
- Hoffer Grand Prize — Shortlist
- Hoffer Award — 1st Runner Up, Historical Fiction
- Hoffer Award — First Horizon Finalist
- Kirkus Reviews — “Get It” designation
- Shelf Unbound — 2025 Notable Indie
- Booklife/Publishers Weekly — Cover Crush
Tickets are free, but please RSVP here.