Her famous father may have planted the seeds for her writing career. But it was the library, said Anne Hillerman, that helped it grow.
“I doubt that I would have become a writer without libraries,” said Hillerman, 74, a journalist who continued her father’s series of Joe Leaphorn-Jim Chee mystery novels set in the Southwest following his death.
She will be in Pagosa Springs Friday and Saturday for events benefiting Ruby Sisson Library’s Mountains of Opportunity Building Campaign.
“The availability of so many wonderful books and the kind support in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, where I grew up, made me a lifelong library fan and supporter,” she said.
Encouraged by her father, Hillerman began writing nonfiction from her home in Santa Fe, N.M.
Some years after Tony Hillerman died in 2008, she continued his popular Navajo police detective series with nine books of her own, bringing officer Bernadette “Bernie” Manuelito, a female officer, into the mix. And the library was always there.
Hillerman will be the special guest at a fireside chat on Saturday evening, a fundraiser for the upgrade and expansion of Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library.
Libraries are changing and dynamic places that provide a range of services beyond the crucial role of free access to information.
The popular Pagosa Springs library branch, built in 1989, sees an average of 6,500 visitors a month, said Cindi Galabota, executive director of the Ruby Sisson Library Foundation.
“We have programs for ages zero to 99 and address so many needs in our community,” she said.
An upgrade and expansion will add 4,000 square feet, providing more space for public meetings, a bright and cheery youth area focused on early literacy, space for teens and remote work, and modern technology resources.
Most importantly, it will be a calm, comfortable place where anyone is welcome — a feeling Hillerman knows well.
“Libraries were, and still are, my refuge when I need a place of quiet, and my go-to when I’m looking for something new to recharge my batteries,” she said.
Please join Hillerman at the following events to support the Ruby Sisson Library Mountains of Opportunity building campaign:
• Sept. 13: Friends of the Library Movie Night, 7 p.m.
Pick up a signed copy of “Lost Birds” and join the author to watch and discuss the first episode of “Dark Winds,” the AMC series based on several Tony Hillerman books. Anne Hillerman is an executive producer for the show. Tickets are $30 advance or $35 at the door and include wine/beer and light snacks. Join the Friends of the Library at Pagosalibrary.org.
• Sept. 14: Writers workshop at Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library, 9 to 11 a.m.
Explore the writing craft with Anne Hillerman and husband Dave Tedlock, who has taught writing at Roger Williams University, Iowa State University and the Harvard Business School. The workshop is limited to 20 participants. Tickets are $25; a combo ticket, $65, includes admission to the Fireside Chat.
• Sept. 14: Ruby’s Meet and Greet with Anne Hillerman, 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., at the library.
Meet the best-selling mystery author and purchase a signed book. Anne Hillerman’s thought-provoking mysteries bring to life the terrain, people and lore of the American Southwest and Four Corners region. This event is free.
• Sept. 14: Fireside Chat, Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Clubhouse, 230 Port Ave., 6 p.m.
Anne Hillerman will sit down with Rick Holter, a former NPR journalist who now lives in Pagosa Springs, for a live interview and conversation. Admission includes craft hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets $50 advance or $55 at the door.
All events benefit the Mountains of Opportunity campaign to upgrade and expand Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library.
Purchase tickets at Pagosalibrary.org or at the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library (cash or check only).
