Award-Winning Author Joel H. Morris to Headline Clearview Reads 2026
Colorado Book Award winner brings his debut historical novel to Windsor and Severance this April.
WINDSOR, Colo. - Northern Colorado readers will have a rare chance to sit down with a nationally recognized author this spring when the Clearview Library District Friends and Foundation hosts Clearview Reads 2026, a two-day literary event April 17–18 featuring Colorado Book Award winner Joel H. Morris.
Morris, whose debut historical novel All Our Yesterdays won the 2025 Colorado Book Award for historical fiction and became a USA Today bestseller, will bring his story of discovery and community to Windsor and Severance the very values at the heart of the Clearview Library District's mission.
"This important initiative reflects our commitment to bringing nationally recognized authors to our Library District, ensuring our community has access to meaningful literary experiences close to home," said Erica Rose, director of the Clearview Library District. "Thanks to the Kathy Murphy Speaker Series Endowment, we are able to host conversations that inspire readers, strengthen community connections and celebrate the power of storytelling."
Friday VIP Reception: April 17
The event kicks off Friday, April 17, with an intimate VIP reception at the Clearview Library District - Severance, 5 Timber Ridge Pkwy., Severance. Doors open at 5 p.m. The evening includes hors d'oeuvres, drinks and a private book signing with Morris.
VIP tickets are $55 and limited in quantity. Friends and Foundation members may purchase beginning March 2; tickets open to the general public March 16.
Saturday Author Talk: April 18
The centerpiece of Clearview Reads 2026 is a free public author talk beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, in the Windsor High School auditorium, 1100 Main St., Windsor. Morris will speak about his novel and his creative journey before signing books for attendees.
General admission tickets are $20 and are on sale now.
About the Author
Morris brings an unusually rich background to his fiction. A Colorado resident, he spent more than two decades teaching language and literature, earned a doctorate in comparative literature and even spent time as a sailor on a maritime expedition before turning his attention to the page. His essays, translations and fiction have appeared in Literary Hub, CrimeReads, Electric Literature, Michigan Quarterly Review, Copper Nickel and Pembroke Magazine.
All Our Yesterdays earned additional recognition from The New York Times Book Review as a recommended historical fiction title following its 2025 Colorado Book Award win.
About Clearview Reads
Clearview Reads is an annual communitywide literary series presented by the Clearview Library District Friends and Foundation. The 2026 program is made possible by the Kathy Murphy Speaker Series Endowment, established by Vincent Murphy in memory of his wife, a beloved former director of the Clearview Library District, and by the Weld Community Foundation.
Proceeds from Clearview Reads support future literary programming and community engagement initiatives across the district.
Tickets and Information
Tickets and additional information are available on the Friends and Foundation website. For media inquiries, contact Tami Bothwell, treasurer, Friends & Foundation of the Clearview Library District, at treasurer@cldfriends.org or 970-686-5603.