Tag: Fiction

Mazer Book Launch Salon hosted by Simone Wallace

7 amazing women authors each reading from their new books. Meet the authors, buy books, celebrate community!

The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives is pleased to present its inaugural Mazer Book Launch Salon featuring new books published by lesbian and queer women authors.

Curated and hosted by Simone Wallace, Co-Founder/Co-Owner of Sisterhood Bookstore (1972-1998), the event will feature seven women whose recent work spans fiction, poetry, memoir, young-adult literature, outdoor adventure, and feminist cultural criticism.

Presented in the spirit of Sisterhood Bookstore and Simone’s lifelong pursuit of connecting writers with readers, the event honors the enduring role lesbian and feminist bookstores have played as places of discovery, dialogue, visibility, and community. Attendees will enjoy a short reading from each author and have an opportunity to meet the writers and purchase books.

Participating authors include Nancy Beverly, author of Journeys Outside & Within: Hiking Adventures & Lessons Learned; Lisa Freeman, author of Snow People; Elizabeth Hale, author of Every Almost; Regina F. Lark, author of Emotional Labor, 2nd Edition; Kris Madigan, author of The Wine-Dark Sea; Jen O’Connor, author of Uncertain Times: Poems on Identity, Love, Loss, & Hope; and Sophia Surti, author of asymmetrical ponderings.

Join us to celebrate, support, and even be inspired to get that book of yours out of your notebook and ready for publication.

Four Writers on Desire: Tomas Moniz & Friends

Four authors discuss their work, focusing on literary desire, friendship, and legacy.

Join us for a reading and conversation all about literary desire!

In celebration of Tomas Moniz’s new novel The King of Aloe Vera, four novelsits will share work and discuss desire and legacy and friendship.

About the authors:

Tomas Moniz is a latinx writer living in East Oakland, CA. His debut novel, Big Familia, was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/Hemingway and the LAMBDA. His second novel, All Friends Are Necessary, won the 2024 California Golden Poppy Award. His new novel, The King of Aloe Vera, was published in September 2026 from Algonquin Books. He teaches at Berkeley City College, the Antioch MFA program and St. Mary’s College. He has stuff on the internet but loves penpals: PO Box 3555, Berkeley CA 94703. He promises to write back.

Lisa Locascio Nighthawk is the chair of the Antioch MFA in Creative Writing and the executive director of the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference. Her novel Open Me was published by Grove Atlantic in 2018. She writes a newsletter called Not Knowing How.

Ruth Madievsky is the author of the national bestselling novel, All-Night Pharmacy, winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction and the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Fiction. Her writing appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Cut, GQ, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. She lives in Los Angeles, where she works as a clinical pharmacist.

Max Delsohn is the author of Crawl (Graywolf Press, 2025), a short story collection about trans men living in 2010s Seattle. Crawl was named a best book of the year by Vulture, Them, Electric Literature, Debutiful, and Chicago Review of Books, as well as a November Indie Next List pick. His short fiction and essays have appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, VICE, Joyland, The Rumpus, Triangle House, Lit Hub, and Nat. Brut, among other places. He received his MFA degree from Syracuse University and now lives in Los Angeles.

Book Soup Presents: Susan Orlean discusses & signs Joyride: A Memoir

Join Susan Orlean and Patton Oswalt at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles for a discussion and signing of her novel Joyride!

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR, TIME, OPRAH DAILY, GOODREADS, AND MORE

“Brilliant…A high-spirited, exhilarating memoir.” –The Wall Street Journal – “In Joyride, the takeaway often has as much to do with the art of living as the art of writing.” –Elle – “Wise and exuberant… It’s funny, as well. Just masterful.” –David Sedaris – “Superbly good…Ebullient, frank, moving, and inspiring.” — Booklist (starred review)

From Susan Orlean, the beloved New Yorker writer and bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book who has been hailed as “a national treasure” by The Washington Post, comes a masterful memoir of finding her creative calling and purpose that invites us to approach life with wonder, curiosity, and an irrepressible sense of delight.

“The story of my life is the story of my stories,” writes Susan Orlean in this extraordinary, era-defining memoir from one of the greatest practitioners of narrative nonfiction of our time. Joyride is a magic carpet ride through Orlean’s life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity has drawn her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile (“The American Man Age Ten”) to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.

Not only does Orlean’s account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it’s also an essential and practical “master class” ( The New York Times) to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer’s block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede–a Susan specialty.

While Orlean has always written her way into other people’s lives in order to understand the human experience, Joyride is her most personal book ever–a searching journey through finding her feet as a journalist, recovering from the excruciating collapse of her first marriage, falling head-over-heels in love again, becoming a mother while mourning the decline of her own mother, sojourning to Hollywood for films based on her work including Adaptation and Blue Crush, and confronting mortality. Joyride is also a time machine to a bygone era of journalism, from Orlean’s bright start in the golden age of alt-weeklies to her career-making days working alongside icons such as Robert Gottlieb, Tina Brown, David Remnick, Anna Wintour, Sonny Mehta, and Jonathan Karp–forces who shaped the media industry as we know it today.

Infused with Orlean’s signature warmth and wit, Joyride is a must-read for anyone who hungers to start, build, and sustain a creative life. Orlean inspires us to seek out daily inspiration and rediscover the marvels that surround us.

Discovering Elizabeth – Official Book Launch & Author Celebration

The official book release celebration of Discovering Elizabeth—a Palestinian-American story of legacy, courage, and the bonds between women.

About This Event

It’s a celebration marking the official launch of Discovering Elizabeth, the debut novel from Palestinian-American author Alexandra Khayat Dahl—timed to coincide with the American Film Market. This is more than a book launch. It is a gathering of storytellers, industry professionals, and community supporters who believe in the power of meaningful fiction—and in the urgent need to bring underrepresented stories to the page and to the screen.

Panel Discussion featuring author Alexandra Khayat Dahl, award-winning writer and Executive Producer Aalia Lanius, and award-winning writer and director Rolla Selbak — on bringing underrepresented stories to the page and screen.

About the Book

Discovering Elizabeth is a sweeping dual-timeline historical novel inspired by the author’s own great aunt—a Palestinian-American doctor, aviator, and supporter of the French Resistance.

1984, Queens: Rebellious seventeen-year-old Vicky is sent to spend the summer with her great-aunt Elizabeth, a grieving pathologist with a guarded past. As the two clash over everything from clothing to boys, Vicky slowly uncovers her Palestinian heritage—and the secrets her great-aunt has kept buried for decades.

1939, France: A brilliant young medical graduate navigates love, sexism, and survival as Vichy France darkens around her—culminating in a daring midnight escape.

When the two timelines collide, both women discover they needed each other more than they knew.

A story of legacy, sacrifice, and the bonds between women. Inspired by true events.

About Inspired Olives Media

Inspired Olives Media is an independent publisher founded to be a home for meaningful fiction—stories that cross borders and generations. Guided by four pillars—Humanity, Cultural Respect, Literary Excellence, and Representation—we center voices that have too often been treated as secondary. Discovering Elizabeth is our first release.

Why This Event Matters

For Palestinian-American readers, this is a rare opportunity to see their history and humanity reflected on the page. For everyone else, it is a window into a story largely absent from historical fiction. With the growing demand for Palestinian voices in media and film, this novel arrives at a critical moment—and this event is a step toward bringing it to the screen.

What to Expect

Author Reading & Remarks – Alexandra Khayat Dahl shares the story behind the story

Book Signing – Signed copies available for purchase

Industry Networking – Connect with filmmakers, producers, and literary professionals during AFM week

Light Refreshments – Enjoy a warm, intimate atmosphere with fellow storytellers

Who Should Attend

Readers of historical and multicultural fiction

Film and television professionals seeking compelling adaptation material

Members of the Palestinian-American and Arab-American communities

Book clubs and literary enthusiasts

Anyone who believes in the power of stories to heal, connect, and represent

A story that was almost lost—now being told.

Venue is in Watermelon Books within the Holy Ground space.

Space is limited. Reserve your spot today. You can order your copy in advance and bring to be signed or you can purchase at the event. (Limited supplies available.)

BOOK LAUNCH: Stellar Smoke w/ Tanaïs & Chantal Aida Gordon

Join Rep Club for a discussion on ‘Stellar Smoke’ by author Tanaïs & moderator Chantal Aida Gordon

WHO & WHAT: Join Rep Club for a discussion on ‘Stellar Smoke’ by author Tanaïs, in conversation with Chantal Aida Gordon.

A hypnotically original and lush speculative novel from award-winning author Tanaïs about family secrets and the mother–daughter bond across generations—ultimately blurring the boundary between past and present, human and machine.

WHEN: Doors at 6:30pm, event promptly at 7pm.

WHERE: Reparations Club, 3054 S. Victoria Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016

HOW:

TICKET w/ BOOK: This ticket guarantees a seat including a signed book available for pick up at the event.

FREE RSVP (No Book Included): This Free RSVP DOES NOT include a copy of the book and entry is based strictly on capacity at the door. Books may be available for purchase in-store.

SIGNED BOOK ONLY: Can’t make it IRL but still want a signed copy? Order directly from our site!

Please email us at questions@reparations.club if you have any additional needs, questions, or accessibility concerns.

About the Book:

Qamar is a musician hustling in a near-future metropolitan city. Struggling to pay rent and heartbroken after a breakup, she decides to return to the island ashram of her childhood. It’s time to finally settle the rift she has with her estranged mother, Veda—a brilliant scientist, actress, and one of the leaders of a now-dissolved cult called the Endless Temple.

But when Qamar arrives, the land is verdant yet neglected, and, most troubling, there are no signs of her mother or sister, Palo. Behind a retina scan–locked door, Qamar encounters her mother’s last opus, a machine consciousness called VEDA (Virtual Experiences, Dreams and Afterlife), designed to reveal the story of Veda’s life. The descent into VEDA’s technoscape forces Qamar to confront the taboos and tragedies of their past, while bracing herself for the wild, unexpected possibilities that await.

Tanaïs (née Tanwi Nandini Islam) is a multidisciplinary artist, novelist, memoirist, and perfumer. They are the author of In Sensorium: Notes for My People, which won the Kirkus Prize in Nonfiction, and offers an alternative history of South Asia through the lens of scent. Their critically acclaimed queer coming-of-age debut novel, Bright Lines, was a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Edmund White Debut Fiction Award, and the Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize. They studied at Vassar College and Brooklyn College, and founded the independent artisan perfume house Studio Tanaïs. Their writing and perfumes have been featured in Vogue, Vogue India, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, The Cut, The Nation, and more. They live in New York City with their husband, Mojo.

Chantal Aida Gordon is an award-winning writer and gardener. Her fiction has appeared in American Short Fiction and Vassar Review, and her journalism in T Magazine, Shondaland, Teen Vogue, and others. She’s the co-author of houseplant book How to Window Box, a guide to bringing nature into your home. Born in Brooklyn and raised in the suburbs of DC, she now lives in Northeast Los Angeles.