TOC Reading Series September 16th: Alam! Schaefer! Park!
A FREE reading at a new venue in Sunset Park!
Readers of Content,
I’m writing from the gorgeous, steamy city of Lisbon where I am for the first time, joining a friend who is cat-sitting (Tigerlily is her name, the cat that is) at an apartment with an extra room in the beautiful, quiet neighborhood of Principe Real. We arrived this morning so are doing our best to stay awake (naps on arrival being, as we know, the jet lag-exacerbating downfall of so many well-laid travel plans.) It’s about 5:30 now and we’re shooting for 10pm…we’ll see how it goes.
Our reading last week at Farm.One was *so* special; huge thanks to Farm.One for hosting us (not for the last time!) to our authors Ed Park, Nicole Cuffy, and Anelise Chen for the amazing readings and conversation, and as always to Sammi and Olivia for the beautifully conceived and prepared drinks. We were able to capture some gorgeous video from the reading thanks to the help of our friends Keenan, Josh, Justin, and their crew, so keep an eye out for that recap soon.
We’re excited to look ahead to our next reading, Tuesday, September 16th at MADE Bush Terminal in Sunset Park, another new venue! This event is a part of Brooklyn Book Festival’s BOOKENDS week and we have a lineup that feels a very worthy part of this 20th year of BKBF programming, featuring Rumaan Alam (Entitlement), Lucas Schaefer (The Slip) and Silvia Park (Luminous).
What’s more: this event is FREE thanks to the support of MADE Bush Terminal and the NYC EDC. Just please: if you RSVP, be there! We all know the attrition that can come with free events, and the thought of in-demand seats for these incredible authors being left empty is something we just can’t bear. Of course if something comes up please let us know as early as you can so we can accommodate as many folks as possible for this one.
Here’s some more info on these authors, and a link to reserve your tickets:
Lucas Schaefer's work has appeared in One Story, The Baffler, Slate and other publications. He holds an MFA from the New Writers Project at UT-Austin. Lucas lives with his family in Austin. His new novel is The Slip.
Rumaan Alam is the author of Rich and Pretty and That Kind of Mother, and Leave the World Behind. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Elle, New York Magazine, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Wall Street Journal, The Rumpus, Buzzfeed, and elsewhere. He studied at Oberlin College, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Silvia Park grew up in Seoul and splits their time between Korea and America. They received a BA from Columbia and MFA from NYU, in addition to completing the Clarion Workshop in 2018. Their short fiction has been published in Black Warrior Review, Joyland, and Reactor, and reprinted in The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019. Luminous is their first novel.
Each RSVP includes three small dishes inspired by the passages, and one complimentary NA drink (due to some venue restrictions, this month we’re going alcohol-free, just fyi!) Additional NA drinks will be available for purchase.
For more information on physical accessibility at MADE Bush Terminal please write us at biscuits@tablesofcontents.org with any and all questions.
MADE Bush Terminal is a newly revitalized hub in Sunset Park, designed to support local producers, fabricators, creatives, and community organizations. Located within a historic waterfront complex, MADE is being reimagined as a modern, mixed-use campus that champions local business growth, community use, and sustainable development—while honoring the neighborhood’s rich industrial legacy. The name “MADE” stands for manufacturers, artisans, designers, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the project’s mission to foster inclusive economic opportunity across sectors. Follow them on instagram @madebushterminal.
We can accommodate gluten-free and vegetarian diets with advance notice. If you have other restrictions or aversions you are of course still encouraged to attend, you just may not be able to partake in every course. Please be sure to notify us of any serious allergies in advance and remind us at the event.
Can't wait to see you all September 16th at MADE Bush Terminal!
TOC
On Our Shelves
Our very own Tanya Bush announced pre-orders for her first book last week! WILL THIS MAKE YOU HAPPY is an incredibly delightful blend of narrative and cookbook, with the story of our pastry-curious narrator woven throughout a season of recipes that follow her path to becoming a baker. It’s got awestruck blurbs from some of the greats (Dorie Greenspan, Catherine Lacey, Leslie Jamison, Sohla El-Waylly, just to name a few!) and we can confirm it will make you happy and hungry for more! Pre-order now for its March 2026 arrival!
The Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize Longlist recently dropped and we’re thrilled to see so many incredible titles, including TOC alum Alejandro Heredia and Justin Haynes who read with us just last month!
Meanwhile over at the Booker Prize Longlist we’re also celebrating the nominations of past readers Katie Kitamura and Ledia Xhoga, and future-reader Susan Choi!
Our partners at Glynwood Regional Farms (home of our residency and, most recently, our Redwall dinner) are hosting their annual auction and benefit on Saturday, September 13th and for anyone able to make the trip it’s a perfect way to spend a beautiful evening in the Hudson Valley with some of the best, smartest, and most delicious people in regional food.
