Queer Novels Now

A night of readings and revelry with six authors of bestselling and critically acclaimed queer novels redefining what the form can do.

Free RSVP required for entry. 21+ with valid ID
Doors at 7:30, readings begin at 8
The venue is located up one flight of stairs. More detailed accessibility info is here
All books will be for sale by local indie bookstore The Head & the Hand Books

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 6TH
DOORS @ 7:30PM + SHOW @ 8PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN
RSVP: EVENTBRITE

 

About the readers:

Kristen Arnett (@kristen_arnettis the queer Floridian author of With Teeth: A Novel (Riverhead Books, 2021) which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in fiction and the New York Times bestselling debut novel Mostly Dead Things (Tin House, 2019) which was also a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in fiction and was shortlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her third novel, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, was published in March 2025 by Riverhead Books, who will also publish an untitled collection of her short fiction. She has a Masters in Library and Information Science from Florida State University and lives in Orlando, Florida.

Lydi Conklin (@lydiconklin) is the author of the novel Songs of No Provenance and the story collection Rainbow Rainbow. They are an Assistant Professor of Fiction at Vanderbilt University and have received a Stegner Fellowship in Fiction at Stanford University, a Rona Jaffe Writer’s Award, four Pushcart Prizes, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative & Performing Arts Fulbright to Poland, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Djerassi, Hedgebrook, the James Merrill House, the Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, Millay, Jentel, Lighthouse Works, Brush Creek, the Santa Fe Art Institute, Caldera, the Sitka Center, and Harvard University, among others.

Emma Copley Eisenberg (@frumpenberg) is the author of the novel Housemates, which was a national bestseller and named a best book of the year by The Boston Globe, People, NBC, Them.Us, Autostraddle, Electric Literature, and Kirkus Reviews. Housemates was longlisted for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award and won the Athenaeum of Philadelphia’s Literary Prize for Fiction. Her narrative nonfiction book, The Third Rainbow Girl, was a New York Times Notable Book as well as a finalist for an Edgar Award and a Lambda Literary Award. She lives in Philadelphia, where she co-founded Blue Stoop, a community hub for the literary arts.

Alejandro Heredia (@aleherex) is a queer Afro-Dominican writer from The Bronx. His debut novel LOCA was published in February 2025 by Simon and Schuster. He has received fellowships from Lambda Literary, VONA, the Dominican Studies Institute, Kenyon Review, and Trinity College. In 2019, he was selected by Myriam Gurba as the winner of the Gold Line Press Fiction Chapbook Contest. His chapbook of short stories, You’re the Only Friend I Need (2021), explores themes of queer transnationalism, friendship, and (un)belonging in the African Diaspora. Heredia’s work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Lambda Literary Review, The Offing, and elsewhere. He received an MFA in fiction from Hunter College.

Melissa Mogollon (@melissamogollonwriter) holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a BA from the George Washington University. Originally from Colombia and raised in Florida, she now teaches at a boarding school in Rhode Island, where she lives with her partner and dog. Oye, which was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, is her first novel.

Torrey Peters (@torreyadora) is the author of the novel Detransition, Baby, which won the 2021 PEN/Hemingway award for debut fiction and was named a Best Book of the Century by The New York Times. Her second book, Stag Dance, was published in March 2025 and was an indie bestseller. She is an amateur sauna builder, rides a pink motorcycle, and splits her time between Brooklyn and Santa Marta, Colombia.

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What’s Up at TMoms:

Daily Happy Hour | All drafts are just $4 every day from 4-6pm!

Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

A Novel Idea: Bookstore Fundraiser & Reading

South Philadelphia residents Alexander Schneider and Christina Rosso-Schneider are opening A Novel Idea, an independent bookstore in East Passyunk, this winter.

A Novel Idea will feature both new and used books, as well as offer a variety of events. The goal is that it will become a place known for great books, merchandise, and events, but also a space where community is fostered. Alexander and Christina are kicking things off with a fundraiser & reading event at Tattooed Mom!

Any contributions or donations are greatly appreciated–whether they be gently used books, monetary donations, or purchases at the event.

Admission is free.
This event is 21+

Readers include:
Christina Rosso-Schneider
Nicholas Perilli
Britny Brooks
Amy Saul-Zerby
Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez
Angelo Colavita
Josh Dale
Amanda Miska
Tshombe Herbert
Nazeer L. Harper

Enjoy this event with our Burger Wednesday specials:
$4 Mom’s Beef Burgers & Mom’s Vegan Burgers
$2 Narragansett Lager Tall Boys
& half off all drafts 5-7 and 10-11pm

Join the Facebook Event and invite all your pals!

ZINE TIME

ZINE TIME features local zine publishers, artists, and makers from Philadelphia and beyond, & this is the BIGGEST event yet! On Sunday 10/21 ZINE TIME will taking over the top floor of TMOMs, both front and back rooms! This event is not to be missed!

Vendors Include:

Brickman Publications
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Gabriela Basyuk
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**NEW RELEASE: Blue Devil Fits

Paige Hanserd
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Eric Kenney
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Nico Trevizo / Longgate Publications
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Michelle Macinsky / Basic Edition
// Store // Instagram //

Clint Soren / Endless Others
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Justine Kelley
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**NEW RELEASE: “Paradise”

Ben Harrison / Sometimes Publishing
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Solita Zine (Natalia Rodriguez)
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Quiet Pages Press (Manda Quevedo)
// Facebook // Instagram //

Davis Campbell
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Enjoy this event with TMOMs brunch, available ’til 4:30pm.
Our full menu will also be available all day!

Join the Facebook Event and invite all your pals!