The Tortured Bloggers Department Nonfiction Reading Series- November 2025 Reading
The next Tortured Bloggers Department storytelling soiree returns to Brooklyn this November we're back and more unhinged than ever!
This ain't your average reading series. It's where messy, raw, and laugh-until-you-cry tales of dating, sex, love, and heartbreak take center stage.
Get ready for a full-blown spectacle of hilariously chaotic moments, steamy confessions, and the kind of moments that make you feel seen. Our reader lineup is a fearless crew of the baddest babes spilling their guts (and maybe their cocktails) on stage, sharing stories that will make you laugh, gasp, and not feel so bad about that last text to your ex.
This is the night to celebrate every bad decision and the lessons that came with it. Because let's face it, we've all been there. And we might be there again.
RSVP now to lock in your spot. Our reader lineup is below!
Meet Your Host, Cara Alwill
Cara Alwill is a bestselling author and creator of Cara Says It All, known for her raw, unfiltered approach to storytelling. With over 300,000 books sold worldwide and translations in ten languages, her work has inspired a global community of women to tell the truth — beautifully and boldly.
From her acclaimed NYC reading series The Tortured Bloggers Department to her writing programs Hot Girl Writing House and Book Boss, Cara champions women who turn their lived experiences into art. Whether she’s on stage, behind the mic, or writing her next book, her mission remains the same: to remind women that their voices matter and that their stories deserve to be heard.
Follow Cara on Instagram: @TheChampagneDiet
Subscribe to Cara's Substack here: https://caraalwill.substack.com/
Melissa Meier
Melissa is a “reality star” of bravo proportions. She uses the term star very loosely. A 20 year veteran nyc cocktail maven, former improv drop out and avid writer. Founder of the queer Cabaret, two time guest on watch what happens live- once as the bartender and once as drag Sean spicer, she loves making people laugh, even at her own expense. Her biggest claim to fame is being on a TV show with Mr T when she was 7 years old and telling him he was “very scary.” You can find her telling stories to anyone who will listen at various storytelling events throughout NYC and anywhere else she has a captive audience. She prefers dogs to most people. Melissa also runs everything you see here at Kings County distillery, including their social media, the cocktail program and all things bar and bourbon related.
E.M. Gallagher
E.M. Gallagher is a writer, New Yorker, communications specialist, and recovering middle school English teacher. She writes about the ghosts of her dating past, being a retired hellraiser, and rants on rapidly careening toward midlife on her Substack, “Ugh. Anyway.” She has told unhinged and mildly inappropriate stories at salons and shows all over New York City, including Generation Women, Miss Manhattan, Seanchoíche, and of course, The Tortured Bloggers Department. Her first book of essays, Ugh. Anyway… Stories of love, heartbreak, mayhem and New York City will be released in February 2026.
Marianna Pease
Marianna Pease is a single mother, essayist, and substacker. Her new memoir, "My Year(s) In The Woods," comes out January 2026. It is the story of how a single mom heals by living in the country, learning to use a leaf blower, set boundaries, find her worth, and most importantly use her voice. All while raising her young daughter, rescue pups, and backyard chickens. Her first book "Pandemic Mom" is also available on the world wide web.
Zara Barrie
Zara Barrie is the critically acclaimed author of GIRL, STOP PASSING OUT IN YOUR MAKEUP, creator of the fiction audio series GIRLS ON JANE, and the former Senior Writer of Elite Daily and GO Magazine. She pours everything into her Substack, where she shares endless musings on Love + Longing; Fashion + Feelings; Burning It Down + Starting Again. Follow Zara on Instagram: @zarabarrie