The Tortured Bloggers Department Nonfiction Reading Series- December Reading
Join Us for an Unforgettable Night at The Tortured Bloggers Department!
Get ready to dive into a whirlwind of real-life stories that are equal parts hilarious and chaotic! The Tortured Bloggers Department is not your average reading series—it's where the messy, raw, and unfiltered tales of dating, sex, love, and heartbreak come to life.
This December, we're bringing together a lineup of brave writers who aren't afraid to spill their guts (and maybe a drink or two) on stage. With everything from embarrassing dating disasters to electrifying adventures of love and heartbreak, these stories will have you laughing, gasping, and finding pieces of yourself in every wild moment.
Come be part of a community that celebrates the beautifully unhinged experiences we all share. Grab your friends, a drink, and prepare for a night of provocative storytelling that’s sure to ignite your emotions and spark unforgettable conversations.
Don’t miss out! RSVP now to secure your spot and witness the chaotic charm of The Tortured Bloggers Department!
Registration is required as spots are limited. RSVP for free now.
MEET OUR BADASS DECEMBER LINEUP:
Zara Barrie
Zara Barrie is the critically acclaimed author of GIRL, STOP PASSING OUT IN YOUR MAKEUP, creator of the scripted fiction podcast GIRLS ON JANE, the former Senior Sex and Dating Writer of Elite Daily, and Executive Editor of GO Magazine. Recently Zara launched her own publication, PROTECT YOUR F*CKING SPARKLE on Substack. Her work has been described as "Sex and The City meets Euphoria but lesbian." Follow Zara on Instagram: @zarabarrie
Dayna Troisi
Dayna Troisi is a viral internet writer & video personality who serves as Executive Editor at GO Magazine, one of the nation’s preeminent and most widely read LGBTQ magazines. Dayna holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry and is a professor of Creative Writing at Hofstra University. She is the creator of the course SAD GIRLS, HONEY, a workshop that traces a lineage from sad girls throughout history from Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath to Lana Del Rey, SZA, Mitski and Taylor Swift. She can do all things through which dry martinis, her badass bionic arm, and SSRIs strengthen her. Follow Dana on Instagramt @daynatroisi
Marianna Pease
Marianna Pease is a mom by day, writer by night. She writes the Substack blog mariannapease.substack.com and lives with her daughter in the woods outside of Boston with her two dogs and four chickens where she also writes for the local newspaper. You can find her driving around town in a pickup truck or writing about taking your power back and healing after divorce. Keep an eye out for her new book of essays on personal empowerment, "My Year In The Woods" a follow up to her first book, "Pandemic Mom: Meditations on New Motherhood During The Pandemic & During Divorce." Follow Marianna on Instagram: @mariannapease
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. Follow Melissa on Instagram: @love_melissa_nyc
Toby Shaw
Toby Shaw is a writer, a blogger, a future best-selling author and currently holds a 142 day Wordle streak. Toby turned her pain into power when she started healing from a breakup by writing her blog and book, The Joys of Ex. She now strives to help other women heal from heartbreak and find their passions. Through humor, life experience and the benefits of many years of therapy, Toby aims to inspire confidence, resilience, and a renewed sense of adventure for women stepping into their best years. Follow Toby on Instagram: @toby_._shaw
Katie Ell
Katie Ell has written for Interview, Penthouse Forum, the LA Review of Books, HuffPost, Blackbook, and was a resident columnist on Showtime's L Word site, Ourchart, among others. In the mid-aughts, she appeared on the Tyra Banks show as a lesbian competing against a straight man for the affection of a bisexual in a wildly offensive episode about bisexuality. Katie has run a monthly travel writing reading series called TRIPS since 2013, has taught writing classes to LGBT older adults at SAGE since 2012, wrote and directed off-Broadway plays about topics ranging from female bodybuilders to lesbian magicians, and was the case manager of half the cast of Pose prior to their fame when she worked with queer youth in the South Bronx at an LGBTQ youth center. She is now a psychotherapist, and is a longtime karaoke host at the oldest gay bar in Brooklyn. She is a retired distance runner who now begrudgingly goes on 5-10 minute “power walks” one to two times a month, and got married at a dive bar this past June that smells faintly of urine.
Meet Your Host + Creator of TTBD, Cara!
Cara Alwill is a bestselling author, empowerment coach, and creator of Cara Says It All, dedicated to helping women amplify their voices and step into their power. With over 300,000 books sold worldwide, her work has been translated into ten languages, including French, Ukrainian, Chinese, and Russian. From self-publishing to partnering with major publishers like Penguin Random House, Cara’s literary career is a testament to her grit, authenticity, and unwavering belief in women’s potential.
Through programs like Literary Queens: Own Your Voice, Craft Your Story, Create Your Publishing Empire on Substack and Beyond and ICONIC, Cara mentors women to build impactful brands rooted in their unique voices. Her signature blend of high-energy inspiration, real talk, and modern branding strategies has empowered countless women to launch books, build communities, and live out their stories with confidence.
As the host of the acclaimed Cara Says It All podcast and creator of The Tortured Bloggers Department, a live NYC reading series, Cara continues to inspire through storytelling. Whether she’s coaching clients, writing her next bestseller, or speaking on stage, Cara is committed to showing 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/