All Events
Journaling Night
Free to attend, space is limited. Email Giles@unreliablebooks.com to confirm your spot.
Suggested donation of $1-5 for attending, not required but appreciated!
Who: Anyone 18 & up who is interested in journaling, whether you’re brand new or a seasoned vet!
What: An evening to bullet journal/junk journal/etc while spending time in community!
Bring: Yourself and a journal! You can also bring your own items but there will be a selection of supplies to use as well! (Pens, markers, washi tape, tabs, stickers, collage papers, etc)
Rochester Queer Open Mic!
Co-hosted by poet Rachel Wiley and artist/musician Anna Parade, these intimate open mics will be a chance for local queer and trans folks to meet and show up for each other. Making and sharing art in a time of war is an inherently queer act, and this space will be a supportive and warm place to land once a month. Come and share something from the heart or just cheer along your comrades! Keep scrolling for all the info.
6:30pm - Doors open and sign-ups begin
7:00pm - Sharing
8:00(ish) - Community hang time
FAQs:
How much time will I have? — 3 minutes! That’s about one song, a short comedy set, a poem, an art you’d like to show. If it’s just slightly over 3, it’s ok, but we will cut you off at 4 minutes.
Do I have to perform or can I just watch? — No expectations! All we ask is that you help maintain a supportive and safe environment for others.
What’s the seating like? — Bring a chair if you have something specific you want to sit on! Otherwise there are some different seating options at The Unreliable Narrator.
Will the bookstore be open to buy cool queer and trans books and merch?! — Yes! It absolutely will be.
Is there a sound system? — Yes! We can hook into the store’s PA.
Pages of the Prism Book Club
Pages of the Prism Book Club
Meeting Feb. 20th at 6:30pm
Contact Giles@unreliablebooks.com to sign-up!
Stitchcraft as Witchcraft: A monthly book club and stitching circle
Join Lane-Mairead (embroideredspells) for the first installment of Stitchcraft as Witchcraft, a monthly book group and stitching circle where we will be reading books about the art of fiber craft as a magical practice.
We begin Wednesday, February 25, from 7-9pm at @theunreliablenarratorroc with the short story Black as Thread by @kwakjessie , a tale of stitching blessings and curses into clothing while under colonial, oppressive rule. This was the first fictional story that helped me to think of embroidery as an act of stitching spells!!
🧵Please RSVP to me so I know you’re coming and to receive a copy of the story! @embroideredspells on instagram
🧵If you do plan to purchase the book, please do so through @theunreliablenarratorroc and you will receive a 20% discount.
🧵This won’t be a class on stitching, but rather a space to craft together and discuss the ideas in the books we read.
🧵I’m always a fan of coming to the book club even if you have only read a portion of the story. Perhaps you’ll learn about a story or a book you’d like to read!
Twin Peaks Day!
Dear Diary,
It Is Happening Again.
Join us on Saturday, February 28th from 11am-6pm to celebrate Twin Peaks!
- Free coffee, cherry pie, & donuts!
- Twin Peaks soundtrack on repeat, themed attire encouraged.
- We will once again be giving away a limited number of Twin Peaks themed magnets & keychains. Stop by early to get one, the freebies are limited!
- Raffle entry here and at @clownboy.coffee , write down your favorite quote from Twin Peaks and you’ll be entered to win prizes from both of us. Enter at either location. @clownboy.coffee will also be celebrating Twin Peaks Day, so be sure to visit them!
- The log will be around, giving out advice to any who listen closely.
- Custom candles! ☕️♦️
- Free pins available that say “Fix your heart or die” Trans Rights are Human Rights 🏳️⚧️
- 5% of sales for the day will be donated to @roclgbtqtogether mutual aid fund for Trans Joy & Self-care. Find more info here: https://rochester.lgbt/mutual-aid/
Book Swap
Book Swap: Bring 1-3 gently used books and swap them for others.
If you don’t have any books to bring, that’s okay! You can still come and there are usually enough books for everyone to take home a couple!
Help us assemble whistle kits!
We have zines for whistle kits that need to be folded, if you want to help out!
We have lots and lots of 3D printed whistles to give out, if you have any lanyards or keychain rings to donate, we could use them!
Burn After Reading: Resistance Book Club
The Burn After Reading Book Club will be meeting this month at The Unreliable Narrator.
If you would like more info, contact the organizers by email - Info@50501rocny.org or on instagram @50501_rochester_ny
Journaling Night
Free to attend, space is limited. Email Giles@unreliablebooks.com to confirm your spot.
Suggested donation of $1-5 for attending, not required but appreciated!
Who: Anyone 18 & up who is interested in journaling, whether you’re brand new or a seasoned vet!
What: An evening to bullet journal/junk journal/etc while spending time in community!
Bring: Yourself and a journal! You can also bring your own items but there will be a selection of supplies to use as well! (Pens, markers, washi tape, tabs, stickers, collage papers, etc)
D(e)AD Screening 10/30
Join us for a second screening of D(e)AD written by Isabella Roland.
Thursday October 30th - Doors at 7:30pm, Film starts at 8pm
at The Unreliable Narrator 302 N. Goodman St. STE E101 Rochester NY 14607
Synopsis
Tillie (Isabella Roland), a floundering young woman and her charismatic, alcoholic father (Craig Bierko), struggle to resolve their fractured relationship in the weirdest possible way: after he dies, his ghost appears in mirrors to haunt everyone in the family but Tillie. Tillie’s sister, Violet (Vic Michaelis), mother (Claudia Lonow), grandparents (Mark Lonow and Joanne Astrow), stepfather (Jonathan Schmock), and even Violet’s free-spirited baby daddy (Nick Marini), must do everything they can to make Tillie see her father… even employing a very reform rabbi (Eddie Peppitone) to exorcize him… or else they will be plagued by this ghost forever.
About the film
What do you get when you have three generations of comedians in on family, and someone dies? If you guessed an independent autobiographical self-funded feature-length dark comedy, you’d be absolutely right. D(e)AD is written by and starring Isabella Roland (Dropout.tv, Sex Lives Of College Girls); and directed by and starring Isabella’s mom, Claudia Lonow (creator/showunner of How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life, Accidentally on Purpose, Good Girls Don’t and Rude Awakening); and also the rest of their family.
Cast:
Tillie - Isabella Roland
Daniel - Craig Bierko
Frankie - Claudia Lonow
Violet - Vic Michaelis
Carl - Jonathan Schmock
Eric - Nick Marini
Owen - Brennan Lee Mulligan
Renee - Joanne Astrow
Harris - Mark Lonow
Rabbi Barry - Eddie Pepitone
Doctor - Zac Oyama
Young Tillie - Winslow Schwartzman
written by Isabella Roland
directed by Claudia Lonow
produced by
Erin Dellorso and Julianne Dowler
Cinematography AJ Young
Edited by Jacquelyn Le
executive producers:
Isabella Roland
Claudia Lonow
Jonathan Schmock
Brennan Lee Mulligan
Mark Lonow
JoAnne Astrow
D(e)AD
Join us for a screening of D(e)AD written by Isabella Roland.
Friday October 24th - Doors at 7:30pm, Film starts at 8pm
at The Unreliable Narrator 302 N. Goodman St. STE E101 Rochester NY 14607
Synopsis
Tillie (Isabella Roland), a floundering young woman and her charismatic, alcoholic father (Craig Bierko), struggle to resolve their fractured relationship in the weirdest possible way: after he dies, his ghost appears in mirrors to haunt everyone in the family but Tillie. Tillie’s sister, Violet (Vic Michaelis), mother (Claudia Lonow), grandparents (Mark Lonow and Joanne Astrow), stepfather (Jonathan Schmock), and even Violet’s free-spirited baby daddy (Nick Marini), must do everything they can to make Tillie see her father… even employing a very reform rabbi (Eddie Peppitone) to exorcize him… or else they will be plagued by this ghost forever.
About the film
What do you get when you have three generations of comedians in on family, and someone dies? If you guessed an independent autobiographical self-funded feature-length dark comedy, you’d be absolutely right. D(e)AD is written by and starring Isabella Roland (Dropout.tv, Sex Lives Of College Girls); and directed by and starring Isabella’s mom, Claudia Lonow (creator/showunner of How to Live With Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life, Accidentally on Purpose, Good Girls Don’t and Rude Awakening); and also the rest of their family.
Cast:
Tillie - Isabella Roland
Daniel - Craig Bierko
Frankie - Claudia Lonow
Violet - Vic Michaelis
Carl - Jonathan Schmock
Eric - Nick Marini
Owen - Brennan Lee Mulligan
Renee - Joanne Astrow
Harris - Mark Lonow
Rabbi Barry - Eddie Pepitone
Doctor - Zac Oyama
Young Tillie - Winslow Schwartzman
written by Isabella Roland
directed by Claudia Lonow
produced by
Erin Dellorso and Julianne Dowler
Cinematography AJ Young
Edited by Jacquelyn Le
executive producers:
Isabella Roland
Claudia Lonow
Jonathan Schmock
Brennan Lee Mulligan
Mark Lonow
JoAnne Astrow
Author Event for Kristina Ten’s debut story collection Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine. In conversation with Kristen Felicetti (Log Off).
Author Event for Kristina Ten’s debut story collection Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine. In conversation with Kristen Felicetti (Log Off).
Pages of the Prism Bookclub September
Pages of the Prism Bookclub September at The Unreliable Narrator
Youth Open Mic Night
Youth Open Mic Night at The Unreliable Narrator. Free event for ages 13-19. Doors open at 6:30pm
Pages of the Prism Bookclub
Contact giles@unreliablebooks.com to RSVP. The book this month is Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab.
My Bookery Roc Pop-Up on the Patio
Stop by to visit & support My Bookery Roc out on the Patio!
Journaling Night
Free to attend, space is limited. Email giles@unreliablebooks.com to confirm your spot. Donations appreciated but not required!
Rochester Queer Open Mic
Join us on August 20th at 6:30 pm for Rochester Queer Open Mic! Cohosted by @annaparade and @dangerouslyinchub. Come to share or just listen!
Sign-ups start at 6:30 and sharing begins at 7! Social hour after with potluck snacks!
Each month will feature a special guest; this month, is @annaparade ! If you’re interested in guesting, DM @annaparade or @dangerouslyinchub
Location was moved for more space, thanks to @archivist.books for hosting the past months!
Pleasure in Times of Collective Distress Class
Class led by River Drosera. (Re)Connect with your core values around your body and pleasure—sliding scale $5-$35. Contact @River_Drosera on Instagram or email riverdrosera@gmail.com to sign up. All proceeds go to a fundraiser for Gaza.
Rochester Book Crawl Launch Party + Book Swap
Join us on August 15th from 6:30-8 for a book swap and a lil’ launch celebration for the Rochester Book Crawl!
Launch Celebration for the Rochester Book Crawl: celebrate the start of the @rochesterbookcrawl ! Join us for snacks & refreshments, plan out your Crawl and maybe make some new friends to visit bookstores with! The dream!
Book Swap: Bring 1-3 gently used books and swap them with books that others bring!
If you don’t have any books to bring, that’s okay! You can still come and most likely there will be extra books for people to take home.
Journaling Night
Free to attend, space is limited. Email giles@unreliablebooks.com to confirm your spot. Donations appreciated but not required!
Dramatic Reading of Mary Shelleys "Frankenstein"
Join us for a dramatic reading of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment that involved putting it together with different body parts.
Author Event with Lydi Conklin
Join us on Sunday July 13th!
The Unreliable Narrator will be hosting Lydi Conklin, who will read from their new novel, Songs of No Provenance. They will be joined in conversation by Jen Grotz.
Sunday July 13th 4:30pm
RSVPs appreciated!