Pics from the unforgettable Books & Burlesque night when Fortune Cookie performed a WORK NIGHTS-inspired dance featuring a PowerPoint presentation, a business suit, and a lot of sexy acrobatics.
Sitting with the other authors and watching this union of fiction, dance, activism, and comedy left me speechless and grateful and wooing for more.
xx the books xx
When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris
Alligator Tears: A Memoir in Essays by Edgar Gomez
House of Beth by Kerry Cullen
Beyond All Reasonable Doubt, Jesus is Alive! by Melissa Lozada-Oliva
xx the performers xx
Chestnut Belafonte
Antonio Amor
Racy DeClare
Saida Exit
All pics by @rengimmutevellioglu
I need this to live on my page forever so I can always remember it and know the seven years I spent writing and rewriting and crying over Work Nights was a normal part of the creative process that sometimes miraculously results in a book being held by queer icons.
I went to all the bars, restaurants, parks, and trashy NYC landmarks where Work Nights takes place:
The Williamsburg Bridge
Times Square
Lincoln Center
Birdy’s
The Morgan Library
Three Diamond Door
Prospect Park
Lone Wolf
Bunna Cafe
The MTA
Happy Fun Hideaway
Bossa Nova Civic Club
Maria Hernandez Park
Film Forum
Not pictured: The Rusty Knot bc it closed and Cubbyhole bc I forgot.
I joined the center for fiction in 2021 when I had no idea what I was doing with my life but I knew I needed to make time for writing and invest in it as more than just a hobby.
In 2023, I sold my debut novel WORK NIGHTS to gallery books and continued to use the center for fiction as a reliable workspace where I could edit the book.
In June 2025, WORK NIGHTS was released and I got to be onstage at the center of fiction along with many other talented queer writers to read from the book.
As if that were not surreal enough, WORK NIGHTS was just included in the long list for the center for fiction’s first novel prize.
Wtf! I’m in such good company.
I’ve already read and loved this year:
SKY DADDY by @kate__folk
GREAT BLACK HOPE by @robfrank__
& OPTIONAL PRACTICAL TRAINING by @shubhasunder
It feels so cool to see my book surrounded so many other brilliant authors.
Best night of my life
Ty @mcnallyjackson for hosting and @rileyxmacx for being the best convo partner I could’ve wanted
Now go read WORK NIGHTS cuz it’s really good x
ONE WEEK AWAY!! This book took 7 years and I almost gave up on it a few times bc I don’t have an MFA or a lot of connections but my friend/agent @ali.tate stuck with me through many rewrites and here it is—a real book! It’s silly and romantic and I know you will love it 💞
🚨GIVEAWAY🚨We’re so excited to share that @gallerybooks is giving FIVE (5!!!) lucky winners copies of our JUNE book pick WORK NIGHTS by @ericapeplin 🤠🌈💗✨ Details to enter below 💅🏼👀
TO ENTER:
🍩 follow @sapphlit and @gallerybooks
🍩 tag a friend in the comments
🍩 share to IG stories for 5 extra entries
Winners will be DMed directly by @sapphlit
Contest ends 5/30, US only!
Our June book pick is WORK NIGHTS by @ericapeplin 🍩💗🗽 Get your copy so you can read along with all us Sapph-Litties next month 🫡 Tag @sapphlit to be featured 💅🏼 #sapphlit #bookstagram
From my playroom to you ♡
WORK NIGHTS is about a slacker office worker who becomes obsessed with a young intern and basically bungles every romantic scenario she finds herself in.
Themes include alcohol, Ariana Grande and Microsoft Excel.
It comes outta the closet JUNE 2025.
