Eleven events this week in the Buffalo literary community, including the return of the Buffalo, Books & Beer Series with author Ken Belson.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. : W(h)ine and Zine Experience, a generative zinemaking adult workshop with teaching artist Robin Jordan. No zine-making or whining experience necessary. A fun and cathartic zine-making that will involve tearing, extracting, scratching, screaming, and laughing . Whine about work. Be irritated by injustice. Bellyache about bodies. Beef with bureaucracy. Cry about cuteness with poet Robin Jordan. For ages, 21 and over. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. $30-$35. Western New York Book Arts Center, 468 Washington St., Buffalo. Register at www.wnybookarts/workshops.org .

Wednesday, Nov.12, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Writer’s interdisciplinary open mic featuring artist Dan Bryce and musician Stephen Wilger. As open mic participants read, musician Stephen Wilger will translate your work into music, and artist Dan Bryce will create an original piece of art inspired by it. Art’s Cafe (main stage), Springville Center for the Arts, 37 N Buffalo St, Springville, NY 14141. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 6 p.m to 7 p.m.:Wednesday Night Live Caffe At Amy’s Workshop Series with poet and artist Bianca L. McGraw. Caffe at Amy’s, 3234 Main St., Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.: Hallwalls and Talking Leaves Books present a screening of the pilot episode screening of Broadway Books, a new sitcom set in New York City, about an independent bookstore struggling to survive using increasingly desperate measures. Starring Lauren Servideo, Ruby McCollister, Nick Naney, Eric Yates and Carlos Dengler, the pilot follows the team as they try to raise the numbers for that night’s Malcolm Gladwell reading.Q&A following the screening with writer/director Carianne King. Hallwalls Cinema, 341 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14202. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 9 p.m.: Poetry Night at Caffe Aroma, biweekly open mic reading series guest hosted by Ashley M. Hardy and Brigid Hannon. 957 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: TEACHERS ARE WRITERS, with Buffalo-based poet, essayist, and editor Rachelle Toarmino. In collaboration with the Western New York Network of English Teachers and the Buffalo State English Education program, Just Buffalo Literary Center offers a workshop series for school teachers and educators so they will have the opportunity to explore their own creative work, engage in ongoing conversations about process, and grow as writers. This workshop is FREE and aimed at teachers. CTLE credit is available through the Buffalo State English Education program.BPS teachers can register on PGS; non-BPS teachers register by emailing Molly Eldridge at MEldridge@buffaloschools.org. Just Buffalo Writing Center, 468 Washington Street, 2nd Floor, in Buffalo.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m.: Hallwalls and Talking Leaves Books present reading and book signing for Buffalo-born writer Rachel J. Lithgow, author of the debut memoir, My Year of Really Bad Dates, a book about re-entering the dating scene as a divorced parent in midlife. This event will consist of a conversation to be followed by questions and signing. Free to attend. Purchase of your book from Talking Leaves is the best way to support this event.

Rachel J. Lithgow is a historian and museum professional with thirty years of experience running large cultural institutions. Her work and writing have appeared in dozens of publications around the world, including The New York Times, The Daily News, Time, The Advocate, The Jerusalem Post, The Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Times of Israel, eJP, The New York Observer, and the Buffalo News. Rachel has two children and splits her time between Long Beach, Long Island, and Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

Hallwalls Cinema, 341 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14202. Free and open to the public.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Buffalo, Books, and Beer and Talking Leaves Books present veteran New York Times Business & NFL reporter, Ken Belson to The Place to discuss his new book Every Day is Sunday, a deeply-reported account of how the NFL’s Commissioner, Roger Goodell, and its two most powerful owners, Jerry Jones & Robert Kraft, turned the league into a dominant cultural phenomenon and brand.

Belson will discuss his new book tracing the evolution of the N.F.L. from a quaint also-ran in the national consciousness into a 365-day-a-year concern that dominates our attention, largely through the power and reach of television, social media, and multiple streaming platforms . The stars of the book are not the All-Pro players on the field. They are Dallas Cowboys owner Jones and New England Patriots owner Kraft, and Commissioner Goodell, a Western New York native.

In Every Day is Sunday, Belson traces the evolution of the league from “one of the four US professional sports,” to the superpower it is today. Belson illustrates how the league’s rise coincided with the arrival of Jones & Kraft in the early 90’s. He provides an inside look on how these two men reshaped the league, taking readers into the secretive owner’s meeting, how they decided Goodell was the right man to place as Commissioner, and how the three built, wielded, and held on to their collective power.

Ken Belson rejoined The New York Times’s Business section in 2023 to write about the business of sports after spending 14 years in the Sports department, primarily covering the N.F.L. Belson reports on the teams and personalities of the N.F.L., including finances, stadiums, medical issues, lawsuits and more. He lives in New York with his wife. You can follow him @el_belson

Location: The Place, 229 Lexington Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14222. Free and open to the public.

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library presents Indie Author Day 2025 at its Central Branch, 1 Lafayette Square in Buffalo.

Indie Author Day is part of a nationwide celebration connecting independent writers with their local libraries and writing communities. Whether you’re a published author or just starting your journey, this free event is for everyone. This year’s program includes expert-led presentations, networking opportunities, and a vibrant afternoon tabling session featuring local authors and literary professionals.

Only the morning session (9:15 AM – 2:00 PM) requires registration to attend.

The afternoon session (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM) is open to the general public to browse tables and attend panels and presentations.

Both sessions are free to attend.

Morning Session

9:15 AM – 2:00 PM in the Mason O. Damon Auditorium of the Central Library, entrance on Clinton Street.

Registration is required to attend the morning session. This registration is for audience members only—not for the afternoon tabling.

9:30 Welcome and opening remarks

9:45 Beta Reading: The Inside Scoop by Valerie Gee & Katelin Pickard, co-owners of Writer Island

10:00 When to Trust Humans Over Machines: Understanding What Editors Can Do and What AI Cannot by Jennifer Borgioli Binis of Schoolmarm Advisors

10:30 Demystifying the Publishing Landscape: Traditional, Hybrid, and Self-Publishing by H.R. Gordon of Gordon Publishing

11:15 Break

11:30 HONEST GHOST! Authentic Writing and Fantastic Subjects by Mason Winfield of Haunted History Ghost Walks, Inc.

1:00 Morning Session closing remarks, closing of Auditorium.

1:00-2:00 (Second Floor) Break, Social Hour, and table set up for the Afternoon Session. Please note: Downtown dining options are limited on Saturdays. Attendees attending the full day are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch or plan their meal in advance. No food will be provided during this break.

Afternoon Session

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM on the Second Floor of the Central Library.

Attendance to these events is free and open to the general public, registration is not required. Note that multiple events will be occurring at the same time in different areas.

Second Floor, Exhibit Space

2:00 – 4:00 Book Fair tabling and networking

Second Floor, Central Meeting Room

2:00 Writing Together: Finding Accountability, Motivation and Connections with Shut Up & Write Buffalo by John Bowers, Tediyra Barton-Harris, Elaine Grant, Dr. Chirantana Mathkari, Michael Neumann, and Annette J. Wacha

2:30 Transforming Buffalo into the Multiverse by Travis Carlson of Pan-American Film Division

Second Floor, Collections Gallery Conference Room

2:00 Finishing Your First Novel (Turning Your Idea into a Story) by Evangeline Williams

2:45 How to Get Away With (Writing) Murder by Gary Earl Ross

3:15 Horror: It’s Not Just Teens Getting Killed by Liam Burke, Rebecca Cuthbert, Pauline Chow, and Dr. Jack

Second Floor, TechKnow Lab

2:00 Branding Your Empire by Tori Einher of Unscripted Chaos

2:30 Creating Your Literary Magazine (As an Extension of the Self) by J.B. Stone of Variety Pack Zine.

The programs and tabling exhibition end at 4 p.m. The Central Branch library closes at 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Saturday, Nov. 15, 1 p.m.: In-store book signing with veteran New York Times Business & NFL reporter, Ken Belson celebrating his new book Every Day is Sunday, a deeply-reported account of how the NFL’s Commissioner, Roger Goodell, and its two most powerful owners, Jerry Jones & Robert Kraft, turned the league into a cultural phenomenon. Talking Leaves…Books, 951 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222. Free and open to the public.

Sunday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Beats, Brews and Prose, a new open mic poetry and prose series hosted by Juniper, Fawn, Rose, and Morticia on the third Sunday of each month at Eugene V. Debs Hall, 483 Peckham St. in Buffalo.