Six events this week in the Buffalo literary community.

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m.: Canisius University Contemporary Writers Series featuring author Ira Sukrungruang, who will discuss his works, life and career. Born in Chicago to Thai immigrants, Sukrungruang earned his BA in English from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and his MFA in creative writing from The Ohio State University.

Sukrungruang is the author of four books of nonfiction: Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddha Boy, Buddha’s Dog & Other Meditations, Southside Buddhist and This Jade World. He is also the author of The Melting Season, a short story collection and In Thailand It Is Night, a volume of poetry.

Sukrungruang is the recipient of the 2015 American Book Award for Southside Buddhist, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Nonfiction Literature, an Arts and Letters Fellowship, and the Anita Claire Scharf Award in Poetry. He is the president of Sweet: A Literary Confection, a literary nonprofit organization, and serves as the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing at Kenyon College.

The Canisius Contemporary Writers Series is free and open to the public. Limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Each presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and reception, providing attendees the opportunity to engage directly with the authors. Montant Cultural Center, 2001 Main St., Buffalo.

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m to p.m.:Wednesday Night Live Caffe At Amy’s Workshop Series with poet Robin Lee Jordan, author of They Ate Each Other Up. Caffe at Amy’s, 3234 Main St., Buffalo. Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Talking Leaves Books presents a book release reading, talk, and book signing to celebrate the release of Buffalo native Timothy Schmand’s new novella, The Danbury Chronicles (BlazeVOX Books.)

Set in a working-class Buffalo neighborhood during Thanksgiving 1969, The Danbury Chronicles is an unflinching coming of age story following twelve-year-old Patrick Barry as he navigates family tensions, street rituals, and one epic football game during a weekend blizzard. This event is free and open to the public. Hallwalls Cinema, 341 Delaware Ave., Buffalo.

Thursday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Kenmore Village Improvement Society presents an Open Mic Poetry Night hosted by Geoffrey Gatza and featuring poet Jade Asta Quinn. Additional reading slots available. Free and open to the public. 7 Warren Ave., Kenmore, N.Y.

Friday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m.: Fourth Friday Reading Series at Dog Ears Books. This month’s featured reader is poet, singer, and actress Julie Kittsley. Additional reading slots available. Dog Ears Bookstore and Cafe, 688 Abbott Road, 2nd floor, in Buffalo. Admission to the event is $5. Proceeds benefit the Dog Ears Bookstore, a 501 c (3) not-for-profit organization.


Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: The Buffalo Correspondance School and the Burchfield Penney Art Center are proud to present Fatigue Performance, an immersive experiential event blending poetry, music, and art.

The evening will feature poet and culture worker Noah Falck performing new poems from his upcoming collection Fatigue Performance alongside the dynamically inventive musical group Plant Water (Kevin Cain, guitar/loops; Patrick Jackson, bass; and Ryan Campbell percussion/drums). The unique, unfolding sonic experience will be engulfed by projection artwork and design by Ariel Aberg-Riger.

“When I received the NYSCA grant for my forthcoming poetry collection Fatigue Performance, I knew that I wanted to use it to expand the canvas for what a book could be,” said poet Noah Falck. “We’re bringing the poems to life collaboratively—through art, through music. It’s the fullest embodiment of the work, and embraces the spirit of the Buffalo Correspondance School, where the magic that grows out of that zone of collective experimentation is everything.”

This singular event celebrates the release of a limited-edition book art album — the first release from the BCS — also titled Fatigue Performance, a locally sourced lathe cut 10-inch by David Mitchell of SSSOUND OBJECTS. The album exemplifies the publishing spirit of BCS—a mixture of media and forms, pushing the boundaries of both what a record and a book can be. It is the first vinyl release from both Falck and Plant Water.

“Fatigue Performance embodies the multi-arts vision of the Burchfield Penney Art Center—uniting artists and audiences across disciplines to share in the transformative power of the arts,” says Scott Propeack, Burchfield Penney Executive Director.

Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the performance beginning at 8:00 PM. General Admission – $25, Members – $15 (Members, please check your email for the discount code to enter at checkout.), Student – $5. Visit www.burchfieldpenny.org/events to purchase tickets. Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo.