Upcoming Events
Write Out Loud with Project Write Now
Project Write Now’s Write Out Loud is a prompt-based, generative writing workshop that offers a supportive space to experiment with new ideas and fine-tune your writing style. Come spend an hour and a half in a creative, cozy environment with a community of fellow writers to celebrate what makes your writing uniquely you!
Come to write and connect! Sharing is encouraged, but not required. Tell us you’re coming! Registration below.
Feminist Book Club: Unbought and Unbossed by Shirley Chisholm
Join Feminist Book Club for their next meeting on Wednesday, November 11th at 7pm. They will be discussing Unbought and Unbossed by Shirley Chisholm. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“Shirley Chisholm created a path for me and for so many others. Today, I'm thinking about her inspirational words: 'I am, and always will be a catalyst for change.'” —Kamala Harris
“A tremendously impressive book.” —Washington Post
Queer Book Club: Indecent by Paula Vogel
Join Queer Book Club for their next meeting on Thursday, November 12th at 7pm. They will be discussing Indecent by Paula Vogel. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
"Revelatory...As intimate and immediate as a whispered secret. Vogel's play thrums with music, desire, and fear, and it's shrewd about the ways in which America isn't free, and about how art does and doesn't transcend the perilous winds of history." --New Yorker
"Superbly realized...Indecent, the powerful play by Paula Vogel, sheds an eye-opening light on a little-known time when theatrical history, Jewish culture, and the frank depiction of homosexuality intersected, with explosive results." --New York Times
Poetry Writing Course
This poetry writing course is an in-person six week series at the bookstore.
A wonderful chance to work on your craft, develop your voice, get professional feedback from published authors, workshop new pieces, and revise already existing work. Led by published authors, Jim Capozzi and Emmalea Russo, this is an opportunity to connect and grow with a small group of poets, refine the work on the page, and get tangible resources and input to help get your poetry in the hands of readers.
Learn about your instructors:
James Capozzi is the author of the collections Devious Sentiments and Country Album, which won the New Measure Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Poetry, New Republic, The Iowa Review, and Chicago Review, and he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, James A. Michener Foundation, and JOYA:AiR. He is an Associate Professor at Virginia State University and a board member at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Emmalea Russo is the author of two novels: Vivienne(2024) and The Moonpapers (2026). Her books of poetry are G (2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta(2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Literature, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere.
Course Dates:
Friday, November 6th 6pm
Friday, November 13th 6pm
Friday, November 20th 6pm
Friday, December 4th 6pm
Friday, December 11th 6pm
Friday, December 18th 6pm
A few things to note:
There is a suggested donation of $75 for the full six weeks. These funds will go directly to the professional instructors that are dedicating their time to develop a quality course to help you grow and thrive in your art.
It is encouraged to commit to the full six weeks. This class is limited to 15 students in order to create an intimate envorinoment and allow time for individual attention. Not attending every class does take away opportunity from other poets interested in the course.
Writers Café
Whether you are working on your first draft, editing your final piece, or just daydreaming about your next project, Asbury Book Cooperative’s Writer Café is an open space for writers of all levels and genres.
Come meet fellow literati for craft discussion, workshop your piece with peers, or even just come for a quiet, cozy space to work.
We know a good cup of coffee is key to spark the imagination and wake up the senses; Writers Café is proud to collaborate with local coffee shops and roasters to bring their blends to the literary community of Asbury Park.
We meet twice a month - once at ABC and once at our partnering coffee shop. All you need to bring is your preferred writing apparatus and your love for writing. We’ll provide the conversation and the collaborative space.
About your coordinators
Cate Cooke (she/they), also known under alias Cate Thorn, is a writer, musician, and a self-appointed village witch from Ocean County, NJ. Passionate about the weird and uncanny, she pens tales about sad ghosts and magical folks in her own “New Jersey Gothic” style.
Cate graduated from Georgian Court University with bachelor's degrees in English and Digital Communications, and has taken her love for storytelling across various industries throughout her professional life. She has made her home in the literary world, proudly serving as Volunteer Coordinator at Asbury Book Cooperative since May 2025, and as a writing instructor with Project Write Now since February 2026.
When she’s not out haunting the shelves of her local library, Cate is at home curled up on the couch with a good ghost story and her dog, Athena.
Claire Pope (they/them) is a self-taught writer, photographer, and zine artist. Growing up in the greater Philadelphia area, Claire started as a music photographer and blogger, eventually working their way up through the DIY scene to photograph and interview everyone from local legends to internationally known artists like La Dispute and Pete Wentz.
Inspired by their roots in the raw, unpolished, unfiltered, and unapologetic DIY community, Claire’s work is focused on the tiny moments that make up our most sacred memories, and the intricacies of connection, identity, and community through the lenses of humor and grief. Claire is based in Neptune, NJ, where they work as a grant writer and serve as a board member, volunteer, and (sometimes) teaching artist at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Horror Book Club: Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr.
Join Horror Book Club for their next meeting on Monday, November 16th at 7pm. They will be discussing the horror anthology, Never Whistle At Night. All are welcome!
“It’s legit. . . . You don’t want to miss this dark exploration of Indigenous traditions, themes, and characters.”
—Matthew Jackson, Paste, “25 Horror Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Fall”
Doorstops: A Book Club for BIG BOOKS | Middlemarch by George Elliot
All are welcome to join Doorstops: A Book Club For Big Novels. They will be reading Middlemarch by George Eliot over the course of three months. Their first meeting will be on Wednesday, November 18th at 7pm. They will be discussion Book 3: Waiting for Death, Book 4: Three Love Problems and Book 5: The Death Hand.
“I know Middlemarch is 800 pages. I get it. That said, it is the most exquisite English novel about community. George Eliot forever.” —Min Jin Lee, Elle
“Middlemarch, the magnificent book which with all its imperfections is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.”—Virginia Woolf
Crime Book Club: The Searcher by Tana French
Join Crime Book Club in their next meeting on Thursday, November 19th at 7pm. They will be discussing The Searcher by Tana French. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“The west of Ireland looked good to Cal Hooper on the internet. But now that he’s living there, the rugged beauty of the region overwhelms him, as it will anyone reading Tana French’s The Searcher, an audacious departure for this immensely talented author… Not to be missed.” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Taut, chiseled and propulsive.” —Vogue
Indie Book Club: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Join Indie Book Club in their next meeting on Thursday, November 19th at 7pm. They will be discussing Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. All are welcome!
Indie Book Club strictly reads books published by independent publishing houses! What is an independent publishing house? It is a publisher that is not a subsidiary of the big five publishing houses: Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Macmillan Publishers.
Related Books & Products
"A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, transcends time." --Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers
“Claire Keegan works magic in this small novel about a truly good man in 1985 Ireland, and the difficult decision he faces at Christmastime. Keegan captures the extraordinary courage required to live an ordinary life with honor.” —
John Lynn, The Kennett Bookhouse, Kennett Square, PA
Poetry Writing Course
This poetry writing course is an in-person six week series at the bookstore.
A wonderful chance to work on your craft, develop your voice, get professional feedback from published authors, workshop new pieces, and revise already existing work. Led by published authors, Jim Capozzi and Emmalea Russo, this is an opportunity to connect and grow with a small group of poets, refine the work on the page, and get tangible resources and input to help get your poetry in the hands of readers.
Learn about your instructors:
James Capozzi is the author of the collections Devious Sentiments and Country Album, which won the New Measure Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Poetry, New Republic, The Iowa Review, and Chicago Review, and he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, James A. Michener Foundation, and JOYA:AiR. He is an Associate Professor at Virginia State University and a board member at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Emmalea Russo is the author of two novels: Vivienne(2024) and The Moonpapers (2026). Her books of poetry are G (2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta(2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Literature, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere.
Course Dates:
Friday, November 6th 6pm
Friday, November 13th 6pm
Friday, November 20th 6pm
Friday, December 4th 6pm
Friday, December 11th 6pm
Friday, December 18th 6pm
A few things to note:
There is a suggested donation of $75 for the full six weeks. These funds will go directly to the professional instructors that are dedicating their time to develop a quality course to help you grow and thrive in your art.
It is encouraged to commit to the full six weeks. This class is limited to 15 students in order to create an intimate envorinoment and allow time for individual attention. Not attending every class does take away opportunity from other poets interested in the course.
Ocean Music | Art | Story Time with Low Tide Surf Club
All kids are welcome accompanied by an adult for a very special story time ocean adventure!
We are excited to have Low Tide Surf Club accompanied by Marilyn Casey conducting a full morning of ocean music, dancing, art, and stories!
Low Tide Surf Club was formed by Asbury Park based musician Billy Trimarchi during the winter of 2024-2025. It began as a way to express the sunny feelings he wanted to feel as the winter kept us cold and inside. Low Tide Surf Club is a vehicle for positivity, good vibes and sunny times.
Marilyn Casey is an artist, educator, and mother! She explores nature through painting, collage, drawing, and abstraction.
Come ocean dance with us and of course there will be Purple Glaze Donuts to munch on after!
This registration is to get an idea of attendance. Walk-ins are always welcome.
Music in the Bookstore: Forced To Joust & Maria Mirenzi
All are welcome to enjoy free live music in the bookstore! We are very excited to have Forced to Joust and Maria Mienzi perform 2pm-4pm on Sunday, November 22nd.
Forced To Joust is the musical world of songwriter and visual artist Andrew Robinson — a place where off-center pop songs meet quiet landscapes, wandering melodies, and cinematic imagery.
Drawing from baroque pop, indie folk, and the strange poetry of everyday life, Robinson builds songs that feel both intimate and expansive. Recorded and produced largely in his own creative orbit, the music pairs mellotron strings, wandering guitars, and curious lyrics with a sense of discovery — as if each song is trying to invent a new language for familiar feelings.
Beyond the recordings, Forced To Joust lives in the spaces Robinson inhabits: forests, lakesides, empty beaches, and impromptu outdoor performances captured on film. As a photographer, filmmaker, and marathon swimmer, Robinson approaches music as part of a larger act of exploration — an attempt to document fleeting moments of wonder before they disappear.
The result is a body of work that invites listeners to step briefly outside the noise of the world and into something quieter, stranger, and a little more beautiful.
Maria Mirenzi is an indie rock singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Philadelphia. Her debut EP "All's Well" is approaching its one year anniversary and features poignant songs about heartbreak, anxiety and moving on. Her vocals are at once growling yet soothing as she screams into the wind, hoping you can relate. Her writing style is vulnerable and whimsical, often breaking traditional songwriting forms and expectations. She's excited to play an intimate show at the Asbury Book Coop and to share songs from her EP as well as some soon-to-be recorded material. Maria draws inspiration from indie artists such as Madison Cunningham, Andy Shauf and Laura Marling.
Zine Workshop
Join us as these zine workshops explore the relationships between culture, art, activism, and community. All are welcome!
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Zine workshops are made possible by an A.R.T. - Phase II Grant from NJEDA in partnership with Frontline Arts and the Asbury Book Cooperative
Romance Readers Book Club: Meet Me In Paris by Kristin Harmel
Join Romance Readers Book Club in their next meeting on Monday, November 23rd at 7pm. They will be discussing Meet Me In Paris by Kristin Harmel. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“The emotional core of the story is strong: pursue love, be honest with yourself, and find the confidence to follow your heart . . . Fans will enjoy this love letter to Paris that is filled with Harmel’s signature emotional arcs.” --Library Journal
“A luminous, heart-tugging ode to love in all its forms—timeless, tender, and utterly unforgettable.” --Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners
Hadal-Zone: A Fantasy, Sci-Fi Book Club: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Ardin
Join Hadal-Zone Book Club in their next meeting on Tuesday, November 24th at 7pm. They will be discussing The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“Arden’s debut novel has the cadence of a beautiful fairy tale but is darker and more lyrical.”—The Washington Post
“Stunning . . . will enchant readers from the first page. . . . with an irresistible heroine who wants only to be free of the bonds placed on her gender and claim her own fate.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Music in the Bookstore: Kiefer & Friends and Boots
All are welcome to enjoy local live music in the bookstore on Friday, November 27th at 7pm!
NJ Zine Panel: Mourning Papers by the collective Bury Me In New Jersey
Asbury Book Cooperative is excited to welcome Kamelia Desoucey, Kerri Sullivan, Sara Wullermin, and Katel Ledu for a NJ Zine Panel conversation on Sunday, November 29th at 5pm. They will be introducing their newest volume of MOURNING PAPERS, a zine developed from the creative collective Bury Me In New Jersey.
ABC strives to support and uplift small local productions like this one and we are eager to discuss the creative process, development, production, and distribution of small press and its cultural impact on the community.
Learn about the authors/creators:
Kamelia DeSoucey is a writer, sometimes journalist, and professional photographer whose work centers around moments of beauty and discomfiture in the course of ordinary day to day life. She’s had several solo gallery shows and is known for her Humans of Asbury Park photo project. Her writing has been published in local newspapers as well as the NJ Fan Club anthology, and Mourning Papers. She is currently working on a poetry collection that focuses on generational trauma and identity.
Kerri Sullivan is a writer, librarian, and the creator of Jersey Collective and the New Jersey Bookstore Crawl. She is the editor of New Jersey Fan Club: Artists & Writers Celebrate the Garden State, which was published in 2022 by Rutgers University Press). Originally from Monmouth County, she now lives in Essex County.
Sara Wuillermin is a founding member of Bury Me in New Jersey, a group of writers, artists, and musicians creating work and community projects centered on four pillars: grief, joy, resistance, and New Jersey. You can find BMNJ on Instagram at @bury_me_in_nj, or check out their podcast and blog at www.burymeinnj.com.
Katel LeDû is the mother of operations at Bury Me In New Jersey, where she helps creatives and storytellers share their work with clarity, care, and purpose through independent publishing. You can find her at @ledudoux and katelledu.com.
Learn about MOURNING PAPERS:
Mourning Papers is a literary magazine that publishes original writing, art, and photography with special emphasis on acknowledging the wide range of grief that has shaped our lives, challenging narratives we’ve been given, celebrating the places that feel like home, and finding joy despite all the pain that comes with living.
While New Jersey is at the heart of many of the stories shared in Mourning Papers, its themes reach well beyond state lines.
Learn about Bury Me In New Jersey:
Bury Me In New Jersey is a creative collective focused on Grief, Joy, Resistance, and New Jersey. Our work is rooted in a belief that a better world is possible through the power of storytelling, creativity, and community.
Our own experiences with and observations about grief, social injustice, community, and the systems that shape our lives guide what we make and how we show up. Through our nonfiction and creative publications, we create space for personal stories, creative work, and deeper examinations into topics that help us better understand how we move through the world, question the systems around us, and explore what resistance and collective action can look like. We bring that same spirit to our art and merch, giving us an excuse to have some fun, collaborate with talented people, and indulge in creative projects that celebrate the things we’re passionate about (spoiler: a lot of them are about Jersey). And because so much of what matters to us comes back to connection, we also bring people together in person through workshops, local events, and partnerships with community-based third spaces.
BMNJ is officially stewarded by Sara Wuillermin, Katel LeDû, and Bradley Nussbaum, but the project has always been bigger than the three of us. The writers, artists, organizers, small businesses, collaborators, and community members who create with us and contribute to our work are an essential part of BMNJ’s impact and success.
'For the Thrill' Book Club: The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie
Join ‘For the Thrill’ Book Club for their next meeting on Sunday, November 29th at 7pm. They will be discussing The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
"The Bone Thief is not only a page-turning mystery of a missing Indigenous woman, but a gripping portrayal of the ways American history can reverberate beautifully, painfully, and even fatally into the present. Lillie will keep you guessing until the last, action-packed page."
—Tracy Sierra, author of Nightwatching
“The Bone Thief is a riveting mystery with a plot that seamlessly blends history with fiction. And Syd Walker is an unforgettable protagonist.”
—Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods
Sketch Book Club
The Sketchbook Club of NJ aims to provide a judgment-free space for adults to create, connect, and unwind. All levels are welcome. You bring the sketchbook, we bring the art supplies and theme.
Sketch Book Club meets on the last Monday of each month at 7pm!
Pages & Patches: A Mending Circle
Join Pages & Patches: A Mending Circle for their next meeting on Tuesday, December 1st at 7pm. All are welcome!
Visible Mending and Hand Mending Circle
Learn hand mending and patching at ABC! Do you have holes in jeans, jackets, tote bags or other fabric goods? Let us help you extend the life of your workwear or sentimental items by patching your clothing.
We will be using sashiko-inspired stitching and simple embroidery to fix holes. Patching clothing adds strength to weakened fabric as well an undeniable flair. All ability levels welcome: from absolute beginner who has never threaded a needle before to quilting pros.
We will provide basic supplies (needles, thread, patches, and pins) and instruction to get started on your mending journey.
In the middle of a project? Bring it along and sew with company!
Nothing to repair? Bring a tote bag and make a patch for a pocket!
Related Books & Products
Discover a revolutionary approach to hand sewing and embroidery from renowned designer and maker Natalie Chanin, founder of Alabama Chanin and The School of Making.
In this inspiring guide, Chanin reveals how even the most intricate stitches can be understood, learned, and mastered through simple geometric grid systems.
Featuring illustrated instructions for more than 100 stitches—from foundational straight, running, and chain stitches to decorative favorites such as feather, herringbone, and intricate patterned embroidery—this comprehensive resource helps stitchers build confidence one stitch at a time.
The Journal Club
Join The Journal Club in their next meeting on Wednesday, December 2nd at 7pm!
The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm. Whether you have experience or this is your first time putting pen to paper, you are welcome to join!
Poetry Writing Course
This poetry writing course is an in-person six week series at the bookstore.
A wonderful chance to work on your craft, develop your voice, get professional feedback from published authors, workshop new pieces, and revise already existing work. Led by published authors, Jim Capozzi and Emmalea Russo, this is an opportunity to connect and grow with a small group of poets, refine the work on the page, and get tangible resources and input to help get your poetry in the hands of readers.
Learn about your instructors:
James Capozzi is the author of the collections Devious Sentiments and Country Album, which won the New Measure Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Poetry, New Republic, The Iowa Review, and Chicago Review, and he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, James A. Michener Foundation, and JOYA:AiR. He is an Associate Professor at Virginia State University and a board member at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Emmalea Russo is the author of two novels: Vivienne(2024) and The Moonpapers (2026). Her books of poetry are G (2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta(2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Literature, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere.
Course Dates:
Friday, November 6th 6pm
Friday, November 13th 6pm
Friday, November 20th 6pm
Friday, December 4th 6pm
Friday, December 11th 6pm
Friday, December 18th 6pm
A few things to note:
There is a suggested donation of $75 for the full six weeks. These funds will go directly to the professional instructors that are dedicating their time to develop a quality course to help you grow and thrive in your art.
It is encouraged to commit to the full six weeks. This class is limited to 15 students in order to create an intimate envorinoment and allow time for individual attention. Not attending every class does take away opportunity from other poets interested in the course.
Lunar Flowers Poetry Club
Bring a favorite poem to read out loud and discuss! Only rule - no original poetry!
Write Out Loud with Project Write Now
Project Write Now’s Write Out Loud is a prompt-based, generative writing workshop that offers a supportive space to experiment with new ideas and fine-tune your writing style. Come spend an hour and a half in a creative, cozy environment with a community of fellow writers to celebrate what makes your writing uniquely you!
Come to write and connect! Sharing is encouraged, but not required. Tell us you’re coming! Registration below.
Feminist Book Club: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Join Feminist Book Club for their next meeting on Wednesday, December 9th at 7pm. They will be discussing Becoming by Michelle Obama. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“A serious work of candid reflection by a singular figure of early-twenty-first-century America . . . Becoming is refined and forthright, gracefully written and at times laugh-out-loud funny.”—Isabel Wilkerson, The New York Times Book Review
Queer Book Club: Indecent by Paula Vogel
Join Queer Book Club for their next meeting on Thursday, December 10th at 7pm. They will be discussing We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“We Have Always Been Here challenges so many received wisdoms on gender, faith and sexuality that its very existence in the world is cause for celebration.”
—The Globe and Mail
“Habib writes through a lens of compassion, hope, and ever-widening circles of understanding.”
—Quill and Quire
Poetry Writing Course
This poetry writing course is an in-person six week series at the bookstore.
A wonderful chance to work on your craft, develop your voice, get professional feedback from published authors, workshop new pieces, and revise already existing work. Led by published authors, Jim Capozzi and Emmalea Russo, this is an opportunity to connect and grow with a small group of poets, refine the work on the page, and get tangible resources and input to help get your poetry in the hands of readers.
Learn about your instructors:
James Capozzi is the author of the collections Devious Sentiments and Country Album, which won the New Measure Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Poetry, New Republic, The Iowa Review, and Chicago Review, and he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, James A. Michener Foundation, and JOYA:AiR. He is an Associate Professor at Virginia State University and a board member at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Emmalea Russo is the author of two novels: Vivienne(2024) and The Moonpapers (2026). Her books of poetry are G (2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta(2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Literature, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere.
Course Dates:
Friday, November 6th 6pm
Friday, November 13th 6pm
Friday, November 20th 6pm
Friday, December 4th 6pm
Friday, December 11th 6pm
Friday, December 18th 6pm
A few things to note:
There is a suggested donation of $75 for the full six weeks. These funds will go directly to the professional instructors that are dedicating their time to develop a quality course to help you grow and thrive in your art.
It is encouraged to commit to the full six weeks. This class is limited to 15 students in order to create an intimate envorinoment and allow time for individual attention. Not attending every class does take away opportunity from other poets interested in the course.
Book Club Holiday Party hosted by Classically Unread Book Club
All are welcome to join our annual BOOK CLUB HOLIDAY PARTY hosted by Classically Unread Book Club!
There will be food, drinks, music, and games. This is a chance to meet new people and mingle with book club members. No required reading. Just a fun celebration and community gathering. Please email jordan@asburybookcoop.org to RSVP and get details on what to bring.
Horror Book Club: Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories by M.R. James
Join Horror Book Club for their next meeting on Monday, December 14th at 7pm. They will be discussing Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories by M.R. James. All are welcome!
Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories contains the entire first two volumes of James’s ghost stories, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary and More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. These volumes are both the culmination of the nineteenth-century ghost story tradition and the inspiration for much of the best twentieth-century work in this genre.
Doorstops: A Book Club for BIG BOOKS | Middlemarch by George Elliot
All are welcome to join Doorstops: A Book Club For Big Novels. They will be reading Middlemarch by George Eliot over the course of three months. Their first meeting will be on Wednesday, December 16th at 7pm. They will be discussion Book 6: The Widow and the Wife, Book 7: Two Temptations and Book 8: Sunset and Sunrise & Finale
“I know Middlemarch is 800 pages. I get it. That said, it is the most exquisite English novel about community. George Eliot forever.” —Min Jin Lee, Elle
“Middlemarch, the magnificent book which with all its imperfections is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.”—Virginia Woolf
Crime Book Club: Joe Gould’s Secret by Joseph Mitchell
Join Crime Book Club in their next meeting on Thursday, December 17th at 7pm. They will be discussing Joe Gould’s Secret by Joseph Mitchell. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
"What people say is history--Joe Gould was right about that--and history, when recorded by Mitchell, is literature."--The New Criterion
Poetry Writing Course
This poetry writing course is an in-person six week series at the bookstore.
A wonderful chance to work on your craft, develop your voice, get professional feedback from published authors, workshop new pieces, and revise already existing work. Led by published authors, Jim Capozzi and Emmalea Russo, this is an opportunity to connect and grow with a small group of poets, refine the work on the page, and get tangible resources and input to help get your poetry in the hands of readers.
Learn about your instructors:
James Capozzi is the author of the collections Devious Sentiments and Country Album, which won the New Measure Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Poetry, New Republic, The Iowa Review, and Chicago Review, and he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, James A. Michener Foundation, and JOYA:AiR. He is an Associate Professor at Virginia State University and a board member at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Emmalea Russo is the author of two novels: Vivienne(2024) and The Moonpapers (2026). Her books of poetry are G (2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta(2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Literature, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere.
Course Dates:
Friday, November 6th 6pm
Friday, November 13th 6pm
Friday, November 20th 6pm
Friday, December 4th 6pm
Friday, December 11th 6pm
Friday, December 18th 6pm
A few things to note:
There is a suggested donation of $75 for the full six weeks. These funds will go directly to the professional instructors that are dedicating their time to develop a quality course to help you grow and thrive in your art.
It is encouraged to commit to the full six weeks. This class is limited to 15 students in order to create an intimate envorinoment and allow time for individual attention. Not attending every class does take away opportunity from other poets interested in the course.
Romance Readers Book Club: The Christmas Countdown by Linny Mack
Join Romance Readers Book Club in their next meeting on Monday, December 21st at 7pm. They will be discussing The Christmas Countdown by Linny Mack. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
Lucy Sullivan swore she'd never spend another Christmas in Birch Harbor.
Not after Dylan Mercer drowned ten years ago.
Not after the town turned his death into a tragedy no one wanted to talk about.
And definitely not after she left behind Dean Walker-the boy who stayed by her side when her entire world fell apart.
But when her parents announce they're leaving Maine for good, Lucy returns home for one last Sullivan Family Christmas, expecting little more than awkward reunions and memories she's spent years trying to outrun.
'For the Thrill' Book Club: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Join ‘For the Thrill’ Book Club for their next meeting on Sunday, December 27th at 7pm. They will be discussing The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“A brilliant, addictive, claustrophobic read.” - Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend
“A ripping, riveting murder mystery—wily as Agatha Christie, charged with real menace, real depth. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware.” - A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“I loved THE HUNTING PARTY – a gripping, eerie thriller set in a beautifully imagined remote wilderness with pitch-perfect characters.” - Laura Marshall
Sketch Book Club
The Sketchbook Club of NJ aims to provide a judgment-free space for adults to create, connect, and unwind. All levels are welcome. You bring the sketchbook, we bring the art supplies and theme.
Sketch Book Club meets on the last Monday of each month at 7pm!
Hadal-Zone: A Fantasy, Sci-Fi Book Club: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Join Hadal-Zone Book Club in their next meeting on Tuesday, December 29th at 7pm. They will be discussing A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
A Christmas Carol is one of Charles Dickens' most loved books - a true classic and a Christmas time must-read. Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean, miserable, bitter old man with no friends. One cold Christmas Eve, three ghosts take him on a scary journey to show him the error of his nasty ways.
Zine Workshop
Join us as these zine workshops explore the relationships between culture, art, activism, and community. All are welcome!
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Zine workshops are made possible by an A.R.T. - Phase II Grant from NJEDA in partnership with Frontline Arts and the Asbury Book Cooperative
Poetry Writing Course
This poetry writing course is an in-person six week series at the bookstore starting on Friday, November 6th 6pm-7:30pm.
A wonderful chance to work on your craft, develop your voice, get professional feedback from published authors, workshop new pieces, and revise already existing work. Led by published authors, Jim Capozzi and Emmalea Russo, this is an opportunity to connect and grow with a small group of poets, refine the work on the page, and get tangible resources and input to help get your poetry in the hands of readers.
Learn about your instructors:
James Capozzi is the author of the collections Devious Sentiments and Country Album, which won the New Measure Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in Poetry, New Republic, The Iowa Review, and Chicago Review, and he has been the recipient of fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center, James A. Michener Foundation, and JOYA:AiR. He is an Associate Professor at Virginia State University and a board member at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Emmalea Russo is the author of two novels: Vivienne(2024) and The Moonpapers (2026). Her books of poetry are G (2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta(2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Literature, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere.
Course Dates:
Friday, November 6th 6pm
Friday, November 13th 6pm
Friday, November 20th 6pm
Friday, December 4th 6pm
Friday, December 11th 6pm
Friday, December 18th 6pm
A few things to note:
There is a suggested donation of $75 for the full six weeks. These funds will go directly to the professional instructors that are dedicating their time to develop a quality course to help you grow and thrive in your art.
It is encouraged to commit to the full six weeks. This class is limited to 15 students in order to create an intimate envorinoment and allow time for individual attention. Not attending every class does take away opportunity from other poets interested in the course.
Classically Unread Book Club: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Join us for a Classically Unread Book Club on Thursday, November 5th at 7pm. We will be discussing The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
"[One of] the only two great novels of the supernatural in the last hundred years.” —Stephen King
"The scariest book I’ve ever read." —Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties
The Journal Club
Join The Journal Club in their next meeting on Wednesday, November 4th at 7pm!
The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm. Whether you have experience or this is your first time putting pen to paper, you are welcome to join!
Pages & Patches: A Mending Circle
Join Pages & Patches: A Mending Circle for their next meeting on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7pm. All are welcome!
Visible Mending and Hand Mending Circle
Learn hand mending and patching at ABC! Do you have holes in jeans, jackets, tote bags or other fabric goods? Let us help you extend the life of your workwear or sentimental items by patching your clothing.
We will be using sashiko-inspired stitching and simple embroidery to fix holes. Patching clothing adds strength to weakened fabric as well an undeniable flair. All ability levels welcome: from absolute beginner who has never threaded a needle before to quilting pros.
We will provide basic supplies (needles, thread, patches, and pins) and instruction to get started on your mending journey.
In the middle of a project? Bring it along and sew with company!
Nothing to repair? Bring a tote bag and make a patch for a pocket!
Related Books & Products
Discover a revolutionary approach to hand sewing and embroidery from renowned designer and maker Natalie Chanin, founder of Alabama Chanin and The School of Making.
In this inspiring guide, Chanin reveals how even the most intricate stitches can be understood, learned, and mastered through simple geometric grid systems.
Featuring illustrated instructions for more than 100 stitches—from foundational straight, running, and chain stitches to decorative favorites such as feather, herringbone, and intricate patterned embroidery—this comprehensive resource helps stitchers build confidence one stitch at a time.
Lunar Flowers Poetry Club
A poetry appreciation club! All are welcome to come to Lunar Flowers Poetry Club on Monday, November 2nd at 7pm.
Bring a favorite poem to read to the group and discuss among other poetry lovers. Only rule is no original poetry!
Coffee & Conversation: A Mid-day New Releases Book Club
New book club alert! Join Coffee & Conversation: A Mid-day New Releases Book Club for their very first meeting on Monday, November 2nd at 1pm. They will be discussing Whistler by Ann Patchett. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
Ann Patchett is a master storyteller. She has given us the gift of another beautiful novel with layers of stories within stories. This is a tale about how the past never stays in the past and how we need to tell our stories to heal and change the narrative.
-Amy Graham, The Vermont Book Shop, Middlebury, VT
Short & Scary Writing Contest Showcase
All are welcome to listen to our Short & Scary Writing Contest contestants present there scary story! An evening of getting spooked with friends. There will be food and drinks available. Everything is free and is bound to give you the fright you need on Halloween night!
Banned Book Fair & Edgar Allan Poe Reading
Banned Book Fair & Edgar Allan Poe Reading at Wild Air Beerworks on Thursday, October 29th at 4pm.
Doorstops: A Book Club for BIG BOOKS | Middlemarch by George Elliot
All are welcome to join Doorstops: A Book Club For Big Novels. They will be reading Middlemarch by George Eliot over the course of three months. Their first meeting will be on Wednesday, October 28th at 7pm. They will be discussion Book One: Miss Brooke and Book Two: Old and Young.
“I know Middlemarch is 800 pages. I get it. That said, it is the most exquisite English novel about community. George Eliot forever.” —Min Jin Lee, Elle
“Middlemarch, the magnificent book which with all its imperfections is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.”—Virginia Woolf
Hadal-Zone: A Fantasy, Horror, & Sci-Fi Book Club: The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker & Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany
Join Hadal-Zone Book Club in their next meeting on Tuesday, October 27th at 7pm. They will be discussing two novellas: The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker and Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
“Barker’s the best thing to happen to horror fiction for many moons. . . [he] never fails to deliver the compelling prose and relentless horror his readers expect.”
—Chicago Tribune
The classic tale of supernatural obsession from the critically acclaimed master of darkness—and the inspiration for the cult classic film Hellraiser
Babel-17, winner of the Nebula Award for best novel of the year, is a fascinating tale of a famous poet bent on deciphering a secret language that is the key to the enemy’s deadly force, a task that requires she travel with a splendidly improbable crew to the site of the next attack. For the first time, Babel-17 is published as the author intended with the short novel Empire Star, the tale of Comet Jo, a simple-minded teen thrust into a complex galaxy when he’s entrusted to carry a vital message to a distant world. Spellbinding and smart, both novels are testimony to Delany’s vast and singular talent.
Sketch Book Club
The Sketchbook Club of NJ aims to provide a judgment-free space for adults to create, connect, and unwind. All levels are welcome. You bring the sketchbook, we bring the art supplies and theme.
Sketch Book Club meets on the last Monday of each month at 7pm!
Introducing Horror Book Club with a Horror/Thriller Crossover: Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman
New HORROR BOOK CLUB! Join us for a Horror/ “For the Thrill” Book Club Crossover on Sunday, October 25th at 6pm. They will be discussing Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman.
“Deeply discomfiting, imaginatively ripe, yet ruthlessly efficient . . . Simply put—and I do not say this lightly—Incidents Around the House is the most purely effective horror novel I have ever read.”
—Esquire, “Best Horror Books of 2024”
Kurt Vonnegut's Player Piano & AI: A Conversation About The Future
What does the future hold in light of AI and how did Vonnegut see it so clearly? All are welcome to discuss PLAYER PIANO by Kurt Vonnegut.
Event Related Books & Products
Talking Vonnegut: Centennial Interviews and Essays
The Revolution Will Be Xeroxed: Zine & Book Fest at Cat’s Luck Vegan
Come see us and other fantastic booksellers and zine productions at Cat’s Luck Vegan on Saturday, October 24th 10am-3pm. We will have a curated selection of new, used, banned, spooky books and merchandise!
Indie Book Club: Amphibian by Tyler Wetherall
Join Indie Book Club in their next meeting on Thursday, October 22nd at 7pm. They will be discussing Amphibian by Tyler Wetherall. All are welcome!
Indie Book Club strictly reads books published by independent publishing houses! What is an independent publishing house? It is a publisher that is not a subsidiary of the big five publishing houses: Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Macmillan Publishers.
Related Books & Products
With deft notes of magical realism and a constant psychological acuity, Amphibian is a tender, haunting coming-of-age debut, about desire, precocity and the intensity of early friendships that have the power to upend our lives.
Racial & Social Justice Book Club: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Join Racial & Social Justice Book Club in their next meeting on Tuesday, October 20th at 7pm. They will be discussing Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • In this deeply compelling novel and epic milestone of American literature, a nameless narrator tells his story from the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be.
Romance Readers Book Club: Wish You Weren't Here by Christy Schillig
Join Romance Readers Book Club in their next meeting on Monday, October 19th at 7pm. They will be discussing Wish You Weren’t Here by Christy Schillig. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
Fans of Rebecca Serle and Christina Lauren will adore this immersive contemporary romance set in Italy.
With a humorously relatable protagonist and a rich Italian setting, this debut novel is an escapist treat and a necessary reminder that life doesn't always care about the plans we've made for ourselves.
Short & Scary Writing Contest and Showcase
Submit to our 2nd Annual Short & Scary Writing Contest! Your submissions will be judged by a panel of ghosts, authors, and crazy people who love to read for a chance to win $100 and to present at our showcase on Oct. 31st at 5pm.
Submission Rules
1) Teens enter for FREE. If you are 17 years old or younger do not purchase this ticket. Simply submit and mention how old you are in the body of the email.
2) Your Short Story can be a MAXIMUM of 1500 words.
3) No previously published work can be submitted. All work must be original.
4) The use of AI is against ABC's policies and mission statement. Any AI usage will result in disqaulification.
5) Work that is not submitted as a PDF risks disqualification. If you have difficulty downloading your story to the corect format, let us know so we can assist.
6) Submission DEADline is Sunday, October 18th at midnight.
7) Your story must give us nightmares.
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Submission Rules
1) Buy a ticket through eventbrite.
2) Include your ticket number when you email your submission.
3) Name & Bio
4) A PDF of your Short Story
5) Will you be available to present on October 31st at 5pm?
Email submission to Email jordan@asburybookcooperative.org
The submission fee is $15
If for some reason you can not afford this fee but still want to submit, please email jordan@asburybookcoop.org
Used Book Sale & Songwriters Round in The Carousel Art House
This is our BIGGEST USED BOOK SALE YET coupled with a LOCAL SONGWRITERS REUNION on Saturday, October 17th from 12pm-7pm and you are all invited!
A big used book sale is an Asbury Book Cooperative staple and we are so excited to be having the sale in The Carousel Art House this year!
All used books will be $5 OR you can purchase a $20 tote and fill the bag with as many books as you can fit!
For ABC Members all used books will be $1 OR you can purchase $10 tote and fill the bag with as many books as you can fit!
Curious about membership? Visit https://asburybookcoop.org/membership
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This used book sale will be accompanied by live original music ALL DAY! ABC will be inviting all of the musicians who have performed in the Nasbhbury Songwriters Rounds this past year back for a big reunion! Line up will be announced soon!
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Used books and live originial music in the carousel building.... so ASBURY PARK!
RSVP is FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Let us know you are coming. See you there!
Writers Café
Whether you are working on your first draft, editing your final piece, or just daydreaming about your next project, Asbury Book Cooperative’s Writer Café is an open space for writers of all levels and genres.
Come meet fellow literati for craft discussion, workshop your piece with peers, or even just come for a quiet, cozy space to work.
We know a good cup of coffee is key to spark the imagination and wake up the senses; Writers Café is proud to collaborate with local coffee shops and roasters to bring their blends to the literary community of Asbury Park.
We meet twice a month - once at ABC and once at our partnering coffee shop. All you need to bring is your preferred writing apparatus and your love for writing. We’ll provide the coffee, the conversation, and the collaborative space.
About your coordinators
Cate Cooke (she/they), also known under alias Cate Thorn, is a writer, musician, and a self-appointed village witch from Ocean County, NJ. Passionate about the weird and uncanny, she pens tales about sad ghosts and magical folks in her own “New Jersey Gothic” style.
Cate graduated from Georgian Court University with bachelor's degrees in English and Digital Communications, and has taken her love for storytelling across various industries throughout her professional life. She has made her home in the literary world, proudly serving as Volunteer Coordinator at Asbury Book Cooperative since May 2025, and as a writing instructor with Project Write Now since February 2026.
When she’s not out haunting the shelves of her local library, Cate is at home curled up on the couch with a good ghost story and her dog, Athena.
Claire Pope (they/them) is a self-taught writer, photographer, and zine artist. Growing up in the greater Philadelphia area, Claire started as a music photographer and blogger, eventually working their way up through the DIY scene to photograph and interview everyone from local legends to internationally known artists like La Dispute and Pete Wentz.
Inspired by their roots in the raw, unpolished, unfiltered, and unapologetic DIY community, Claire’s work is focused on the tiny moments that make up our most sacred memories, and the intricacies of connection, identity, and community through the lenses of humor and grief. Claire is based in Neptune, NJ, where they work as a grant writer and serve as a board member, volunteer, and (sometimes) teaching artist at the Asbury Book Cooperative.
Music Release Birthday Bash with Samantha Dress
All are welcome to enjoy an evening of local music celebrating the new release of Samantha Dress’s new EP on her Birthday!
A dynamic vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Samantha Dress prides herself on bringing authenticity, vulnerability, and thoughtful musicianship to everything she creates.
Adopting the stage surname Dress as a tribute to her late mother, Susan Dress, she’s come a long way since first taking the stage at the iconic Stone Pony at just 11 years old.
A lifelong musician, Dress is a classically trained vocalist whose voice serves as her primary instrument. A pianist and self-taught guitarist, she accompanies herself across piano, keys, guitar, ukulele, and occasionally flute, with the versatility to pick up and learn new instruments as needed - a skill honed through her experience as a music educator. She holds a B.A. in Music Education from Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts.
Her experience as a performer spans the lively Jersey Shore music scene and New York City piano bars to some of the world’s most iconic stages. As a member of the Rutgers Kirkpatrick Choir, Samantha has performed with orchestras at Carnegie Hall and alongside classic rock legends The Eagles during their Hotel California Tour.
Her musical influences include Etta James, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Alanis Morissette, and Yebba; folk writers Brandi Carlile and Lizzy McAlpine; plus contemporary indie pop and soul artists like Remi Wolf and Olivia Dean.
Drawing from these influences, she creates a sound that is distinctly her own, weaving together layered instrumentation, rich vocals, and dynamic arrangements to create a full sound even when performing solo. At the heart of it all is her songwriting, rooted in the rawness of lived experience.
Stream her debut single, “Between the Lines,” and stay tuned for upcoming releases.
Crime Book Club: Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
Join Crime Book Club in their next meeting on Thursday, October 15th at 7pm. They will be discussing Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls. All are welcome!
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A masterpiece and totally off the wall.
— Electric Literature
Feminist Book Club: Whipping Girl by Julia Serano
Join Feminist Book Club for their next meeting on Wednesday, October 14th at 7pm. They will be discussing Whipping Girl by Julia Serano. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
Newly revised and updated, this classic manifesto is “a foundational text for anyone hoping to understand transgender politics and culture in the U.S. today” (NPR)
*Named as one of 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time by Ms. Magazine*
Write Out Loud with Project Write Now
Project Write Now’s Write Out Loud is a prompt-based, generative writing workshop that offers a supportive space to experiment with new ideas and fine-tune your writing style. Come spend an hour and a half in a creative, cozy environment with a community of fellow writers to celebrate what makes your writing uniquely you!
Come to write and connect! Sharing is encouraged, but not required. Tell us you’re coming! Registration below.
Zine Workshop
Join us as these zine workshops explore the relationships between culture, art, activism, and community. All are welcome!
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Zine workshops are made possible by an A.R.T. - Phase II Grant from NJEDA in partnership with Frontline Arts and the Asbury Book Cooperative
Author Event: The Midlife Plot Twist by Lindsay Goldwert and Gabrielle Moss
Join us for an upcoming author event! THE MIDLIFE PLOT TWIST: How To Reboot Your Life Without Burning It Down Even If You Really Want To by Lindsay Goldwert and Gabrielle Moss
Join us for a presentation and signing with co-authors Lindsay Goldwert and Gabirelle Moss!
The $5 ticket guarentees you a seat and you will recieve a $5 coupon to use at the time of the event. The $18.99 ticket guarentees you a seat and you will recieve a copy of THE MIDLIFE PLOT TWIST.
Learn about the book:
It’s not a midlife crisis—it’s a midlife plot twist!
Packed with honest, insightful, and deeply relatable advice for anyone who has reached that middle point of life, this humorous and practical guide rejects the outdated cliché of the midlife crisis, instead offering a fresh, empowering vision for any woman in her 40s or 50s looking for reinvention, courage, and clarity.Welcome to midlife—where your body is totally unpredictable, your career is ever-evolving, and your search history now includes, “Can I pull off bangs at 45?” This is not another menopause book; this is also not a book about how to “manifest,” “visualize,” or “self-actualize” your way into a better life. This book is for those of us who burst into our 20s with only a Cosmopolitan magazine education about how to be a grown-up and have now reached that middle stage of life and are wondering what’s next. The Midlife Plot Twist is for women who are truly ready to figure out what they want that second chapter of their life to look like.
This is a smart, funny guidebook for women trying to navigate every part of their life with humor, honesty, and heart. From forgotten passwords to rediscovering passions, it’s a laugh-out-loud reminder that the middle years aren’t something to survive—they’re something to celebrate. Using expert advice, exercises, and analysis to help readers figure out how they landed where they are now, authors and editors Lindsay Goldwert and Gabrielle Moss offer practical information and guidance about values and goals as it pertains to love and sex, money and career, and friends and family. Part pep talk, part permission slip, and 100 percent relatable, readers will laugh, nod, and feel seen. Because if midlife has taught us anything, it’s that the only way forward is with grace—and a great sense of humor.
Learn about the authors:
Lindsay Goldwert has worked as an editorial director, writer and podcaster, and is the author of Bow Down: Lessons from Dominatrixes on How to Be a Boss in Life, Love and Work, a Glamour Magazine Best Book. She’s written about everything from relationships to midlife adventures, personal finance to power dynamics, for publications like the New York Times, New York Magazine, Refinery29, Fast Company, Marketwatch, and many others. As part of her own mid-life plot twist, she will soon be certified as a sex educator and coach through the Sexual Health Alliance.
Gabrielle Moss is the author of Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of '80s and '90s Teen Fiction. Her work has appeared in the New Yorker, GQ, Slate, the Daily Beast, RogerEbert.com and Refinery29. She has appeared on NPR, the CBC, and Canadian national morning TV show The Social, and was a talking head in the 2023 documentary Judy Blume Forever.
Event Related Books & Products
This one is for all the women using gummies and gratitude journals to try to make sense of the last four decades of their lives. The Midlife Plot Twist is a funny, compassionate, and unapologetic reality check.
—Samantha Cole, author of HOW SEX CHANGED THE INTERNET AND THE INTERNET CHANGED SEX: AN UNEXPECTED HISTORY
Author Event: Moon Papers by Emmalea Russo
Saturday, October 10th there will be a new moon in the sky and we will be celebrating Emmalea Russo's newest title MOON PAPERS! This presentation will be in conversation with Asbury Book Cooperative's Director, Michael Newton. You do not want to miss this!
Learn about the book: MOON PAPERS
Our Culture‘s Most Anticipated Books of the Summer 2026!
A controversial arts collective is rolling out their most audacious project to date: a second moon, set to launch from the Mojave Desert and into the Earth’s atmosphere at the summer’s end. The problem? No one seems to understand how “Moon2” actually works, or how it may alter the mind of every creature on the planet.
The project is classified, but a malcontent member of the collective, Dean Konig, threatens their privacy with his secret long-distance relationship with an East Coast artist, Vesta Furio. Their constant video calls allow him to escape the confines of this isolated desert compound, while giving Vesta an escape from her failing marriage to an aging art gallerist who is spiraling down a rabbit hole of conspiracies surrounding Moon2.
The Moon Papers tracks an intricately linked collection of characters between the East Coast and the Mojave Desert in the deliriously hot summer months leading up to the divisive launch event. A raucous, psychedelic, and humorous meditation on artistic and mystical vision, surveillance, conspiracy, and what makes us human.
Learn about the author: Emmalea Russo
Emmalea Russo is a writer and teacher. She is the author of two novels: Vivienne (2024) and The Moon Papers (2026). Her books of poetry are G(2018), Wave Archive (2019), Confetti (2022), and Magenta (2023). Recent poems and essays have appeared in Artforum, BOMB, Spike Art Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Compact, Granta, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Bennington Review. She has been a writer in residence at Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in New York and 18th Street Arts Center in Los Angeles and a visiting critic at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Cincinnati. She has taught courses on poetry, philosophy, and art at various institutions including Saint Peter's University, Rendering Unconscious Center for Psychoanalysis, Northeastern University, The Melbourne School of Continental Philosophy, and GCAS. Her books have been reviewed in The Chicago Review, The Yale Review, Publishers Weekly, and elsewhere. She writes a popular substack newsletter, Cosmic Edges and teaches workshops on literature, art, psychoanalysis, and the occult. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and at the Jersey shore.
Learn about the mediator: Michael Newton, ABC Director
Michael Newton has been deeply involved in the operations of the Asbury Book Cooperative since February 2020, when he joined the steering committee that helped form ABC. Since then he helped shape ABC’s culture, policies, and programs. He is especially proud of developing and managing the used book section. He’s been the store’s general manager since May 2023. Michael writes fiction and his work has appeared in BOMB, In The Mood, and Vol. 1 Brooklyn. He is formerly an associate editor at Zone Books and editor at Ugly Duckling Presse. He hosts ABC’s long-running Crime Book Club and the Lunar Flowers Poetry Club. Michael is married and has two dogs.
Event Related Books & Products
Russo excels as a creator of character and an inventive prose stylist.
—Scott Spires, The Metropolitan Review
Queer Book Club: Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Join Queer Book Club for their next meeting on Thursday, October 8th at 7pm. They will be discussing Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. All are welcome!
Related Books & Products
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's compelling tale of a young woman's seduction by a female vampire was a source of influence for Bram Stoker's Dracula, which it predates by over a quarter century. Carmilla was originally serialized from 1871 to 1872 and went on to inspire adaptations in film, opera, and beyond, including the cult classic web series by the same name.
The Journal Club
Join The Journal Club in their next meeting on Wednesday, October 7th at 7pm!
The group meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm. Whether you have experience or this is your first time putting pen to paper, you are welcome to join!