We welcome you to an evening of readings by members of The Writers Grotto. Ben C. Davies, Linda Michel-Cassidy, Tania Malik, and T.K. Rex will be reading short and flash fiction for the July 18th Reading & Meeting, Short & Flashy. Terry Tierney will emcee. Refreshments will be provided.
Read more about our featured writers:
Ben C. Davies is a Californian-based author whose debut short story collection, And So I Took Their Eye, was published on July 17 by Bridge House Publishing. Originally from the UK, his short fiction has appeared in journals such as The Fiery Scribe Review, Left Brain Media, and Downtime Review, while his articles have been featured in Electric Literature, Work, Huck, The International Times, and Lost. He serves as an editor for the Ginosko Literary Journal, is a member of The Writers Grotto, and is currently finishing his debut novel, Black Sand. In addition to his writing, Davies is the co-founder and director of Studio Luce, a Guatemalan writing and artist residency.
Linda Michel-Cassidy joined the The Writers Grotto in early 2024. Her story collection, When Were Hardcore, was released by EastOver Press in February 2025. Hardcore recently won an Indie Excellence award, and was an editor’s pick at Publisher’s Weekly Booklife. Michel-Cassidy is a senior editor for reviews and hybrid/collab at Tupelo Quarterly, and is a juror for the National Book Critics Circle and the Northern CA Book Awards. Her poetry has appeared or is upcoming in Rattle, New Orleans Review, December, and elsewhere. She teaches for the Summer Writer’s Conference in Taos, NM, and is the editor for the Marin Poetry Center anthology. Michel-Cassidy holds MFAs in fiction (Bennington), poetry (VCFA), and visual arts (CCA). She lives on a houseboat in Sausalito and is a novice open-water swimmer.
Tania Malik is the author of the novel Hope You Are Satisfied (Unnamed Press/Verve Books UK), which was recommended by NPR and named one of the best espionage novels of 2023 by CrimeReads. Her previous novel, Three Bargains (W.W. Norton), received a Publishers Weekly Starred review and a Booklist Starred review. Her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Lit Hub, Split Lip Magazine, The Brooklyn Rail, Off-Assignment, Write or Die Magazine, Full Stop Magazine, Salon.com, Calyx Journal, Baltimore Review, and other publications. More at www.taniamalik.com.
T. K. Rex is a science fiction and fantasy author from the western states, whose stories can be read in more than forty publications, including two anthologies they probably brought with them today: Bright Green Futures and Metamorphosis: Climate Fiction for a Better Future; as well as their debut collection, The Wildcraft Drones, coming in fall 2026. They’re an alumni of the Clarion writers workshop; a twenty-year denizen of San Francisco; and the co-host of a new reading series at Cafe Suspiro on Folsom Street, starting July 10, called Stir. T. K.'s stories, socials, and newsletter can be found at tkrex.wtf.