events

March 24, 2023 • Zurich, Switzerland

Explicit Uncensored: Alexander Cheves book reading

The queer, sex-positive techno party EXPLICIT, based in Zurich and founded by Brian McCabe, hosts community events on sex, censorship, and risk awareness. I am proud to read an essay from My Love Is a Beast: Confessions

Jan. 11, 2023 • Atlanta, Georgia

Reading and book signing at Dad's Garage Theatre Company 

I joined Martin Padgett, author of A Night at the Sweet Gum Head: Drag, Drugs, Disco, and Atlanta's Gay Revolution, and Stephan Ferris, author of Blue Movie. Martin and I read excerpts from our forthcoming books.

Dec. 3, 2022  • Provincetown, Massachusetts 

Book reading and signing at the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod Drop-In Center

ASGCC’s roots are in Provincetown, where in the 1980s community members responded to the emerging AIDS crisis. Today, ASGCC serves clients across all of the Cape, with offices in Provincetown, Hyannis, Falmouth and Martha’s Vineyard. 

Their new Commercial Street location opened on World AIDS Day 2022, and they invited me to join their opening week with a reading from My Love Is a Beast: Confessions

Sept. 17, 2022 • Dublin, Ireland 

Speaker at the International Dublin Writers' Festival

Thank you, Dublin, for this healing weekend with literary minds. 

Aug. 5, 2022 • Montreal, Canada

Book signing at Community Day in the Village, hosted by Violet Hour 

Community Day celebrates small businesses and organisations in Montreal. I joined local authors for a signing event hosted by Violet Hour, the city's queer book club. 

Aug. 1, 2022 • Montreal, Canada 

Book reading and reception at Priape, in partnership with M*Pact Global

Big thanks to my friend Stephen Pevner, owner of Priape and The Saint At Large, for hosting this event. 

July 31, 2022 • Montreal, Canada

Le Grand Effeuillage littéraire

My first naked reading was with great artists, writers, and performers. Thank you for letting me be part of this beautiful show. 

July 29 - Aug. 2, 2022 • Montreal, Canada 

Panelist at the 24th International AIDS Conference 

I will speak on panels discussing gay sex work, HIV, kink, and bareback culture. 

July 28, 2022 • Montreal, Canada 

Panelist at the For Fuck's Sake Summit, hosted by M*Pact Global

M*Pact Global was founded ten years ago on the belief that no discussion about AIDS is complete without sex — in particular, the sex lives of gay and queer men, who are still among those most affected by HIV and the efforts to curtail it. 

The organisation holds the For Fuck's Sake Summit at the International AIDS Conference. In 2022, I joined them for a week of panel discussions, partying, and protest with a cohort of HIV activists and educators from across the globe. 

June 18, 2022 • Fire Island Pines, New York 

Book signing at the Fire Island Pines General Store

An honour. Thank you for having me. 

May 5, 2022 • New York, New York 

A MOUTH FULL: Queer Storytelling Hour

Thanks to Dusty Shoulders for creating this event: a place where queers tell slightly-rehearsed, slightly off-the-cuff stories about our lives and work. 

April 30, 2022 

Speaker at the Leatherfolk Book Club 

This virtual book club, "a group for kinky folks who like books," has welcomed such writers as Garth Greenwell, Gayle S. Rubin, and Samuel R. Delaney to speak on their work. Click here to join the club. 

April 29, 2022 • Augusta, Georgia 

Book reading, signing, and discussion at Fist Fest 2022

Thank you for having me back. 

April 9, 2022 • Palm Springs, California 

Book reading and signing at the Desert Bloom weekend, hosted by Reegür  

Thanks to Brandon Kennedy, a true fetish impresario, for organising this.  

March 17, 2022 • Austin, Texas

Panelist at "Tech and the New Fluidity of Male Sexuality" at SXSW, hosted by Sniffies 

I joined activist Jacob Tobia (Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story) and sex columnist Zachary Zane for a panel on queer hookup culture, labels, and more. 

Dec. 5, 2021 • Chicago, Illinois 

Book reading, discussion, and Q&A at the Leather Archives & Museum 

An honour. Thank you for having me. 

Nov. 12, 2021 • New York, New York 

Book reading and discussion hosted by Quarto Magazine at Columbia University 

I joined Sophia Anfinn Tonnessen (Ecologia) and Carlo Matos (We Prefer the Damned). 

Nov. 5, 2021 • New York, New York 

Book reading, signing, and discussion at Nasty Pig 

I am a former copywriter for the brand and glad to know David Lauterstein — NP's passionate, cool, mysterious figurehead — as a friend and kindred literary spirit. Thank you, David and Fred, for hosting this.  

Nov. 3, 2021 • Ann Arbor, Michigan

Book reading and discussion hosted by Literati Bookstore 

I joined Sophia Anfinn Tonnessen (Ecologia) and Carlo Matos (We Prefer the Damned) at this virtual event hosted by Ann Arbor's beloved independent bookshop. 

Nov. 1, 2021 • New York, New York

Miss Manhattan Non-Fiction Reading Series 

Warm thanks to Elyssa Goodman — Miss Manhattan herself — for organising this badass literary event and inviting me to read. 

Oct. 21, 2021 • Chicago, Illinois 

Book reading, signing, and discussion at Exhibit B at The Martin

Sadly, Sophia was not able to join due to health concerns, but her wicked spirit was there, haunting us. 

Oct. 20, 2021 • Minneapolis, Minnesota

Book reading, signing, and discussion at the University of Minnesota, hosted by Great River Review 

The unholy trinity, united: all three authors from Unbound Edition Press's fall lineup joined this Minneapolis event. I read with Carlo Matos, author of We Prefer the Damned, and Sophia Anfinn Tonnessen, author of Ecologia

Oct. 16, 2021 • Savannah, Georgia 

Book reading, signing, and discussion at Club One on Jefferson 

I returned to my true hometown for a reading at the city's premier nightspot — and my first gay bar. I was joined by Sophia Anfinn Tonnessen (Ecologia) on the famous cabaret stage where the late icon The Lady Chablis performed  her notorious weekend show. 

Oct. 12, 2021 • Atlanta, Georgia 

Publication day for My Love Is a Beast: Confessions: book reading, discussion, and signing at Theatrical Outfit 

Thanks to Patrick Davis, publisher at Unbound Edition Press: my friend, editor, co-conspirator, confidante, therapist, and fellow hedonist. Thank you for believing in this book and in me. We made a dark little beauty. 

Oct. 8, 2021 • Augusta, Georgia 

Book reading, signing, and discussion at Fist Fest 

Unfettered books belong at unfettered places. 

Oct. 6, 2021 • Savannah, Georgia  

Discussion and Q&A at the Savannah College of Art & Design 

As a graduate of the SCAD writing program, I know a thing or two: the professors are unmatched and the graphic design majors can easily make a fake ID. I chatted with writing students about craft, social media, how to pitch, and more. 

Thanks to Chris Millis, chair of the SCAD writing department and author of Small Apartments and God and California, for facilitating this talk. 

Sept. 29, 2021 • Portland, Oregon

Book reading and discussion at Eagle Portland 

Big thanks to all the leather daddies (and some dear friends in the audience) for coming to see me read. 

Sept. 28, 2021 • Portland, Oregon

Book reading, signing, and Q&A at Q Center Portland, in partnership with Another Read Through Books

This is where I met and immediately bonded with my press mate, Sophia Anfinn Tonnessen, author of Ecologia

Sept. 26, 2021 • San Francisco, California

Book signing at the Folsom Street Fair

I signed copies of my book My Love Is a Beast: Confessions at the Folsom Street Fair, an annual gathering of fetish folk that changed my life many years ago. Unbound Edition Press made history as the first literary press represented there. 

Sept. 23, 2021 • San Francisco, California 

Book reading, signing, and Q&A at the Center for Sex and Culture Library, hosted by Folsom Street Events 

Thank you for having me. 

Sept. 22, 2021 • Los Angeles, California

Book reading, signing, and Q&A with Daniel Reynolds, Editor-in-Chief of Out Magazine, at Eagle L.A.  

Thanks to Daniel Reynolds, Neal Broverman, Sunnivie Brydum, Lucas Grindley, Diane Anderson-Minshall, and my dear friend Christopher Harrity. A few years ago, these people gave a young intern his big break and let him write articles for The Advocate

Sept. 21, 2021 

Guest writer, "Savage Love" in The Stranger 

I helped Dan Savage with another reader-submitted question on "Savage Love," his internationally syndicated advice column. For the post "Power Tripping," we discussed the plight of a self-described straight man whose kink involves dominating — and denying — queer men. Read it here

Nov. 9, 2020 • Auburn, Alabama

Panelist, "Let's Talk About: Sex" hosted by PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement 

I joined a virtual panel hosted by PERIOD., a global youth-led organisation that provides sex education and menstrual products to humans in need. The panel focused on the need for comprehensive sex education in schools. 

Feb. 26, 2020 • San Francisco, California 

Beastly: An Intimate Conversation With Alexander Cheves, hosted by the Leatherman's Discussion Group 

Thank you for having me. 

Jan. 2, 2019

Guest writer, "Savage Love" in The Stranger 

I helped Dan Savage answer a reader's question about finding porn in our current era of stringent internet censorship. Read it here

March 2018 • New York, New York

Panelist, "HIV/AIDS Healthcare Challenges" at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

I joined a panel of PrEP advocates and longterm AIDS survivors to discuss the realities, failures, and victories of modern HIV care and prevention. 

Nov. 9-12, 2017 • Los Angeles, California 

Judge, Los Angeles Puppy Pride

Human dogs came from across California to compete in this fetish pageant. 

May 2014 • Savannah, Georgia

Reader and award recipient, Artemis Magazine Awards 2014 

Thanks to Angela Brandt, poetry professor, for helping me with the words. 

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