This spring, Brookdale Community College will once again transform its campus into a literary gathering space as it hosts the Spring 2026 Dr. Carl Calendar Visiting Writers Series, an engaging lineup of celebrated contemporary voices.
All readings are free and open to the public. No reservations are required, and refreshments will be served. Held in the Student Life Center, 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ, parking lot 7.
Omar Holmon
Wednesday, February 25 at 7 p.m.
Student Life Center, Twin Lights, 1st floor.
The series opens with Hugo Award–winning author, performer, and culture critic Omar Holmon. Known for co-founding the influential website Black Nerd Problems, Holmon helped redefine conversations around pop culture, identity, and fandom, later expanding the platform into the acclaimed essay collection Black Nerd Problems: Essays.
He is also the author of the poetry collection We’re All Someone Else Yesterday, a work that blends humor, vulnerability, and sharp cultural insight. Holmon’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, NPR (WNYC), HuffPost, and more.
At Brookdale, Holmon will read from his work and discuss the intersections of storytelling, culture, and digital media, offering students and community members a chance to engage directly with one of today’s most dynamic literary voices.
Lior Torenberg
Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m.
Student Life Center, Navesink 1, 2nd floor
The series continues in April with novelist Lior Torenberg, who will read and discuss her debut novel, Just Watch Me.
Described as “Fleabag meets Big Swiss,” the novel follows a charismatic misfit who livestreams her life for seven days and nights to raise money to save her comatose sister. The result is a bold, poignant, and darkly funny exploration of grief, forgiveness, identity, and redemption in the digital age.
Just Watch Me has been featured by The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, TIME, and Dazed, marking Torenberg as an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction.
Her visit offers readers an opportunity to explore themes of performance, vulnerability, and connection in a world increasingly shaped by online visibility.
The Dr. Carl Calendar Visiting Writers Series continues Brookdale’s longstanding commitment to bringing nationally recognized authors to campus, enriching the intellectual and creative life of students and the broader Monmouth County community.
For more information, visit Brookdale’s website.