Bestselling author, lifestyle columnist, and memoirist Leslie Gray Streeter returns to Coral Gables on Thursday, July 10, at Books & Books to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Family and Other Calamities. The event begins at 7 p.m. at the bookstore’s flagship location on Aragon Avenue. Admission is free, and books will be available for purchase and signing.
Published by Lake Union Publishing, Streeter’s novel marks her return to fiction—and a new chapter in a career defined by candor, wit, and resilience. Her earlier memoir, Black Widow, chronicled the sudden death of her husband and the emotional recalibration that followed. Now, with Family and Other Calamities, she turns to fiction to explore scandal, reconciliation, and the messy path toward second chances.
A journalist’s fictional reckoning
At the heart of Family and Other Calamities is Dawn Roberts, a veteran entertainment journalist whose career implodes in spectacular fashion. She returns home to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes—and the wreckage of her reputation. What she doesn’t expect is to find her old mentor, Joe Perkins, back in town as well, riding the success of a blockbuster exposé being adapted for film. The catch? The villain in the film is based on Dawn.
What unfolds is a sharp and soulful story that blends farce and fallout, as Dawn navigates professional disgrace, personal grief, and the ghosts of a city she once left behind. With the help of an ambitious young reporter, a legendary R&B diva, and the prospect of rekindled romance, she begins to rewrite her story on her own terms.
Readers who admired the voice-driven intimacy of Black Widow will find that same honesty and humor here—filtered through the lens of fiction. Family and Other Calamities is a homecoming story, but also a reckoning. It’s bold, tender, and unafraid to be both.
A voice with range
South Florida readers may remember Streeter’s years at The Palm Beach Post, where she covered everything from celebrity interviews to funerals, pop culture to personal essays. Her work has always fused commentary and confession, finding meaning in absurdity and joy in the everyday.
Now based in her native Baltimore, Streeter is a lifestyle columnist for The Baltimore Banner and co-host of the pop culture podcast Fine Beats and Cheeses. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and O: The Oprah Magazine, and she has been a guest on Today, NPR, CNN, and SiriusXM.
In person, Streeter brings the same charisma and candor that animate her prose: observant, hilarious, and emotionally grounded. While Black Widow reflected a time of loss, Family and Other Calamities speaks to resilience—grief, yes, but also revenge, romance, and renewal.
Books & Books as literary stage
Books & Books has long served as a cornerstone of South Florida’s literary life, and this event adds another page to that story. Attendees can expect an engaging conversation about fiction, journalism, and reinvention.
Streeter will discuss her transition from memoir to novel, the inspirations behind Dawn Roberts’ character arc, and how her own life informed the emotional beats of the book. As always, the Q&A is expected to be candid, unscripted, and unafraid of laughter.
The event is free and open to all. For those unable to attend in person, signed copies can be ordered through the Books & Books website.
Why it matters
Family and Other Calamities is Leslie Gray Streeter’s first foray into fiction, but it reads like the work of a seasoned novelist—full of sharp dialogue, emotional depth, and unmistakable voice. With humor and heart, she explores how we grow into ourselves, reclaim our stories, and rediscover what truly matters. Her return to Coral Gables promises an evening of connection, reflection, and the kind of laughter that lingers.
