Women who travel: have you ever had to say “no” to someone in another country? Sometimes it’s not as easy as it sounds. Just ask the narrator in Valerie Fioravanti’s “Hot Turkish Man For You,” as performed by Melinda Marks on June 3 at Cafe Stritch:

If you like Valerie’s work (and how could you not?), you need to check out her book, Garbage Night at the Opera. She also offers writing workshops, bootcamp mentorships, and self-paced tutorials. If you’re based in Northern California, you’ll also like Sacramento Stories on Stage, and its sister program, Stories on Stage Davis.