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David Sedaris, whose comic essays and insightful memoirs have earned him an enthusiastic following, will present a program of all-new readings on Friday, May 15, at 8 p.m. at The Bushnell, Center for the Arts, 166 Capital Ave., Hartford.

Drawing on his childhood as one of six siblings in North Carolina and his current experiences in the U.S. and France, Sedaris’s collections of essays include such bestsellers as “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim,” “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” and “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary.” His latest is “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls.”

Tickets are $27.50 to $57.50. For more information and reservations, more information here.

Authors At R.J. Julia

On Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m. at the bookstore, Jorge Posada, the 17-season New York Yankees catcher, will sign copies of his memoir of his baseball career, “The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes” (Dey Street Books, $27.99). Posada was a five-time All-Star and won five World Series with the Yankees before retiring in 2011. The signing has rules: You must be there to have your book signed, three books per person, no posed photos or selfies, his signature only and no personalization or memorabilia.

On Tuesday, May 12, at 7 p.m., Jonathan Bush, a member of the Bush political family and cofounder and CEO of athenahealth, will give a free talk about his book, co-written with Stephen Baker, “Where Does It Hurt? An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Fixing Health Care” (Portfolio, $27.95). It proposes a revolution in the way health care is delivered and paid for.

On Wednesday, May 13, Aline Ohansian, author of “Orhan’s Inheritance” (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $25.95) will give a free talk at 7 p.m. Her novel is about a kilim rug-making family with roots in the Ottoman Empire in the late 1800s and contemporary Los Angeles and a mysterious inheritance.

On Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m., the bookstore and the Madison Historical Society will present a free talk by historian Kenneth Davis, author of “The Hidden History of America at War: Untold Tales from Yorktown to Fallujah” (Hachette, $30) at the Allis-Bushnell House, 853 Boston Post Road, Madison. Davis’ “Don’t Know Much About(R)” series has more than four million copies in print worldwide.

Also on Thursday, May 14, at 7 p.m., Lee Gant, author of “Love in Every Stitch: Stories of Knitting and Healing (Viva Editions, $17.95), master knitter, teacher and knitwear designer will give a free reading at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison. Gant also will appear from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. at MadWool, 56 Wall St., Madison, to share stories and knitting advice.

On Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m., Melissa Cistaro will give a free talk about her book, “Pieces of My Mother: A Memoir” (Sourcebooks, $24.99). Her book tells the story of how her mother left the family without explanation and what happens 35 years later, when Cistaro reunites with her mother and finds unsent letters her mother wrote to her. Cistaro has been published in literary journals and anthologies.

All R.J. Julia events require reservations; call 203-245-3959 or visit rjjulia.com.

Riverwood Poetry Series

On Thursday, May 14, the free Riverwood Poetry Series continues with a reading by Connecticut poets Amy Nawrocki and Jasmine Dreame Wagner at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Ave., Hartford. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for light refreshments, followed by an open mike at 7 p.m. and the featured poets. Donations of non-perishable food are welcome for the church’s Crisis Food Support Program.

Nawrocki is an award-winning poet who teaches at the University of Bridgeport. She is the author of five poetry collections, most recently “Reconnaissance” (Homebound Publications, $14.95). She also has collaborated on books about Connecticut with her husband, Eric D. Lehman.

Wagner is a poet, artist and musician who has published three collections, including “Rings” (Kelsey Street Press, $15). She teaches poetry and creative writing at Western Connecticut State University.

For more information, visit riverwoodpoetry.org.

Poetry At Arts Cafe

The Arts Café,9 Water St., Mystic, offers readings by well-known and emerging poets as well as musical performances its art gallery. Friday, May 15, beginning at 7:30 p.m., Connecticut poet Lana Orphanides for award-winning poet Mark Doty. Sylvia Berry will provide music. Admission: $10 (free for students).

For more information, call 860-912-2444 or email allynsally@sbcglobal.net.

Mark Twain’s “Surrogate Wife”

On Wednesday, May 13, The Mark Twain House & Museum’s “The Trouble Begins at 5:30” lecture series, following a 5 p.m. reception, will present a talk by Marie Lavendier about the controversial relationship of Mark Twain and his secretary, Isabel V. Lyon of Farmington, following the death of Olivia Clemens.

Twain hired Lyons in 1902, and she became his social secretary, manager and close companion for whom he had a house built and gave power of attorney over his business affairs. They had a bitter falling out in 1909.

Lavendier teaches at Tunxis Community College and is a free-lance writer who is researching the Twain-Lyons relationship. She lives in Lyon’s former home in Farmington. The event is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. For more reservations and information, call 860-280-3130 or visit marktwainhouse.org.

‘But You Don’t Look Gay!’

Jenn T. Grace, the author of “But You Don’t Look Gay! 6 Steps to Creating a Successful LGBT Marketing Strategy” (CreateSpace, $11.95) will give a free talk about her book, which “teaches straight people how to market to gay people and gay people how to market to themselves,” on Thursday, May 14, at 7 p.m. at Noah Webster Library, 20 S. Main St., West Hartford.

To register, visit here. For more information, call 860-561-6950.

WordForge Reading Series

Poets Marilyn Nelson and Brent Terry will read at a free WordForge Reading Series program, followed by an open mike, on Monday, May 11, at 7 p.m., at The Studio @ Billings Forge, 563 Broad St., Hartford.

Nelson’s latest collection of poems is “Faster Than Light” (Louisiana State University Press, $19.95), winner of the 2013 Kessler Poetry Award, and her earlier collections also have won literary prizes. She won the 2012 Frost Medal from the Poetry Society of America for “distinguished lifetime achievement in poetry” and was elected a Chancellor of The Academy of American Poets in 2013.

Terry has published two collections of poetry and his poems have appeared in many journals, including Hunger Mountain, Pebble Lake Review, and Drunken Boat. He teaches writing and literature at Eastern Connecticut State University.

For more information, call 860-508-2810 or visit wfreadings.com.

Contemporary Horror Fiction

Whiton Memorial Branch Library, 100 North Main St. Manchester, will host a free talk by local author Dan Foley on Monday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. Foley will discuss his books and writing contemporary horror fiction. His books include the novel “Death’s Companion,” the story collection “The Whispers of Crows” and most recently, the novella “Intruder” (CreateSpace, $4.99), which is set on a ballistic nuclear missile submarine. For more information, call 860-645-0821 or visit library.townofmanchester.org or deathscompanion.com.

‘Crocodile Mothers’

A former federal attorney and foster parent who writes under the pen name Avi Morris will give a free talk about his novel, “Crocodile Mothers Eat Their Young: A Child’s Story of Abuse and Survival” (All Things That Matter Press, $15) on Tuesday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m. at Windsor Public Library, 323 Broad St., Windsor.

For more information, call 860-285-1910 or visit avimorrisnovels.com.

Mystery Discussion

Carole Shmurak, of Farmington, who writes the Susan Lombardi mystery novels, will lead a free Simsbury Mystery Group: “And the Award Goes to…” discussion of “What the Dead Know” (2007) by Laura Lippman at Simsbury Public Library, 725 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, on Monday, May 11, at noon. For more information, call 860-658-7663.