At 7:30 p.m. April 15, Thurber House Evenings with Authors presents humorist Laurie Notaro, finalist for the 2009 Thurber Prize for American Humor, at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave. She will read from her newest book, Spooky Little Girl, to be released on April 13.

In Spooky Little Girl, Lucy Fisher discovers a shocking set of circumstances when she arrives home from a Hawaiian vacation. The locks have been changed on her house, all of her belongings are on the front lawn, her fiancé is gone and she’s lost her job. Starting over, she moves upstate to live with her sister but soon experiences a “fatal encounter” and finds herself in the “nearly hereafter,” studying Haunting 101. To move on to the next level of the afterlife, she must successfully complete a ghostly assignment. Lucy has been wronged by many people, and as she embarks on her assignment, she realizes she may have found the perfect way to exact her wrath.

Notaro has a reputation for causing readers to laugh often. She started her writing career with humorous essays, but has expanded into fiction. Spooky Little Girl is her second work of fiction. Her first novel, There's a (Slight) Chance I May Be Going To Hell also received many positive reviews.

Following the reading, Notaro will take questions, chat with the audience about her writing and sign books that will be available for purchase.

The 2010 Evenings with Authors series offers guests a special opportunity, The Author’s Table, an invitation to dine with favorite authors and personal time to talk about with them about their work while sharing a meal and then enjoying reserved seating at the event. Reservations for dinner with Notaro are $40 per person, with the group limited to 25 dinner guests. For more information about the dinners,  call Anne Touvell at Thurber House, 614-464-1032, ext. 10.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door. Visit www.thurberhouse.org.