Poetry Atlanta Presents Franklin Abbott. For his double album of new songs and selected poems, "Don't Go Back To Sleep," Abbott has drawn from Shakespeare, William Blake and the Coleman Barks translations of the mystic Sufi poet Rumi. Abbott will be joined by multi-instrumentalist Ken Gregory. CDs will be available for sale during the event. 7:15 p.m. Aug. 21. Reading, music. Free. Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur, 404-370-3070, Ext. 2285, georgiacenterforthebook.org
Carapace: Mismatch. Bring a 5 to 7-minute story about discrepancy, about those wrong fits despite good (or not so good) intentions, about square pegs that failed to fit round holes in love, work and family. 7 p.m. Aug. 22. Storytelling. Free. Manuel's Tavern, 602 North Highland Ave., Atlanta, 404-525-3447, manuelstavern.com/
James Diedrick, "Mathilde Blind: Late-Victorian Culture and the Woman of Letters." Diedrick shares his groundbreaking critical biography of Blind, a German-born British poet, freethinking radical feminist and pioneering female aesthete in a mostly male community of writers, painters and critics; the book underscores the importance of her poetry and her critical writings for the literature and culture of the fin de siècle. 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23. Reading, talk, signing. Free. $5 suggested donation. Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE., Atlanta, 404-524-0304, charisbooksandmore.com
J. Roy Rowland, "House Call: A Doctor's Time in Medicine and Government." A six-term Congressman from Georgia's 8th District, Rowland's story spans more than 90 years, from his days growing up in a small Georgia town during the Great Depression to his career as a primary care doctor and then a maverick political figure during a period of turbulent change. 2 p.m. Aug. 26. Reading, signing. Free. Tall Tales Book Shop, Toco Hill Shopping Center, 2105 LaVista Rd. NE., Atlanta, 404-636-2498, talltalesatlanta.com
Peter McDade, "The Weight of Sound." As drummer for the rock band Uncle Green, Atlanta history teacher McDade spent 15 years traveling the highways of America in a series of Ford vans. While the band searched for fame and a safe place to eat before a gig, he began writing short stories and novels, including this one, about a '90s alt-rock band from Athens. 7 p.m. Aug. 26. Reading, talk, Q&A, signing. Free. Kavarna Bar & Coffeeshop, 707 East Lake Drive, Decatur, 404-371-1113, acappellabooks.com
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