Technically, the extended title of the 826 Seattle writing workshop is “How to write semi-autobiographical short stories thru self-hate…fear of being sued…and with the constant droning of ‘DEAR GOD, I CAN’T WRITE…WHAT AM I DOING’ going on in your head with Lauren Weedman.”

If you don’t already know Weedman from her days doing sketch comedy with Seattle troupe Almost Live!, or her stint as a correspondent on The Daily Show (“the one year they didn’t win an Emmy,” she brags), read this excerpt from her book A Woman Trapped in a Woman’s Body and you’ll know enough. Learn the art of self-deprecation on Monday, May 16, from 7–9pm; tickets are $35 at brownpapertickets.com.

Sidenote: Congrats to 826 Seattle for being named one of 50 finalists for the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, given by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The winner, announced in late June, gets a $10,000 grant and the chance to mingle with the First Lady at a White House award ceremony.

This weekend: The Stranger’s Dan Savage and partner Terry Miller talk about their new book It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living at Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park) on May 13 at 6:30pm.

And Chris Cleave, London-based author of Little Bee, flies in this weekend for a series of book readings across the city. Find out more in our Q&A with Cleave —we talked books, Bin Laden, and cracked-out squirrels.