THE COMPANY OF MEN Barnes & Noble Booksellers presents a conversation with filmmaker and playwright Neil LaBute. The author of “Mind of the Modern Moviemaker: 20 Conversations with the New Generation of Filmmakers” (Plume), Joshua Horowitz, is the host of the discussion. Friday, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 4 Astor Place, between Broadway and Lafayette Street, 212-420-1322, free.

FALL FROM GRACE Barnes & Noble Booksellers presents a reading by a former governor of New Jersey, James McGreevey, from his memoir, “The Confession” (HarperCollins),which recounts the events leading up to his resignation in 2004. Friday, 7 p.m., Barnes and Noble, 675 Sixth Ave. at 22nd Street, 212-727-1227, free.

EVERYBODY HURTS As part of the Writer’s Voice Visiting Author Series, Rachel Sherman reads from her debut collection of short stories, “The First Hurt” (Open City), which includes tales of adolescent alienation in exurbia. Friday, 8 p.m., George Washington Lounge, West Side YMCA, 5 W. 63rd St., between Central Park West and Broadway, 212-875-4273, free.

CAN I TURN? Kyra Gaunt reads from “The Games Black Girls Play: Learning the Ropes From Double Dutch To Hip-Hop” (NYU), about how traditional childhood games connect to black musical styles. Featured performers include the Double Dutch Divas. Saturday, 2–6 p.m., Brooklyn Public Library, Central Division, Grand Army Plaza, between Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, 718-230-2100, free.

LOST IN ITALY The Italian Cultural Institute presents novelist Andrea de Carlo, who reads from his novel “Windshift” (Rizzoli), about four Milanese professionals stranded in the Umbrian countryside. Author Jay McInerney is a featured guest. Monday, 6 p.m., Italian Cultural Institute, 686 Park Avenue at 68th Street, 212-879-4242.