Science, Stories, Standup, and More Boston Events This Week

You’ve probably laughed at Megan Amram’s jokes even if you didn’t realize it, either on Twitter (which she is basically the best at, ever), on NBC’s beloved “Parks and Recreation,” where she’s a staff writer, or in her “Funny or Die” videos like “Let’s Get Physics, Y’all” which must have been funny because she is not presently dead, otherwise that site has been lying to us for years. Now all that funny comes in book form so people on the T will know you have good taste! Amram stops by the Brattle Theatre to talk about “Science…For Her!” ostensibly a book about science written by a denizen of women’s magazines. The book tackles topics like hosting your own big bang, hot bachelors of science, and Marie Curie vs. Marie Claire, and might make a great gift for your science-and-humor-loving girlfriend’s upcoming birthday, maybe, I’m not sure, hey if she reads this maybe she could let you know? (6 p.m., $5, all ages)

What’s better than having fun? Having fun and supporting a great cause, and earning back some karma points to make up for the horrible existence you’ve led right up until this very moment when you decided to be a better person. The signature fundraiser for the Foundation for Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), HubNob at the House of Blues offers an exquisite variety of food provided by twelve restaurants, a fun crowd, live music by Soul City, and unique silent auction and raffle items. HubNob calls itself “Boston’s best-kept secret” so I’m sorry for giving it away, but also, you know, you’re welcome for helping to get the word out about your charity event. (6:30 p.m., $60, 21+)

Musician/songwriter/crowdsourcing pioneer Amanda Palmer adds “author” to her long list of job titles with her new book “The Art of Asking,” out tomorrow. Fans can meet up in Harvard Square tonight and parade over to Porter Square Books for a midnight release party and book signing, and the official book tour kicks off tomorrow night at Royale. An Evening with Amanda Palmer features music and conversation with special guests writer/husband-type Neil Gaiman, musician Jason Webley, writer/journalist Laurie Penny and Harvard researcher/TED-star Amy Cuddy. I watched four seasons of “Doctor Who” on DVDs that my old roommate borrowed from Neil Gaiman and never gave back, and I’ve always felt bad about that even though he wrote an episode and probably got the DVDs for free. I’m sorry. (8 p.m., $20, all ages)

WBUR debuts its new comedy series “Serious Fun” with a night of standup comedy and storytelling from Ophira Eisenberg at Oberon in Harvard Square. The host of The Moth Mainstage with WBUR, Eisenberg also hosts NPR’s hit trivia comedy show, “Ask Me Another,” where she interviews and plays silly games with celebrities and hey that kind of sounds like “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” except people take “Wait Wait” very seriously and I promise I did not mean to offend you. (7 and 9 p.m.., $20, 18+)

Homeless assistance center Project Place welcomes playwright, poet and author Nick Flynn for a Q&A and book signing. Flynn’s 2004 memoir “Another Night in Suck City” recounts his six years working at the Pine Street Inn and the tumultuous family life that led his homeless father to take shelter there while Flynn was working. It’s a brilliant book and, as always, it’s much better than the film version, 2012’s “Being Flynn” which let Robert De Niro make a lot of crazy De Niro faces but misses most of what made the memoir great. (6 p.m., FREE, all ages)

The Nave Gallery Annex exhibition “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man: Musicians on the Road” details the less-than-glamorous aspects of band tours: the cramped cars, thin wallets, beat-up hotels, and highwayside dinner stops at Arby’s. Arby’s you guys. Go out and spend some money on music so people don’t have to eat at Arby’s, please. On Wednesday the gallery’s On the Road: Stories special event welcomes a panel of local musicians to tell the touring tale, including moderator Audrey Ryan and Dan Blakeslee, Laura Cortese, Will Dailey, Ward Hayden, Nicholas Ward, Brian Webb and other special guests. (7 p.m., $5-10, all ages)

What if there was a secret Jonas sister and she rebelled against her brothers’ teeny bopper pop music by creating intensely challenging video and performance art? That’s not actually the case with Joan Jonas. but her free Reanimation performance Thursday at the Museum of Fine Arts still looks pretty cool: Combining ancient and contemporary technologies — from tree branches and chalk as drawing tools, to live projections of her actions — the performance also features a live score played by award-winning jazz pianist Jason Moran. (7 p.m., FREE, all ages)

Photo credit: Mathias Clamer for Stockland Martel

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This article was provided by our content partner, The Boston Calendar.