Humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris will lecture tonight at 8 p.m. in the Arlington Theatre.

Sedaris will read excerpts from his latest book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, at the event. Although the show will be primarily a book-reading, Sedaris’ publicist Marlena Bittner said his material differs at each tour stop.

“Although I can’t say exactly what he’ll be talking about, I can tell you that he tends to do some new pieces for the audience,” Bittner said. “Currently, those are including animal fables from his forthcoming book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: a Modest Bestiary.”

In addition to incorporating social satire in his writing, Bittner said Sedaris’ work is mostly autobiographical, often centering on his homosexuality, drug use and middle-class East Coast upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh.

Previously a housecleaner in New York City, Sedaris made his debut in 1992 as a Macy’s elf clad in green tights, reading his SantaLand Diaries on National Public Radio. Since then, Sedaris has received a variety of awards, and Bittner said public demand for his books and lectures has made Sedaris a very busy man.

“[Sedaris will] be hitting the road again in the fall to do a series of events, some in lecture halls and some in bookstores, to promote the new book,” Bittner said. “And then, I hope, he can rest for a little bit.”