Today, visiting author Thomas Beller, will grace the UA. Beller’s works, which include a collection of short stories “”Seduction Theory,”” a novel “”The Sleep-over Artist”” and a book of essays, “”How To Be a Man”” have been compared to the famous short story writer Raymond Carver.

Beller is not yet sure what he will read, saying that he leaves that decision until the last minute. “”I’ll read something old, something new,”” he said, but plans to make it “”an all fiction night.””

His essays, though, he considers a type of fiction too. “”My essays are less a discussion of ideas. They are not intellectually meditative, but more personal,”” Beller said. “”A bit like storytelling but non-fiction.””

As well as writing, Beller is the founding editor of Open City Magazine and Open City Books. He has also created a website, www.mrbellersneighborhood.org, which shows a map of New York with little red markers at certain locations. Each marker, when clicked on, presents a story or vignette about that certain place. Beller, however, was reluctant to talk about this, saying that if you want to know about it you should “”take a look yourself.””

For the most part, Beller was not interested in talking about his writing, giving cryptic or snide answers to questions, perhaps hoping to gain the element of mystery. His taciturn air suggests that either his work speaks for itself or there is nothing much worth saying about it. Find out tonight at 8 p.m. in the Modern Languages Auditorium.