Author Colm Tóibín will read from latest book House of Names at 2:30 p.m., May 21, in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St. A Q&A and book signing will follow the talk.

Tóibín is the award-winning author of The Testament of Mary, Brooklyn and The Master.

In House of Names, a retelling of the classic Greek tragedy of Clytemnestra and her children, Tóibín re-imagines and imparts the story of a family at war with itself.

“I have been acquainted with the smell of death.” So begins Clytemnestra’s tale of her life in ancient Mycenae, the legendary Greek city from which her husband, King Agamemnon, left when he set sail with his army for Troy.

Tóibín’s presentation is part of the art museum’s Parallel Stories, a literary and performing arts series that pairs art and artists with award-winning authors and performers of regional, national and international acclaim.

The series functions as a multidisciplinary lens through which to view the museum’s collection and special exhibitions.

The talk is free for SBMA members, $10 for non-members, $6 for senior non-members. Reserve or buy tickets at the museum visitor services desks, or online at tickets.sbma.net.

— Katrina Carl for Santa Barbara Museum of Art.