Let's say you've never toured the James Merrill House in Stonington Borough. Well, it's a pretty great place, is what it is, and to experience it makes you somewhat understand why Merrill enjoyed composing his immortal poetry therein.

You can also see why young and upcoming writers so covet the opportunity to live and work at the Merrill House as recipients of a Merrill Fellowship. Hell, for that matter, even literary big shots enjoy being Merrill Fellows.

Consider July's writer-in-residence, Lorrie Moore. An accomplished author of novels, short stories and essays, Moore has won the O. Henry Award (for "People Like That are the Only People Here") and the Irish Times International Fiction Prize (for "Birds of America"), and she's been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner and Orange prizes for fiction (both for her most recent novel, "A Gate at the Stairs").

Sunday presents a very fine opportunity, then, as Moore will read from works-in-progress in Stonington's La Grua Center.

Lorrie Moore, 5 p.m. Sunday, La Grua Center, 32 Water St., Stonington Borough, $5 suggested donation; (860) 535-2300.