Whether through his depiction of a perhaps unexpected chess titan (“Mighty Pawns”), or scrambling to outrace an oblivion borne of our own entitlement (“Let Me Begin Again”), or even embracing the splinters of Albert Camus’ philosophies (a collection called “The Absurd Man”), the poet Major Jackson has emerged as one of America’s most reliably fine poets.

The author of several collections including the recent “Razzle Dazzle,” Jackson has won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize, was a National Book Award finalist, and in 2023 was granted an Academy of American Poets Fellowship.

One couldn’t ask for a more ideal poet to headline the inaugural presentation from the 30th anniversary of the Arts Café Mystic literary/music series. It takes place Friday in Stonington’s La Grua Center and, in addition to Jackson, the evening’s Opening Voice is Paul Hellweg, and Lucas Neil will be the musical guest.

Major Jackson, 7:30 p.m. Friday, La Grua Center, 32 Water St., Stonington; Arts Café Mystic; $15; theartscafemystic.org.