They had us at Rosie.

"They" would be Elaine Myles — "they" is her self-referencing pronoun of choice — and the writer, who's published over 20 books and proudly endorses a reputation as a "punk poet," headlines Friday in the second presentation of the Arts Cafe Mystic's new season.

But one of Myles' books is "Afterglow," an astounding memoir about their late pitbull, Rosie. You know how we are about dogs.

In addition to "Afterglow," though, Myles' collections of poetry and essays and works of fiction have earned a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Creative Capital/Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant, the Clark Prize for Excellence in Writing Arts, and four Lambda Awards. Their ability to twirl phrases and observations and rhythms are utterly distinctive, and this should be a spellbinding reading.

Phred Mileski brings her band to provide a sensitive musical component, and the evening kicks off with a one-act play by Melanie Greenhouse.

Elaine Myles, Arts Cafe Mystic, 7 p.m. Friday, Mystic Museum of Art, 9 Water St., $15, $5 students; (860) 912-2444, theartscafemystic.org.