Len Vlahos' new coming-of-age book, The Scar Boys, is ultimately the story of a teenage boy overcoming physical and emotional scarring through the power of punk rock. After a gang of neighborhood jerks tie eight-year-old Harry to a tree during a storm, the tree is struck by lightning and Harry is badly burned. Bullying and loneliness become his everyday reality for years, until a life-changing moment when charismatic Johnny suggests they start a band together. Several pivotal scenes in the book take place in Athens. Vlahos, who played in a punk rock band called The Woofing Cookies in the mid-'80s, once found himself stranded in town after the band's tour van broke down. During the consequential three-month stay, Peter Buck of R.E.M. produced a song for the band, which in part helped them get signed to a small NYC-based record label. Vlahos' presentation will include live music, video and a reading. This free event is from 6:30–7:30 p.m.