Somehow, this nearly slipped by me: Minnesota Public Radio’s terrific live program, “Wits,” has a show this Friday night with one of my household’s favorite writers (and “The Daily Show” Resident Expert), John Hodgman. For those of you unfamiliar with the variety show-cum-interview series, “Wits” features all manner of clever writerly types in conversation with host John Moe, along with performances by smarty-pants-rock musicians and the show’s musical director John Munson. One Twitter user described the show to a T: “Wits = books, art, laughs, music + @johnmoe. Live on stage. Like Prairie Home Companion’s cool, geeky, slightly tipsy nephew.”

Last season’s stellar line-up was packed with interesting guests, including Neil Gaiman and Josh Ritter, Sandra Bernhard and Rosanne Cash, Patton Oswalt and Grant-Lee Phillips, Chuck Klosterman and Craig Finn. (You can listen to last spring’s programs online here, if you like, and keep up with the current season’s guests  on the Minnesota Public Radio web page for the series.)

Presumably, Hodgman, who also appeared on the “Wits” stage back in 2010, is back for this “special edition” of the show to promote his just-released book, the conclusion of his whip smart and very funny “Complete World Knowledge” trilogy, “That is All.” The evening’s program also includes live performances by Hodgman’s friend, John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats), and appearances by The Box Dwellers, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett (also known for their work on RiffTrax and the long-lived cult TV show “Mystery Science Theater 3000,”  as robots Servo and Crow, respectively).

It looks like there are still tickets available for Friday’s show — but probably not for much longer.

“Wits” special edition, featuring Hodgman and the Mountain Goats, will be on stage Friday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. (The “Wits” Tweet-up is before the show, beginning at 6:30 p.m.) at the Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul, Minn., 55101. Tickets are $25 ($23 for MPR members). Find more information via the box office (651-290-1200) or online mpr.org/wits.