Anthony Bourdain, role model for a generation of bad-boy (and wannabe bad-boy) chefs. Garrison Keillor, the rumpled personification of folksy humor. And David Sedaris, one of the funniest people on earth. They’re all coming to the Mahalia Jackson Theater next year as the inaugural wordsmiths of the New Orleans Speaker Series, a new endeavor that’s being “welcomed by” public radio station WWNO-FM.

Individual tickets to the shows will soon be available, but right now the Speaker Series is pitching a subscription model and “limited priority offer for supporters of the Mahalia Jackson Theatre,” with tix to all three shows available for $120-$172.50. The offer’s not on the Web site yet, but you can order tickets now by calling 888-614-2929.

Here’s the schedule (all shows at 7:30 p.m.):

• Thu., Jan. 7, 2010: Anthony Bourdain

• Tue., Feb. 9, 2010: Garrison Keillor

• Thu. Apr. 29, 2010: David Sedaris

The timing is odd — Keillor’s appearance is exactly one week before Fat Tuesday, and Sedaris’s comes during the second weekend of Jazz Fest — but how often do you get to see them? Snap up the tickets before everyone hears about ‘em.