We all like to feel smarter, and one way to do that is to hit a local bookstore and suck in someone else's brilliance, all without lifting a finger. A few well-known writers, or well-known people who collaborated with writers, are coming to Connecticut.
Oscar-winning actress and TV star Marlee Matlin will speak at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, Madison, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are required for the book signing line.
Matlin, who is deaf, overcame expectations and became a critically-acclaimed actress and admired activist and children's author. She tells her story in the memoir "I'll Scream Later," written with Betsy Sharkey. Matlin had major roles on "The West Wing" and "The L Word," and won an Academy Award for her performance in "Children of a Lesser God." Reservations and information: 203-245-3959..
Frank McCourt, whose debut book, "Angela's Ashes," propelled him to fame at age 66, will speak Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Hogan Lecture Hall in the UConn Torrington Campus.
McCourt, who has a home in Connecticut and was a teacher for 30 years, won a Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle award and L.A. Times Book Award. Tickets are free, but limited. Call 860-626-6852 or e-mailing lcwp@uconn.edu.
Hartford Courant journalist, Susan Campbell, will read from her newest book, “Dating Jesus,” Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m., at Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Ave., Hartford. Her book shows us what happened when she finally came to admit that, in her faith, women would never be allowed a seat at the throne.
