1. 1. John Hope Franklin

   February 20 at Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St., nr. Broadway; 212-253-0810; free

   In his autobiography Mirror to America, the nonagenarian author and scholar tells a story that’s nothing if not inspiring: Born into segregation, he went on to earn his Ph.D. at Harvard, become the first African-American to gain a history professorship at a white college, and write a book, From Slavery to Freedom, that sold 3.5 million copies.

2. 2. Anthony Rapp

   February 21 at Barnes & Noble, 675 Sixth Ave., at 22nd St.;212-727-1227; free.

   The much-loved star of the original Rent on Broadway takes fans behind the scenes with his memoir, Without You.

Related:

• Articles by Sara Cardace
• Table of Contents: February 20, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!