Tell Me a Story

1. John Hope FranklinFebruary 20 at Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St., nr. Broadway; 212-253-0810; freeIn 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. Anthony RappFebruary 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.

Tell Me a Story