A memoir with purpose from Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd

I don’t read many books by celebrities, although Ashley Judd’s memoir (spring 2011 from Ballantine) looks like it could be an exception.

The story will recall both painful childhood memories and Judd’s humanitarian work as a global ambassador for PSI (Population Services International)/Youth AIDS. What caught my attention is that the book’s foreword will be written by one of my favorite New York Times columnists: Nicholas Kristof, co-author of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.

In a press release, Judd commented: “I hope that this book will be a call to action as well as a memoir. . . By sharing my own story along with those of the beautiful and resilient people I’ve met in the most desperate places, I want to show how the change we seek in the world must start within us.”

Sounds like Judd will have her hands full during the upcoming months. She’s also starring in movies such as Tooth Fairy—and working toward a Mid-Career MPA at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Who is your favorite celebrity author? I’m a sucker for political memoirs, which isn’t totally unrelated; Judd will collaborate with Maryanne Vollers, who also worked with Hillary Clinton on Living History.

Related in BookPage: Ashley’s not the only Judd with a book deal. Her mom, country singer Naomi, wrote a guide to living well, complete with some Judd family dirt.