There isn't much that the Palo Alto native turned modern-day Renaissance Man hasn't conquered—Oscar caliber acting (the arm cutting scene in 127 Hours still gives me chills); teaching filmmaking at NYU, USC, and UCLA; becoming a PhD candidate at Yale; volunteering for charities.

But next week, Commonwealth Club hosts James Franco as he makes a stop in town to celebrate yet another accomplishment: his first full-length novel about being inducted into Hollywood's celebrity circle, complete with dirty details. He'll take the hot seat on the Castro Theatre stage to talk about his experience writing Actors Anonymous. And while he's up there, the lucky moderator will grill him on all things James.

Consider this event our very own live version of Inside the Actor's Studio. Now, here's the important part—if you splurge and buy a premium ticket ($75 for members; $95 for non-members), you'll have the chance to rub elbows with James at a private, pre-program reception. Do yourself a favor and read at least a few passages of the book ahead of time, so you can have some quality one-on-one conversation as he signs your copy. (You don't want to be that vacuous, swooning fan.) This event will no doubt sell out, so get your tickets before it's too late.

6:30 - 8 p.m., Sun. 10/27; Castro Theatre; 429 Castro St., commonwealthclub.org