Beverly Naidoo of JOURNEY TO JO’BURG and CHAIN OF FIRE fame was so lovely last week. She came and spoke at Grainger Hall in a CCBC sponsored event. I have to say I briefly considered becoming a business major as an undergraduate simply because Grainger Hall had THE cushiest seats on campus. Little did I know they also have rooms with stellar views of the capitol and downtown Madison all lit up at night. I’m not sure what the theatre alums are doing but they aren’t donating money to the UW theatre department for cushy seats or windows with views (or actually any windows at all). At any rate, it was the perfect venue for our lovely guest speaker. The very best part was when she read her own work. It’s worth paying good money to fly somewhere to hear her speak (she lives in England and I don’t know how often she speaks in the U.S.), not just for the intriguing and intelligent things she has to say, but to hear her read her own work. She makes her stories come alive.  Keep your fingers crossed that she gets asked to read for audio book versions of her books. Â