Jennette McCurdy, former child actor and bestselling author of “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” will appear in Fayetteville on Monday, Dec. 5, for a moderated Q&A. Her visit, part of the University of Arkansas’s Distinguished Lectures Committee series, takes place at 7 p.m. at the Fayetteville Town Center.
In “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” a memoir released in August of 2022 by Simon & Schuster, McCurdy offers an exposé of her own harrowing childhood, subjected to the destructive demands of her stage mother, Debra, who she could never be enough for. If you have trouble considering a read with such a frank and damning title, look inside and decide for yourself whether it’s deserved.
While toiling through hundreds of episodes of work on seemingly innocent Nickelodeon shows like “iCarly“ and “Sam & Cat,” McCurdy weathered relentless, microscopic critiques of her physical appearance that came to define her dynamic with her mother and led to an adulthood full of recovery and trauma transcendence. Her mother’s eventual death by way of breast cancer set her free. Kirkus described the book as “a heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace.”
Tickets are free, but reservations are required and the turnaround is quick. After those with a current uark.edu email address are offered reservation access, the public will have just five days to get their hands on some highly sought-after tickets, starting at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Get yours here.