In a time when even Paris Hilton publishes her memoirs, it's rare to hear about a celebrity autobiography worth reading. Charles S. Dutton is telling his life story in a book for Random House's Crown Books. Dutton has done a lot of acting and directing for various TV shows, most notably Roc. He won a directing Emmy for The Corner as well as Outstanding Guest Actor Emmys for Without a Trace and The Practice.

What makes Dutton's success story unique is his personal life before he became an actor. When he was seventeen, he was convicted of manslaughter and spent seven years in prison. From Jail to Yale, the working title for the actor's book, will discuss Dutton's criminal history and his education at the Yale School of Drama.

Oprah's Book Club is back. Like a phoenix from the ashes of the James Frey debacle, Oprah has returned, and this time she's got a veritable saint by her side in the form of acclaimed actor and activist Sidney Poitier. When your book club's burned by a guy who made a bunch of crap up, what better way to go than with the autobiography of a person who has lived most of his adult life in the public eye. It also doesn't hurt that the guy's golden. Short of some cantankerous ghostwriter coming forward, Poitier and his autobiographical tome The Measure of a Man are beyond criticism. He also lacks any particular literary pretenses so he's not going to pull a Jonathan Franzen, who requested that his book The Corrections be struck from the Winfrey record.

Jack Osbourne, son of Ozzy and "star" of the reality series "The Osbournes," is apparently writing his autobiography, titled 21 Years Gone and set to be released by Pan MacMillan. The book will obviously touch on Jack's problems with drugs, his stint in rehab, and what it was like growing up with his famous father. While I suppose it's easy to laugh at the idea, given that Jack has been in the spotlight without having done much, my only minor complaint is that it's too soon. Given a few more years, the sort of people who read celeb bios might actually enjoy hearing what it was like growing up as Ozzy's son. Right now, though, I'm not sure people are clamoring for such a book.

[via Best Week Ever]