Thurs. March 29

 I'm pretty sure most of us have mixed feelings about celebrities who become activists. I rememeber interviewing the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon about his lack of activism and he explained it wasn't because he didn't care about issues, it was because he was a singer and songwriter and knew about that; he didn't feel he had the knowledge to use his celebrity for activist causes. Sometimes, when you see actors take on causes you can't help but groan - is it just a publicity stunt to make the actor look good? The flip side of that is that maybe acting provides a certain outlet, but acting (in a film or a play) is not being involved the real world that surrounds us. And maybe there reaches a point, where the actors says, this is not enough. Mike Farrell, best known for his eight-year stint on the TV show "M*A*S*H" has written "Just Call Me Mike: A Journey from Actor to Activist." He writes about being a restless teen in West Hollywood, delivering groceries to Jack Benny and Jimmy Stewart, and his dreams of fame. He writes about his acting, from his days on the soaps to "M*A*S*H" and "Providence." But the key to the book is his evolution as an activist, one who not just observes from the sidelines but goes to the site of conflicts, in Bosnia, El Salvador, Rwanda and the Gaza Strip. President of Death Penalty Focus, he writes about his advocacy against capital punishment. As co-founder of Artists United to Win Without War, he writes about his opposition to the war in Iraq. So, I'd guess you'd have to say Farrell dives in the deep end when it comes to the issues and does not just plant an actor's face on a cause. He speaks Thursday March 29 at Brookline Booksmith at 7 p.m. Free.

279 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-566-6660 brooklinebooksmith.com