Looking towards the ABC—and meeting some fabulous authors

Anne Bressman, Our favorite week of the year is almost here! The 19th annual Blank Rome Festival of Arts, Books and Culture begins Nov. 9 at the Katz JCC. We're looking forward to another whirlwind week of Jewish programming, featuring renowned authors and entertainers. From Nov. 9-16, we all have a chance to get up close and personal with writers and performers. Of course, we'll also have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of the speakers' books, and to choose from a large selection of other Jewish books, perfect for Chanukah gift-giving.

Amy: OK, I admit I have a very special love of the Festival! It's not simply because I've been on the committee since the first Festival… I just think that showcasing Jewish books in our community for a full week each year, and having thousands of people share their love of Jewish books and Jewish culture, is a wonderful thing.

Judy: Here, here! I second that. As we look through this year's Festival brochure, it's striking that the wide variety of programs offers something for everyone.

Anne: I've been the Festival book selection chair for many years, and it's a labor of love. Each year we look through dozens of books catalogs and thousands of book reviews to select the best of the current crop. Jewish books no longer come from just a few publishers; it seems like every publisher wants a piece of this book-buying market.

Judy Brookover Judy: Selecting the books and setting up the store for one week is a huge project, and Anne does an amazing job.

Amy: And she deserves a lot of credit for her efforts, as do the rest of the selection committee, and all the staff and volunteers who devote their time and energy to this

project.

Judy: With so many programs, where do we start?... The publishing world has discovered a huge market for beautiful, contemporary kosher cooking. Jamie Geller, whose new book Quick and Kosher; Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing offers a practical philosophy to meet the challenge of getting a meal on the table quickly each night. (Geller will speak on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.).

Amy Kaplan. Amy: It's intriguing that we have several programs dealing with family relationships. There's Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein, identical twins who were separated at birth (Bernstein and Schein will speak on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m.). Then there's Marie Brenner, author of Apples and Oranges, My Brother and Me, Lost and Found (Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 9:30 a.m.). Brenner will describe her somewhat troubled relationship with her brother, and is known for leaving audiences inspired to mend family rifts.

Anne: Bob Morris will also deal with family issues is (Sunday, Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m.). He's the author of Assisted Loving; True Tales of Double Dating with My Dad, which is a true story that's both hilarious and heartbreaking. For women, Thursday, Nov. 13 at 11a.m. will bring "The Mom Chronicles" with three authors, Deborah Carr, Dani Shapiro and Alix Strauss. They each have a book that examines the mother/daughter relationship.

Amy: With this being an election year, it's fitting that Madeleine Kunin will speak about her new book, Pearls, Politics and Power; How Women Can Win and Lead. And how appropriate that Cherry Hill's own Dr. Myra Gutin, author of the acclaimed new biography Barbara Bush: First Lady of Literacy, will join Madeleine Kunin in that program (Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m.).

Anne: From politics to world events, the Festival has it covered. Martin Fletcher, Emmy-award winning network correspondent, will share insights about three decades of covering wars, revolutions and natural disasters around the world (Sunday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m.). His book, Breaking News; A Stunning and Memorable Account of Reporting from Some of the Most Dangerous Places in the World, is more of a page-turner than many novels.

Amy: One of the most intriguing programs is Louis Ferrante (Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.). Ferrante's book, Unlocked; A Journey from Prison to Proust, describes his personal journey from Mafia enforcer to Orthodox Jew.

Judy: His memoir is an account of an amazing journey. It definitely grabs the reader's attention.

See you at the Festival! For more information, call the Katz JCC (424-4444, ext. 292). .