LA JOLLA, California (Press Release) — One theme of the upcoming San Diego Jewish Book Fair will be the world of entertainment. Here are some highlights:
Saturday, October 29 at 7:00 pm
Rich Cohen
The Sun & the Moon & the Rolling Stones
This book is the journey of the Rolling Stones from a guy who was along for the ride. In addition to being a co-creator (along with Mick Jagger) of the HBO drama Vinyl, Rich Cohen was a traveling journalist with the Rolling Stones in the 1990s, where he got an inside view of the now five-decade long bromance between Mick and Keith that fueled some of rock’s most unforgettable songs. Meet the celebrated journalist for Vanity Fair and author of a bio of the Stones Men’s Journal says “might be the best music book of 2016.”
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Sunday, October 30 at 4:00 pm
Jack Viertel
The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built
If you’re a fan of musicals, this event is a must. Broadway legend Jack Viertel was the driving force behind more than fifty plays, including Hairspray and Angels in America. In his new book, he sings the praises of the American musical, an art form about “the outsize romance that can’t be controlled, the special world we’d love to live in for a while, the faraway time and place we’re waiting to be seduced by, the larger-than-life force of nature we so rarely encounter in real life.” The event will include a performance from On the Town.
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Monday, October 31 at 12:00 noon
Big Muse Seminar with Peter Himmelman
Let Me Out: Unlock Your Creative Mind and Bring Your Ideas to Life
An Emmy-nominated musician who has shared the stage with Bob Dylan (his father-in-law), a Huffington Post contributor, and the founder of Big Muse (workshops fueling creativity and positive team-building), Peter Himmelman is a 21st century Renaissance Man. In his book, and in this workshop, he helps us unleash our true potential. Also an observant Jew, he sums up his mission with a favorite Jewish adage: “What comes from the heart, enters the heart.” Don’t miss an inspiring event with a man who lives every day to its fullest.
Cost: $19 per person for members, $22 non-members
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Monday, October 31 at 2:00 pm
Victoria Kelly
Mrs. Houdini: A Novel
Escape and take a magical trip back in time with novelist and poet Victoria Kelly when she presents her debut novel, Mrs. Houdini. In this supernatural mystery, Bess, Houdini’s real-life wife, begins receiving coded messages, which she believes to be from her recently deceased husband. As she unlocks the sources of these messages through an exploration of the past—from her and Harry’s early days in Coney Island through their later years in Hollywood—she finds that some of his magic may have been more than just illusion. (Historical Fiction)
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Wednesday, November 2 at 12:00 pm
Lunch with Nina Tassler
What I Told My Daughter: Lessons from Leaders on Raising the Next Generation of Empowered Women
Wondering what it takes to raise a strong woman? Ask a strong woman. In this collection from Nina Tassler (chair of CBS Entertainment), a wide range of women share sage advice they have given to their own daughters. Contributors include Geena Davis, Peggy Orenstein, Pat Benatar, Whoopi Goldberg, Nancy Pelosi, Madeleine Albright, Gloria Estefan, and many more. Mothers, bring your daughters. Daughters, bring an open mind, because what you hear during this discussion could change how you see the world, and how you see yourself in it.
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Thursday, November 3 at 12:00 noon
Lunch and Laughter with Michael Krasny
Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means
We’re overjoyed to welcome the host of KQED’s Forum for a lunchtime event that will leave you rolling in the aisles. No one knows more—and funnier—Jewish jokes than Michael Krasny; he’s been telling them since his Bar Mitzvah. In Let There Be Laughter, he explores the themes of Jewish humor, celebrates its heroes (from Mel Brooks to Larry David to Amy Schumer), and regales readers with more than a few unforgettable and iconic jokes. Warning: don’t drink from your water glass while he’s talking unless you feel like doing a “spit take.”
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Saturday, November 5th at 7:00 pm
Evening Talk with Shep Gordon
They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock ‘n’ Roll
In his own words, he started out as a “Jewish nebbisher kid with no ambition.” But he grew up to be a supermensch, a driving force in rock- and-roll who helped launch the career of Alice Cooper, and an inside man in the entertainment industry who drank tea with the Dalai Lama, took a punch from Janis Joplin, and rubbed elbows with Bette Davis, Salvador Dali, Groucho Marx, and many more. Gordon took a very different approach while inventing his nearly fifty-year career in show business. His book is like himself, genuine, charming, kind hearted and enjoyable.
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Book Fair events will run from October 29 through November 6, and are presented by the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, which is based at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family Campus.