The Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) has grown so dramatically in its 21 year history that the organizers introduced an offshoot. A Page from the Book Festival of the MJCCA -- a year round series of author events -- provides an avenue to bring a diverse group of writers to town outside of the 15-day festival in the fall.
This year, appearances from Dr. Sanjay Gupta and actress Vanessa Williams, will precede the annual book festival, which runs from Nov. 3 through Nov. 18. "Sometimes there are authors we want to bring in that we can’t get during the book festival or their books may come out at a different time of the year," said festival co-chair Ina Enoch.
Sunday afternoon, Caroline Stoessinger, author of A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World’s Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor," (Random House, $23), kicks off the latest round of events for spring. Stoessinger's appearance is timely. She is visiting on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"We thought what a wonderful tie-in to bring her in to discuss the book on this particular day," Enoch said. "She will talk about her book and will be the keynote speaker at the Yom Hashoah celebration."
Enoch and co-chair, Sherie Gumer also welcome Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN along with CNN senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen on Monday. It is an appropriate day for Gupta to present his new book, "Monday Mornings," (Grand Central Publishing, $25), a novel about five surgeons and their Monday morning Morbidity & Mortality meetings.
In May, Vanessa Williams, star of "Desperate Housewives" appears with her mother and co-author, Helen Williams to discuss the memoir, "You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other)," (Gotham Books, $28).
"We are billing it as a Mother's Day event," said Enoch. "We are hoping that mothers and daughters will come."
Additional events include an appearance by Buddy and Gertrude Elias, authors of "Anne Frank's Family," (Anchor, $15). with Mirjam Pressler. Buddy Elias is Anne Frank's first cousin and oldest living relative. The book recounts letters, poems, drawings and other memorabilia of the Frank family found in a trunk in Helene Elias' attic (Buddy's mom and Anne's aunt).
And in September, Jodi Kantor, author of "The Obamas," (Little Brown and Company, $30), will hold a discussion and signing at MJCCA.
"What we really want [audiences] to get from it is an enjoyment of reading," Gumer said. "We want them to have interaction with the authors. That is something we really enjoy watching."
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A Page From the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta author events
Dates and times vary by event. Free to $42 depending on the event.
Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.
For more information visit www.atlantajcc.org or call 678-812-4002.
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