Photography Courtesy of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center
This fall, the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival returns for its 41st year with an impressive lineup of writers to discuss everything from cookies to baseball.
"We're really trying to create a stage that is welcoming to all people," says Amy Bornstein, the Jewish Community Center's director of literary and Jewish arts. "This year, we're going to be bringing in a lot of authors who've never been to St. Louis and a lot of first-time authors."
Running November 3–17 at Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur, the festival will a veritable library of options. Here's a rundown of who to see and what to read before attending.
Isaac Mizrahi | I.M.: A Memoir
The fashion designer is best known for his chic clothing line, which has graced runways and Target racks. In his memoir, this year's keynote speaker goes far beyond the runway. Mizrahi recalls growing up in a strict Syrian Orthodox Jewish household and developing the tenacity that got him where he is today. He will likely set an inspirational tone for the rest of the festival. "He brings with him such a positivity and a glow with everything he's been able to do," says Bornstein. "It's an inspiring story of a regular kid growing up in New York to the incredible person he's become." November 3, 7 p.m.
Susan Angel Miller | Permission to Thrive: My Journey from Grief to Growth
Miller's memoir grapples with the loss of her 14-year-old daughter and ensuing spiritual journey. Her family's tough decision to donate their daughter's organs saved the life of a woman whom they later befriended. It was through this experience that Miller says she went through what she calls "post-traumatic growth." November 4, 10:30 a.m.
Pam Jenoff | The Lost Girls of Paris
Jenoff is the New York Times best-selling author of The Orphan's Tale. Her new book is a story of friendship between British spies in France during World War II. Jenoff, a former Pentagon employee and diplomat in Poland, draws from her own experiences in the fictional work. November 4, 1 p.m.
Marra B. Gad | The Color of Love: A Story of a Mixed-Race Jewish Girl
In her debut memoir, Gad explores the trials of identity she endured growing up as a multiracial Jewish girl. She writes about the inheritance of culture and identity, as well as strong emotions like hate and, more than anything, love. November 4, 7 p.m.
Dawn Raffel | The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of American Babies
Photography Courtesy of the Jewish Community Center
Dr. Michael Couney saved more than 6,500 American babies in the early 20th century by putting them in incubators at the midways of World's Fairs and Coney Island sideshows. Raffel's book recounts the doctor's peculiar practice, in addition to offering free neonatal care— a rare practice at the time. November 5, 10:30a.m.
Yousef Bashir | The Words of My Father: Love and Pain in Palestine
After being injured during the Second Intifada in Gaza, Bashir was saved by Israeli doctors and eventually learned to walk again. Through his story and the advice of his father, Bashir advocates for compassion and empathy between the two opposing sides. November 5, 7p.m.
Art Shamsky | After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the '69 Mets
The former Major League Baseball player's book reflects on the aftermath of the Mets' 1969 World Championship. He'll field questions from St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Benjamin Hochman during this year's Sport's Night talk. November 6, 7p.m.
Photography courtesy of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center
Jack J. Hersch | Death March Escape: The Remarkable Story of a Man Who Twice Escapes the Nazi Holocaust
Hersch retraces the steps of his father, who, at age 18, twice escaped Holocaust death marches in 1944. Following the routes to the Mauthausen–Gusen concentration camp, Hersch discovers more than he ever knew about his father—and about himself. November 7, 10:30 a.m.
Margalit Fox | Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer
Although Sherlock often gets the murder detective acclaim, his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has a detective history all his own. In this true story, the famous murder mystery writer takes on a sensational British murder that could have come straight from one of his stories. November 7, 1 p.m.
Elizabeth Weitzmen | Renegade Women in Film and TV
A journalist, film critic, and author of more than two dozen books, Weitzmen honors 50 women throughout history who faced adversity with her latest book, Renegade Women in Film and TV. November 7, 7 p.m.
Photography Courtesy of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center
Elana Horwich | Meal and a Spiel: How to Be a Badass in the Kitchen
Going far beyond the typical collection of recipes, Horwich's cookbook offers humor, anecdotes, and life lessons. The author will share how to be more intuitive while cooking. November 8, 10:30 a.m.
Sarah Hurwitz | Here All Along: A Reintroduction to Judaism
The former political speechwriter rediscovers her own lapsed Judaism through years of self-exploration. Hurwitz's book touches on ethics, prayer, God, and social justice in modern Judaism. November 8, 1 p.m.
Dave Itzkoff | Robin
The best-selling biography of the late Robin Williams paints a portrait of the universally loved entertainer. Itzkoff draws from hundreds of interviews with Williams' friends, family, and colleagues to show not only the immense love for the comic genius but also a hidden sadness. November 9, 7 p.m.
Photography courtesy of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center
Alana Newhouse | The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List
The founder of online Jewish news and culture magazine Tablet, Newhouse dives into 100 Jewish foods and the limitless opinions that shape them. November 10, 10:30 a.m.
Todd S. Purdum | Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution
Rodgers and Hammerstein are best known as the songwriting duo who ushered in a new age of American musical theatre. In this account, Purdum dives into the nuanced relationship between the two and how they worked through creative disagreements to find success in the entertainment industry. November 10, 7 p.m.
Josh Samuel Frank | Giraffes on Horseback Salad
Inspired by a movie script written by painter Salvador Dali and rejected by MGM movie studio, this surreal graphic novel is the story of a Jewish film star and Spanish painter who become unlikely friends. November 11, 1 p.m.
Dr. Michael Roizen | What to Eat When: A Strategic Plan to Improve Your Health and Life Through Food
The physician has focused his entire career on longevity through food. His book offers diet suggestions for everything from cancer prevention to skipping the gym. November 11, 7 p.m.
Michael J. Coles | Time to Get Tough: How Cookies, Coffee, and a Crash Led to Success in Business and Life
After a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Coles knew he had to make a change. His memoir reveals what it took for him to go from poverty to co-founding Great American Cookie Company and becoming the CEO of Caribou Coffee. November 12, 7p.m.
Photography courtesy of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center
Robert Matzen | Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II
The third installment of Matzen's look at historic figures during World War II recounts Hepburn's life in the Netherlands during Nazi occupation. Through diaries and interviews with people who new her at the time, Matzen provides a snapshot of the actress' life during the midst of occupation. November 13, 10:30 a.m.
Julie Satow | The Plaza
Satow's book details the history of New York's storied Plaza Hotel, from Conrad Hilton to Indian tycoons to Donald Trump. Satow paints a picture of the iconic building as a reflection of American culture and high society. November 13, 1 p.m.
Lori Gottlieb | Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
This behind-the-scenes-look at the lives of therapists reveals how even therapists need a therapist once in a while. The New York Times bestselling author and psychotherapist offers a unique insight into the patient-clinician relationship. November 13, 7 p.m.
Photography courtesy of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center
Kirsten Fermaglich | A Rosenberg by Any Other Name: A History of Jewish Name Changing in America
Fermaglich analyzes the history and stereotypes of Jewish name-changing and how it affects American Jewish heritage today. November 14, 1 p.m.
Jack Fairweather | The Volunteer: One Man’s Mission to Lead an Underground Army in Auschwitz and Expose the Greatest Nazi Crimes
In this historical account of a Polish resistance fighter who assumed a fake identity to destroy the Auschwitz concentration camp from the inside out, Fairweather analyzes survival, revenge, and betrayal. November 14, 7 p.m.
Barbara J. Ostfeld | Catbird: The Ballad of Barbi Prim
Ostfeld recounts how she became the first female cantor in Jewish history, sharing about the family trauma and toxic social situations that shaped her into the person she is today. November 15, 10:30 p.m.
Tickets for the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival will be available August 10 beginning at 10 a.m.
