From tales of Russian immigrants to American vacuums, a Palestinian doctor’s story to the history of puns, the Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair is sure to fascinate and engage.
Starting with an opening night reception called “Party Like a Bookworm!” on Tuesday October 25th, the Book Fair will feature a dozen events all over the Twin Cities, the Fair will celebrate the significant contributions of today’s finest authors: seasoned writers, well known among scholarly or literary circles, and fresh voices newly emerging. Get ready to laugh, to think, to feel, to reflect, to debate, to celebrate, and to get inspired!
The Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair is presented by the St. Paul JCC in partnership with the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library with generous support from the George Kaplan Memorial Foundation.
TC Jewfolk is one of the Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair’s community partners, and we’re co-sponsoring two specific events that we think you’ll absolutely love. I’m going to tell you a bit about them, but I won’t stop there. The line up at the Fair this year is awesome.
And if you read to the bottom of this post, you’ll even have a chance to win one of two pairs of “People of the Book” passes. Yep, you read that right – if you win a pair of passes, you and your brother/mother/sig other can go FREE to every single Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair event!
Our Fav Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair Events…
Opening Night: Party Like a Bookworm!
Tuesday, October 25, 7:00pm
David Bezmozgis, The Free World
$10 St. Paul JCC members, $15 community.
Bezmozgis became an overnight success after the publication of his collection, “Natasha and Other Stories”. He was named one of The New Yorker’s 20 Under 40; “Natasha” hailed a New York Times Notable Book, was one of New York Public Library’s 25 to Remember, and was among Amazon’s Top 10 for 2004. His new novel, tells the story of the Krasnansky family, Soviet Jews in 1978 passing through Rome on their way to the free world. He captures the struggle to keep their identities while letting go of their pasts and preparing for an uncertain future.Join the rest of the community in reading this heartfelt multigenerational novel that is an intimate portrait of a tumultuous era. This event is co-sponsored by TC Jewfolk!
Children and Young Adult Book Festival
Sunday, October 30, Noon-4:00 pm
Free Admission
Local companies Kar Ben and Yozeret Publishing are setting up shop at the St. Paul JCC. With their broad array of Jewish-themed books for children and young adults, you’re sure to find something for all your young readers. Bring the family–children of all ages will enjoy presentations by our guest authors, readers, and a professional illustrator.
12:00 noon Deborah Lakritz, author of Say Hello, Lilly
1:00pm Carrie Hartman, children’s book illustrator
2:00pm Amy Ariel, author of Friends Forever
3:00pm Dori Weinstein, author of YaYa & YoYo: Sliding Into the New Year
John Pollack, The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics
Wednesday, November 2, 7:00pm
$6 members, $9 community
Wordplay pundit, John Pollack, winner of the 1995 O. Henry Pun-Off World Championship, discusses puns, how they impacted the development of language, drove creativity and progress, and why they still matter. Yes, he is going to speak up for the lowest form of humor. We all know someone who loves and someone who hates puns; bring them all along for what promises to be a punderful discussion on the importance of having fun with language.
Izzeldin Abuelaish, I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Sacrifice on the Road to Peace
Tuesday, November 15, 7:00pm
$6 members, $9 community
Dr. Abuelaish captured hearts, headlines and humanitarian awards for his response to the death of his daughters in a bombing in 2009. He calls for the people of the Middle East to start talking to each other. His deepest hope is that his daughters will be the last sacrifice on the road to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. This is a story of unshakable courage, optimism, and belief in the healing power of love.
Closing Night Celebration
Saturday, November 19, 7:00pm
Michael Wex, The Frumkiss Family Business
$10 members, $15 community
Author of Born to Kvetch, a New York Times best-seller, Wex is a well-known speaker on all things Yiddish and an accomplished translator of works both from and into the mamaloshen. His new novel touches on the lives of four generations of one big, hapless family. It is a corrosive, smart and laugh-out-loud funny kaleidoscopic portrait of middle class Canadian life at the beginning of the current century. Local band Judith Eisner Klezmorim provide the backdrop for Wex’s unique blend of learning, stand-up comedy and probing investigation into the nature of Yiddish and Yiddishkayt. This event is co-sponsored by TC Jewfolk!
Tempted yet? And there are many more I haven’t even listed here! Check ’em all out on the St. Paul JCC’s Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair website.
Win a “People of the Book” All-Festival Pass to the Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair
So there are a hell of a lot of awesome events at the Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair, that’s pretty obvious. And at $10/$15 a piece, that can add up pretty quickly. So if you want to go to ALL of the Twin Cities Jewish Book Fair events FOR FREE all you have to do is answer this question in the comments below before Thursday, October 20th at midnight: If you could hear one Jewish author (dead/alive) read from your favorite book of theirs, which Jewish author would it be? And what book?
There is no correct answer and you have two chances to win! We’re drawing the winners randomly. Good luck! And I’ll see you at “Party like a bookworm! Party like a bookworm!” on October 25th!
That’s an easy one. Maurice Sendak reading “Where the Wild Things Are.” OR, Shel Silverstein reading “The Giving Tree”.
Oooh–Shel Silverstein would be good. But I would love to hear Tony Kushner read and discuss “Thinking about the Longstanding Problems of Virtue and Happiness: Essays, a Play, Two Poems, and a Prayer.” I would love to hear Tony Kushner read and discuss absolutely anything, in fact.
I’d love to hear J.D. Salinger read “The Catcher in the Rye.”
I’d like to hear Miriam read her version of Exodus.
Philip Roth – The Human Stain
Anything by Shalom Aleichem, as long as it’s in Yiddish!
And the winners are Steve and Nellie! Congrats! The rest of you should buy tickets to the Book Fair! I”ll see you there!