The ‘People of the Book’
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque hosts four notable authors
For the ninth consecutive year the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque will host four notable authors from across the United States from Oct. 21-Nov. 4 at its Jewish Book Fest. Each author is touring with a recently published book.
Letty Pogrebin, visiting from New York City, kicks off the series with a provocative work of fiction exploring interracial romantic relationships.
All events, open to the entire community, will be held at the JCC, 5520 Wyoming NE.
“Jews are known as the ‘People of the Book,’” said JCC executive director Dave Simon. “The Book Fest is one way the JCC promotes learning and enriches the community.”
The JCC will also screen the film “Woman in Gold,” starring Oscar winner Helen Mirren, because of its direct tie-in with one of the books. The schedule follows:
7 p.m. Oct. 21, bonus film presentation: “Woman in Gold,”$5 advance, $8 at door (PG-13).
Helen Mirren stars in the true story of one woman’s battle against the Austrian government to reclaim family-owned paintings by Gustav Klimt that had been stolen by the Nazis during World War II. The film sets the stage for author Simon Goodman’s visit, whose book, “The Orpheus Clock,” recounts his tenacious fight to recover priceless family heirlooms and art work seized by the Nazis.
2 p.m. Oct. 25, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, “Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate,” $10 advance, $15 at door; book $16.
Letty Pogrebin, feminist icon and a co-founding editor of Ms. Magazine, is also an Emmy Award winner, author of 11 books, and frequent contributor to the New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar and the Ladies Home Journal. Her current book, a novel, tells the story of the son of Holocaust survivors who promises his dying mother he will marry within the Jewish faith. He must reconcile this vow with the reality of the African-American woman who may be not only his soul mate, but perhaps his wife?
11:30 a.m. Oct. 28, Jessica Fechtor, “Stir: My Broken Brain & The Meals that Brought Me Home,” luncheon $25 (reservations required); book $20.
Jessica Fechtor, a newlywed graduate student went for a run, and an aneurysm burst in her brain. She lost her sense of smell, the sight in her left eye and the life she loved. Recovery began when she was able to stand and stir at her stove top. Her national best-seller, “Stir,” is a heartfelt memoir written with intelligence and humor. Fechtor is a food blogger, and doctoral candidate in Jewish literature at Harvard. Twenty-seven recipes woven throughout the narrative will inspire the luncheon’s menu.
2 p.m. Nov. 1, Simon Goodman, “The Orpheus Clock: The Search for My Family’s Art Treasures Stolen by the Nazis,” $10 advance, $15 at door; book $24.
Simon Goodman’s “Orpheus Clock” details his 20-year detective hunt across two continents for his stolen family treasures including works by Degas, Renoir and Botticelli. This story reveals a rich family history almost obliterated by the Nazis. Goodman and his family initiated the first Nazi looting case to be settled in the United States, which began the restoration of an all but buried family legacy.
7 p.m. Nov. 4, Hannah Nordhaus, “American Ghost,”$10 advance, $15 at door; book $20.
Hannah Nordhaus, a native New Mexican journalist and bestselling author of the “Beekeeper’s Lament,” seeks to uncover the truth about her great-great- grandmother, Julia Staab, a German-Jewish pioneer who trekked across the Santa Fe Trail in 1866. Her ghost is said to haunt an elegant hotel in Santa Fe that was her family home. “American Ghost” tells the story of mid-19th century immigrants, villains and visionaries. Nordhaus explores the boundary between history and myth, and reveals how a truelife story can become an evocative ghost story.
All reservations may be made online at jccabq.org or by calling 348-4500 or 348-4518. A five-event discount package is available for $50.