Miami Book Fair - 2018 Review by Miami Book Fair

TINA BROWN

JOHN KERRY

ANDRES OPPENHEIMER

TAYARI JONES

NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS WINNERS & FINALISTS

THE 2018 MIAMI BOOK FAIR MARKED OUR 35TH ANNIVERSARY, AND IT WAS TRULY ONE FOR THE BOOKS. We opened the Fair with award-winning author and former editor of Vanity Fair, Tina Brown, then spent the next seven days in the company of more than 500 of the best authors from the U.S. and around the world. Below is a short list of just a few of the varied cast of global luminaries who attended this year’s Book Fair:

Laura Esquivel

Tayari Jones

Jonah Goldberg

Sandra Cisneros

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Max Boot

Jorge Volpi

Ngugi Wa Thiongo

Kevin Young

Cristina Rivera Garza

Michael Ondaatje

Fatimah Asghar

Andrés Oppenheimer

George Pelecanos

Billy Collins

Jacqueline Woodson

Justice Sonia Sotomayer

Juan Felipe Herrera

Jason Taylor

Adam Gopnik

Megan McDonald

John Kerry

Edwidge Danticat

Meg Cabot

Julian Castro

Michael Beschloss

Jason Reynolds

John Grisham

Carl Hiaasen

Eva Chen

Liane Moriarty

Rebecca Traister

Ibtihaj Muhammad

Anna Quindlen

Alan Dershowitz

Sylvia Acevedo

Tina Brown

Rick Wilson

Two dozen of this year’s National Book Award Honorees

In alignment with the ethos of inclusion and multiculturalism that defines us, our programs continued to be as diverse, and unique, as the communities we’ve served for 35 years. The Fair’s IBEROAMERICAN PROGRAM presented OVER 80 AUTHORS from all over the world, including Argentina, JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Mexico, Perú, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. We also continued the steady expansion of the Fair’s READCARIBBEAN PROGRAM, which brought MORE THAN 75 AUTHORS from all over the Caribbean to participate in readings and discussions highlighting the varied experience of Caribbean people in South Florida and beyond.

EVA CHEN

THE PORCH THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REVAMPED AND EXPANDED PORCH SHOWCASED AN ECLECTIC LINE UP OF ESTABLISHED AND EMERGING MIAMI-BASED CULTURAL TALENT. Live music, film screenings, mystery and crime stories, spoken word and true stories told live, tipsy TED-style talks, an exhibit of large-scale photographs from Book Fairs past, and even a Jedi battle. All this, plus some good vibrations, conspired to create an oasis within the Fair, an outdoor urban hangout that served as the ideal place to relax and connect for all Fairgoers. Performers and programming this year included: DJ. Mr. Bauer, Short Films presented by Third Horizon, BlacK Bar, Shenzi, O,Miami, Dark, Deadly Miami Noir, Teen Poetry Showcase, Unistiq, House of Speak Easy, Exchange for Change, Jahfe, Combat Hippies, Patrick and the Swayzes, The Sacred Space, Ample Samples, Lip Serive, Aroze Twoubadou, the Battle of the Brass Bands, and many others.

CHILDREN’S ALLEY We also continued to grow GENERATION GENIUS DAYS, our premier programming series for children, teens and tweens, during the annual Book Fair in 2018. Once again, we brought MORE THAN 8,500 SCHOOLCHILDREN on buses to the Friday of Street Fair so they could meet their favorite authors and receive a free book. The many pop-up fun rooms, live music, storytelling and author stages of CHILDREN’S ALLEY hosted magicians, stilt walkers, circus performers, hip hop training sessions, storytelling, and live music, for the delight of MORE THAN 20,000 KIDS OF ALL AGES, and their grownups too! We also again hosted numerous readings from many of the leading voices in children’s and young people’s literature including SOMAN CHAINANI, MEGAN MACDONALD, MEG CABOT, and many more. More than 7,000 of kids at this readings and events received A FREE BOOK to encourage them to start or expand their personal library at home, and thus foster a lasting love of reading in kids of every status and background.

DHONIELLE CLAYTON

THE STREET FAIR With more than 200 national and international exhibitors selling millions of books, the three-day Street Fair (November 16 -18), is the soul of the Book Fair. 200,000+ attendees not only enjoyed the huge number and variety of books for sale, but also the live music, street performers, children’s activities, and delicious food of every variety, not to mention entire sections dedicated to comics (Destination Comics) and up-and-coming regional writers (Writers Row).

Attending vendors/publishers this year included the following: THE HARVEY J. WOLF ANTIQUARIAN ANNEX Glover’s Bookery, ABAA, LLC Harold Becker Kubik Fine Books Ltd Out-of-the-Way Books BOOKS IN SPANISH Albur Producciones Editoriales S.L. Altamira Books Arts Connection / Venezuelan Writers CAAW Carimbo Cinco Books Editorial Hypermedia Editorial Juventud S. A. Editorial Unos y Otros Editorial Voces de Hoy EducaVision Ediciones Ekaré / Imago Art Ernesto A. Bianchi – Saga Magjaber Hispanic Heritage Literature Organization/ Milibrohispano.org Hugo Cuevas-Mohr La Esquina del Libro: Libros de autores presentados en la Feria Libros del Zorro Rojo Los Libros mas Pequeños del Mundo Eirl. Los Libros mas Pequeños del Mundo Eirl. Los Libros mas Pequeños del Mundo

NubeOcho Rafael Ros Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial The Delgado Collection Unos & Otros Ediciones / CAAW Ediciones Calixta Editories, Lua Books & Palabra Libre Club Literario SOMOS – Fundacion SOMOS Julio Nayor Esoterico Solar Elizeth Schluk CHILDREN’S BOOKS Chocolate Magic Publishing company Confucius Institute at Miami Dade College FFEA – SAVVY Concepts Jane Streit’s Children’s Books Luis G. Cisneros – Libros Infantiles My Teacher Hilda Read to Learn Books for Free Seaper Powers Up-In-The-Sky Usborne Books and More Hugs and Lollipops EDUCATIONAL BOOKS Exposing Communism South Florida National Parks World Wide Week of the Italian Cuisine

GENERAL BOOKS Banned Books – Greater Miami, ACLU A Hundred Fires in Cuba Akashic Books Armstrong Media Group, LLC AuthorCentrix, Inc. Author Solutions Book Gallery. Author Solutions Book Signings Author Solutions Bookstore Authors Press Books & Books Booklegger’s Used Books Burrow Press CLASH Books Coffee Press, Inc. Creative Books Darkwater Syndicate Inc. Flavorfullove Unlimited Books Friends of Miami-Dade Public Library Gary Mogan Books GFDD/FUNGLODE – Florida Grove Atlantic HarperCollins Publishers Indie Authors Monthly Magazine

Inner Traditions Integrity Books M.A. IN COMPOSITION, RHETORIC, AND DIGITAL MEDIA Marloe Press My Daily Chapter (MDC) OKIR Publishing Pennyworth Books Read Jamaica Readers’ Favorite ReadersMagnet Red Carpet Books Red Hen Press RockHill Publishing LLC South Florida Writers Association, Inc The AK Foto Studio The Tarot Mysteries Too Far Media University Press of Florida URLink Print & Media urlinkpublishing.com Voyage to love Books Westwood Books Publishing Workman Publishing

OTHER INTERESTING EXHIBITORS Funxional Products MDC Faculty Published Works MDC Office of Alumni Relations Miami Book Fair Merchandise and Memorabilia Nocturnal Press OPEN CARD NOW POP-UP CARDS Tee Turtle South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL BOOKS Alexander Bernhardt Publishing CO.,USA Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Comunidad Musulmana Ahmad¡a LOGOSOPHY Shambhala Publications Sri Chinmey Meditation Centre The Holy Qur’an The Review of Religions The Summit Lighthouse Universal Christian Gnostic Movement Utopia port til Women In Islam

HISTORY BOOKS Florida Historical Society Press The Book Cellar

SOCIAL MEDIA The 2018 Miami Book Fair generated more than 118 MILLION IDENTIFIED SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS.

Below are a few highlights: Total Impressions

Total Shared Impressions

118 MILLION

Total MBF Fans/Followers

75K

Average Engagement Rate

9.09%

53.8 MILLION (Specifically Tweets posted by other people about the fair)

72%

of followers are female/ are male

28%

85%

of followers are English speakers/ are Spanish speakers

11%

Below are a few of the top social media posts from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book Fairs:

MEDIA CLIPPINGS A host of local, regional, and national media outlets covered the 2018 Miami Book Fair.

Below is a small sample of the positive articles/coverage the Book Fair received: 99.115.32.98

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this Business Wire site (and/or any other Business Wire website), you accept the use of cookies.

I agree

Join The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan at the Miami Book Fair 2018 November 19, 2018 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tune in on reVolver Podcasts to The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan for his conversations with best-selling authors recorded during the Miami Book Fair 2018. Now in its 35th year, the acclaimed Miami Book Fair is the nation’s finest and largest literary gathering featuring more than 450 celebrated authors from the U.S. and around the world reading and discussing their work. The first podcast of the Miami Book Fair series dropped this weekend Sat., Nov. 17 and features Pete Souza, the Chief Official White House Photographer for U.S. Presidents Ronald Regan and Barack Obama. His most recent book, Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, is a powerful tribute to a bygone era of integrity in politics. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Additional authors in the series include: Tina Brown, an award-winning writer and editor, as well as founder of the Women in the World Summit. Between 1979 and 2001 she was the editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker. Her 2007 biography of the Princess of Wales, The Diana Chronicles, topped the New York Times bestseller list. In 2008 she founded the award-winning news site, The Daily Beast. Tayari Jones is the New York Times best-selling author of Leaving Atlanta, The Untelling and Silver Sparrow, which was added to the NEA Big Read Library of classics in 2016. Her most recent book, An American Marriage, was named to Oprah’s Book Club List. Jones is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, her honors include the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award in Fine Arts from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a recipient of the Carnegie Medal for The Bully Pulpit, the New York Times bestselling chronicle of the friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. The decades-long presidential biographer’s books include the bestselling Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, the Pulitzer Prize-winning No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, and the runaway bestseller Team of Rivals, which was the basis for Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award-winning film Lincoln. Her latest book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, is the culmination of five decades of presidential history, reflecting on four American presidents during times of crisis. Jason Reynolds is author of the best-selling series Track, National Book Award finalist for his book Ghost and 2018 Indies First spokesperson. Reynolds is helping to launch the “Indie Bookstores Give Back on Small Business Saturday” campaign at the Miami Book Fair. Lisa Lucas is the Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, one of America’s key literary institutions, and the first woman and first African-American to lead the organization. Lucas’ brief take on books and how they can connect us to one another, “[books] make people who are not like us more human.” “Books are essential to expanding one’s knowledge and view of the world. I hope, by offering a glimpse into various genres and writing styles, listeners will be inspired to pick up a good book,” said Kaplan. “I’m very pleased to welcome these diverse authors, many of whom I consider friends, to my podcast.” Kaplan is a co-founder of Miami Book Fair and co-founder and owner of Books & Books, one of the most respected, independent book stores in the country. Follow Kaplan on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Tune in and subscribe for free to The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan. Find your favorite reVolver Podcasts at reVolverPodcasts.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and iHeartMedia. To listen on Apple Podcasts, visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1433854266. Sales or marketing inquiries can be directed to reVolver Podcasts at jack@revolverpodcasts.com. For questions about content or to find out how to become a content provider and host, email maria@revolverpodcasts.com. Follow reVolver Podcasts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About reVolver Podcasts reVolver Podcasts is the leading multicultural, audio-on-demand content creator and distributor in the U.S. Home to “El Show de Piolín,” “Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom,” “Neteando con Kate y Jessica,” and “House Call with Dr. J” plus more than 50 additional programs spanning sports, music, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, health and wellness, inspiration, news, real crime, branded content and live events, the podcasts are distributed on reVolverPodcasts.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play and iHeartMedia. For more information about the company, visit www.revolverpodcasts.com.

Contacts Katie Olivier Sunwest Communications for reVolver Podcasts 214.373.1601 x241 kolivier@sunwestpr.com



305-669-7355 NEWSPAPERS

Online | Submit Press Release

SPONSORED SEARCHES

Hotel Miami Beach

Art Basel Miami

Florida Miami

Dinner Show

December Event December Event

Hot

South Florida 100: Holiday appeals, Black Friday, election look-backs NOVEMBER 23, 2018, 1:32 PM

Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.

Barbara Sharief, member, Broward County Commission Looking ahead: Broward residents should be aware of online scammers during the holidays. The risks of cyberattacks increase each year. Criminals use fake emails and websites to steal money and gain access to confidential information. Follow these tips to stay safe online: do not shop using public computers or unsecured public WiFi networks; create stronger passwords using a combination of eight or more characters, upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols; look for the padlock in the address bar or a URL that starts with "https"; avoid using debit cards online and pay with credit cards for greater protection. Visit https://www.dhs.gov/be-cyber-smart

Eleanor Sobel, former member, State Senate Last week: Florida elections 2018 are complete. Some interesting county statistics emerged in the U.S. Senate race between Bill Nelson and Rick Scott, a .2% difference. Counties with higher minority populations voted Democratic while median age had no relationship with respect to red or blue parties. Counties with a more educated populace and with higher median incomes leaned Democratic. Demographic trends in the gubernatorial race between Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis -- a 1.2% difference -- follows a similar pattern with counties and minority populations favoring Democrats, with no clear relationship with age, more educated counties and those with higher median incomes voting blue. No surprises here. Looking ahead: A new broom sweeps clean. Hallandale Beach is on a new mission to clean up its image with two new members -- Mayor Joy Adams and City Commissioner Sabrina Javellana -the youngest commissioner in the history of Hallandale Beach. As witnessed leading her first commission meeting, Mayor Adams will lead as a no nonsense mayor and will not tolerate personal attacks, threatening to shut down her first meeting. Commissioner Javellana, who is now vice-mayor at the age of 21 and a full-time student at FIU, is an independent thinker voting her conscience without siding consistently with any particular commission faction.

Earl Maucker, commissioner, City of Lighthouse Point; former Sun Sentinel Editor Last week: Lori Parrish, one of the smartest, most astute public servants to serve Broward County has applied to fill the unexpired term of Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes. Whomever is making the decision should jump on the chance to get Lori back in the game. As a former school board member, county commissioner and property appraiser, her understanding of process and depth of experience make her the perfect choice. Let's not get hung up on party politics. She's made it clear she doesn't want to run for the office - just get it back on track. Ideal option.

Dr. Steven Ronik, CEO, Henderson Behavioral Health Last week: The Thanksgiving season is upon us. As we are confronted with endless cycles of devastating and sometimes catastrophic news, let's take a minute for some Thanksgiving gratitude. Gratitude for the spirit, resilience, and love that we often miss, but surrounds us here in South Florida. I see it up close and personal at Henderson Behavioral Health, where a team of selfless professionals dedicate their lives to helping the underserved, disadvantaged, and disenfranchised. My gratitude for our team, and all professionals who help those struggling with mental health and addictions conditions runs deep. Let's all take a moment to recognize those in all our lives who make a difference.

Frederick Lippman, chancellor of Nova Southeastern's Health Professions Division Looking ahead: At this Thanksgiving my wish is very simple. I want to give thanks to our family, friends and neighbors for the opportunity to communicate with one another in a civil manner regardless of our diversion of opinions. I am grateful to see and be with people of different opinions, personalities and backgrounds and yet still be able to communicate with one another with civility and not anger. My Thanksgiving wish is that we all continue to be able to have important conversations in a loving, meaningful way without divisiveness and anger.

Marlon A. Hill, partner, Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel Last week: Despite the marked increase in voter turnout in the recent midterm elections, it remains wholeheartedly unacceptable that South Florida continues to lag behind in the statewide total turnout. We cannot continue to have our fair say at the table with only a marginal turnout above 50% in any election. With a clean slate of leadership across the state, every citizen should remain engaged on the issues they hold dear to their families and local community. No one should be afraid of politics. In fact, politics should be mindful of your voice.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines Last week: Whether you were a Black Friday aficionado or are planning on tackling Cyber Monday, the bargain hunting has begun and people are in full shopping mode for the upcoming holiday. I’m all for snapping up a great bargain, but when crowds get crazy, I step back. I encourage people to shop small businesses this year, and please don’t go into debt for the holiday. All the shiny new items are tempting, but the bills that follow can tarnish that joy. I’m still eating leftover turkey, will take a deep breath, and will remain calm as holiday shoppers have fun. Looking ahead: They are now called “porch pirates.” A recently released study by a security review website shows Miami-Fort Lauderdale ranked third among U.S. cities where packages are taken the most between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. These porch thieves boldly swipe our packages and leave us frustrated and angry. Austin, Texas leads the list while New York City is one of five areas least likely to have a holiday package taken. We can use delivery tracking, add insurance, install security cameras, etc., but the package will still be gone. We may be seeing more package ‘lockers’ on front porches in the future.

Tim Lonergan, president, Broward League of Cities; Oakland Park mayor Looking ahead: The last election cycle emphasized the need for a credible electoral process that runs on time and without errors. The process must reflect the will of the voters and provide an environment that allows citizens to participate with confidence, candidates to safely express their views and voters to be able to trust that when they cast a ballot, it will be counted. The new Broward County Supervisor of Elections, who will be elected in 2020, must provide management that is professional, impartial, transparent and effective in its preparation and administration to ensure that the integrity of the election process works.

eating leftover turkey, will take a deep breath, and will remain calm as holiday shoppers have fun. Looking ahead: They are now called “porch pirates.” A recently released study by a security review website shows Miami-Fort Lauderdale ranked third among U.S. cities where packages are taken the most between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. These porch thieves boldly swipe our packages and leave us frustrated and angry. Austin, Texas leads the list while New York City is one of five areas least likely to have a holiday package taken. We can use delivery tracking, add insurance, install security cameras, etc., but the package will still be gone. We may be seeing more package ‘lockers’ on front porches in the future.

Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president, Miami Dade College Last week: Last Sunday we wrapped up the 35th edition of Miami Dade College’s Miami Book Fair, the nation’s largest and finest literary gathering and with some amazing weather, which I am sure was the envy of the rest of the nation. Beyond providing an open door to academic excellence to everyone with a desire to learn and better themselves, I often think the Book Fair is the second greatest gift the college provides to our community. It perfectly aligns with our mission. Reading and books are more important than ever. I also hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving. Looking ahead: I want to remind everyone that registration is ongoing for the spring semester at our state colleges. Classes begin on Jan. 8. A college credential is a must to navigate the new knowledge economy and enjoy professional success for life. With short term and degree programs, our state colleges have so much to offer. And, thanks to the recent passage of Amendment 7, our Florida College System will be added to our state Constitution alongside the K-12 and state university systems. This will maintain our colleges’ excellence and ability to respond to local workforce training and educational needs.

Michael Udine, member, Broward County Commission Last week: This week Archbishop Desmond Tutu presented the March for Our Lives students from Northwest Broward with the International Children’s Peace Prize. The MFOL movement was recognized as one of the most significant youth led movements in history and the award recognized the founders as the change-makers of this generation. The students visited over 80 communities in 24 states to register young voters and engage the youth of our nation in the political process. Out of tragedy, their exuberance and energy continues to impress the world as a global peaceful protest movement. I’m thankful that these important voices are being heard.

Michael De Lucca, president, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Inc. Last week: It can be challenging to maintain your weight during the holiday season with all of the delicious food. Did you know, a Thanksgiving meal alone can be 3,000 calories? To keep your weight controlled during the holidays, it’s important to keep up with your physical activity. To burn off those 3,000 calories you need to run an entire marathon! Be cautious of the ingredients you eat and try to substitute high caloric foods with healthier options during the Holidays and the days following with leftovers. Get those fitbits out, walk at least 10,000 steps daily, to maintain a healthy heart! Looking ahead: With more than 3.6 million high school and middle school students’ vaping e-cigarettes daily, this has become an epidemic in the United States. Vaping products are targeted to adults who are trying to quit smoking cigarettes. However, these positive efforts for adults are sending negative messages to our younger population. Health officials are concerned about the health damage vaping is causing on our future generation. The FDA is continuing to look into developing strict regulations to help eliminate anyone under eighteen from using these products.

Gary Resnick, mayor, Wilton Manors Last week: Wilton Manors having an all gay/lesbian commission continues in the spotlight with a mention on SNL. Maybe we can use some of our new found fame to highlight services provided by all cities and issues we all must address like aging infrastructure, budget challenges, sea level rise, public safety, gun violence, transportation, preemption. Having an all G/L commission may create 15 minutes of fame, but doing the work day-in-and-day-out to improve the quality of life for our residents is the real long-term story.

Peter Moore, president, Chen Moore and Associates Last week: Hmm. Turkey has salmonella. Lettuce has E. Coli. Those that wanted a turkey salad for a light Thanksgiving dinner are going to be sadly disappointed. I said that as a joke, but the way that our food supply chain has consolidated as a trend does two things – on the positive side, it can produce high quality and diverse products at a very competitive cost, but on the negative side, it can lead to widespread contamination issues that cause extensive public health crises. How food resilient is your home if, through accidental or intentional reasons, disease impacts many more food products? Looking ahead: Next week, the annual Men of Style Event will occur on Nov. 29 with the mission of food, fun and fashion as 12 influential and fashionable South Florida gentlemen work the runway in support of local not-for-profits. I am one of those men. In addition to supporting the Leadership Broward Foundation, which is a pillar of our community, I’m continuing my fight to break the stereotypes of how people view engineers because engineers are more than technical professionals – engineers are community professionals leading the way in business, policy and politics. Come out – support your community (and an engineer)!

Dan Lindblade, president, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Last week: We continue to work together to help our brothers, sisters and children living on our streets with the Broward Business Council on Homelessness. As co-chair of the Landlord Tiger Group, I call on all rental property owners to help us build a rental rapid rehousing system. We will cover first and last months' rent, security deposit, rental payment assistance, and have a fund for other needs. We provide both clinical case workers and rental case managers to assist. Now is the time to come together. We can do this. Looking ahead: Priorities for the state legislature and governor are beginning to form with elections finally over. The business community will continue to push for solutions related to our environment, employment, education, taxation, healthcare, insurance and a myriad of other economic drivers to sustain regional prosperity. Delegations to Tallahassee, Washington and work locally will require patience, perseverance and leadership.

Kathleen Cannon, president, United Way of Broward County Looking ahead: Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about getting great deals. But the best deal is always giving back! Giving Tuesday is Nov. 27, and people across the globe will come together to support organizations that improve lives and communities year-round. Please be generous as it means the world to someone in need and to the nonprofits that help them. There are many charities and causes in South Florida that welcome your involvement. #GivingTuesday

Marty Kiar, property appraiser, Broward County Looking ahead: Broward County 2018 property tax bills must be paid by Nov. 30 to receive the 4 percent early payment discount. On Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., residents can save time by using Broward County's tax express payment dropoff service located at the Broward County Governmental Center Annex. In order for tax payments to be accepted,they must be: (1) current taxes (2018); (2) paid in full; (3) on a properly filled out check; and (4) accompanied by the original tax bill stub. Please remember no cash or credit cards will be accepted at this location.

Anna Fusco, president, Broward Teachers Union Last week: In a week in which “thanks” is the dominant theme, we should pause to count our blessings. We may not like crazy statements and decisions made by leaders, but should give thanks that we may freely express our disagreement. We may not like recent elections results, but should give thanks that we live in a country where we can each vote and witness efforts to tabulate those choices fairly. We may feel discouraged when surrounded by prejudice, but should give

thanks that we can help those who are bullied. Let’s all give thanks that we live in already great America.

Gerry Litrento, senior executive vice president, BankUnited

Gerry Litrento, senior executive vice president, BankUnited Last week: If you’re like me, you did some holiday shopping this past weekend, cashing in on Black Friday sales or you are waiting for tomorrow to take advantage of those Cyber Monday deals. But in between, I do hope you took the time on Small Business Saturday to support small businesses and all they do for the local community. How important are small businesses to our economy? Of the 5.6 million employer firms in the U.S. in 2016, firms with fewer than 100 workers accounted for 98.2 percent and firms with fewer than 20 workers made up 89.0 percent. So this holiday season, try to make every day a Small Business Saturday.

Lori Berman, Florida state senator Looking ahead: The state legislature convened last week for organizational session to install the new Senate President and Speaker of the House and to adopt the rules of our respective bodies. In both addresses made by the incoming Speaker Jose Oliva and incoming President Bill Galvano they emphasized the need for civility and respect in our democracy. I am hopeful that the contentious nature of our national rhetoric will not be seen in your state legislature as we work together to address the needs of all Floridians. I’m looking forward to working with both my Democratic and Republican colleagues this legislative session.

Anthony Abbate, associate provost, Florida Atlantic University, Broward Last week: This week is my favorite holiday - Thanksgiving! It represents the best of this country as people from all creeds and cultures come together to celebrate in gratitude for the abundance that we enjoy from this rich land. South Floridians can also be thankful that the elections are over. As we reflect we should focus on the fact that design matters. A probable cause of the recent fiasco? Inattention to design! The goal of information design is to help us understand things better. We need qualified professional expertise to review, assess, and redesign the ballots and the information provided to voters. Looking ahead: As we are officially into holiday season it’s encouraging to know that we have come together as a community to support our homeless neighbors. The HOPE Foundation received approval from the City of Fort Lauderdale to provide outdoor showers - an important step toward restoring human dignity - as the city and county, working with local businesses and agencies are working together to provide basic human needs: food, clothing and shelter, for those most in need in our community. While most of us take these needs for granted, the holidays are a time for us to focus on giving generously.

Linda Carter, president, Community Foundation of Broward Last week: The giving season launched with a bang on the announcement of a $1.8 billion donation from Michael Bloomberg for financial aid to students at Johns Hopkins University. It demonstrates how smart philanthropists believe in the power of creating endowed funds that will make transformational impact – in perpetuity. Locally, hundreds of individual have done the same to address issues that matter in our community by working with the Community Foundation of Broward – though not quite as many “0’s.” As a community we are blessed these visionaries choose to be bold and shape the future of Broward with their philanthropy.

Mitchell W. Berger, founder and cochair, Berger Singerman Last week: The President of the United States, for the third time this year chose to support a ruthless dictator, instead of uphold the values and national security of the United States. The Crowned Prince of Saudi Arabia did murder a Washington Post writer. The Russian President did interfere with American elections and he did authorize the murder of a political opponent on British soil, and the dictator of North Korea kills and starves his people and is building missile launch sites to launch nuclear weapons which will threaten the United States. Looking ahead: As the Democrats select house leadership, we will see if the Democrats think it is time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans or it is time for a remake of the end of the twentieth century.

Thomas Wenski, archbishop, Archdiocese of Miami Last week: In the past few months – particularly with the issuance of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clerical abuse of children, the initiation across the country of at least a dozen state grand jury investigations, as well as other potential federal inquiries – the Catholic Church’s commitment, effort, and success in protecting our most vulnerable have been misrepresented … unreported … dismissed. Yet, the truth is that measures enacted in 2002 to confront the scourge of child sexual abuse have worked: zero tolerance, fingerprinting, child safety. There is zero tolerance, any abuse is immediately reported to authorities, employees and volunteers are fingerprinted. Looking ahead: Secularism seeks to “privatize” religious faith reducing it to the realm of the subjective. But faith while personal can never be just “private.” Faith engages our whole life: religious freedom entails not only the freedom to worship, but also the freedom to witness and to serve. A secular state can respect the proper boundaries between church and state without excluding religious belief from society. But the state would violate religious freedom and the rights of conscience when it seeks to force people of faith or their ministries to act in ways that would contradict its teachings.

Eric Poms, CEO, Orange Bowl Committee Last week: The same four teams stayed atop the College Football Playoff Selection Committee rankings: in order Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan. The final rankings will be released on Dec. 2 after conference championship games, with the top four teams seeded one through four to determine participants in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. This year, one of the two Playoff Semifinals (either No. 1 vs. No. 4 or No. 2 vs. No. 3) will be hosted by the Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29 at Hard Rock Stadium. Looking ahead: This is the final weekend of the college football regular season, with the conference championship games scheduled for next week. The remaining games will determine the final rankings to be revealed by the College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee on Dec. 2. The top four teams in those rankings will be seeded and matched up in this year’s Playoff Semifinals. One of those semifinals (either No. 1 vs. No. 4 or No. 2 vs. No. 3) will be hosted by the Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Ina Lee, owner, Travelhost Elite of Greater Fort Lauderdale Last week: The March for Our Lives student teenage activists from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School who channeled their grief and outrage into a national movement for gun control were awarded the 2018 International Children's Peace Prize by former Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa. He called them "true change makers" as they organized hundreds of thousands to march on Washington and cities nationwide; their 24 state voter registration drive; and multiple other initiatives. Since then, 25 states have passed some form of gun control. They give me hope for our future. Looking ahead: Port Everglades and Celebrity Cruises celebrated a double whammy last week with the arrival of the Celebrity Edge, the line's newest cruise ship in a decade, into the brand new Cruise Terminal 25. The terminal investment of $120 million, the largest in Port Everglades' history, created a state of the art experience with stunning artwork installations. The terminal will welcome approximately 500,000 passengers annually, create more new jobs, $7.5 million in state and local taxes and a huge boom for tourism and our local economy.

45 Sheldon Harr, founding rabbi emeritus, Temple Kol Ami EmanuEl

Looking ahead: This is the final weekend of the college football regular season, with the conference championship games scheduled for next week. The remaining games will determine the final rankings to be revealed by the College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee on Dec. 2. The top four teams in those rankings will be seeded and matched up in this year’s Playoff Semifinals. One of those semifinals (either No. 1 vs. No. 4 or No. 2 vs. No. 3) will be hosted by the Capital One Orange Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Sheldon Harr, founding rabbi emeritus, Temple Kol Ami EmanuEl Last week: Isn't it amazing that at least for one day we are able as citizens of the United States to lower our voices, cut out the vitriol, stop of childish name calling and simply give thanks for the blessings that are ours? Thanksgiving, a uniquely American holiday, allowed us to reflect on the promise that is America, while at the same time enjoying family and friends, watching an amazing parade, accompanied by some great football and even better food of every variety. For one day, at least, our TVs, were on some nice entertainment about which even die-hard Democrats, Republicans and independents can agree.

Dr. Michael Dennis, chair, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine Last week: So much attention is paid to POTUS’s errors and failures of his appointees that in this time of Thanksgiving we should focus on positive information. New FDA head Dr. Scott Gottlieb’s first priority is to address opioid drug abuse. He’s already eliminated one product because its addictive properties outweighed its painkilling benefits. He is focused on the burden of high drug prices and will use the FDA’s power over the approval of quality generic drugs making available less costly alternative medications. Additionally, he’s reduced disease-enhancing e-cigarettes and closed questionable stem cell clinics. Progress toward a more affordable, safer, healthy environment. Looking ahead: Should race and ethnicity not be a factor when students apply to a university? In a multiracial, multiethnic nation, can the admissions bar be raised for some and not for others? These are tough questions challenging the principle of affirmative action. And with a conservative leaning Supreme Court that concept could be overturned. All this stems from the lawsuit by Asian Americans claiming that Harvard discriminates against them in favor of African-American and Latino students. Harvard counters that it cannot achieve its educational goals without considering race. How this plays out will have an enormous impact on all university campuses.

Clarence McKee, president, McKee Communications Last week: According to CNN exit polls, 18%, or just over 100,000, of the 650,000 black women who voted in the recent election voted for white Republican Ron DeSantis over black Democrat Andrew Gillum. The reason, as stated by William Mattox in a Nov. 20 Wall Street Journal article: DeSantis supported voucher programs that help low-income children while Gillum, bowing to teachers’ unions, wanted to abolish such programs and limit charter schools. Given that DeSantis’ margin of victory was around 40,000 votes, these black “school choice moms” were decisive. The issue also helped DeSantis win 44% of the Hispanic vote.

Robert Weinroth, Palm Beach County commissionerelect Last week: The recounts have ended, the winners declared. Despite hiccups along the way, democracy worked. However, it is abundantly clear attention needs to be paid to voting procedures and the process for validating a race where the results fail within the statutory requirements for further review. While the state’s Supervisors of Elections enjoy significant autonomy as constitutional officers, hardware needs to be reviewed and updated, as required and, perhaps more importantly, the canvassing boards for the counties with the highest populations (e.g., Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties) need to be enlarged to facilitate a more orderly process for validating votes. Looking ahead: I was honored to join the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners this week. Over the coming months, I intend to focus on the critical need for affordable workforce housing to ensure the county continues to be competitive as we attempt to attract new businesses to our community. Coupled with the need for affordable housing is the need for a vibrant public transportation system to combat traffic congestion. One area where we can make an immediate impact is introducing commuter rail service running along the eastern FEC tracks to better service our urban centers throughout the tri-county area.

John "Jack" P. Seiler, former mayor, Fort Lauderdale Last week: Chief Justice John Roberts, who was appointed by a Republican President, had to defend the federal judiciary from highly critical attacks by the current President and, along those same lines, had to defend our constitutional separation of powers. Roberts reminded all of us that we still have three separate but equal branches of government; we still have a system of checks and balances; we still have a Supreme Court that serves one nation and not one political party or one person; and, we still have an independent judiciary that we should all (Republican, Democrat, conservative, moderate, liberal, etc.) be very thankful for. Looking ahead: Now that the federal and state elections are over, it is time that we all focus on fixing the Lake Okeechobee environmental crisis that became a political "hot potato". Instead of blaming one elected official or another for the waves of toxic algae blooms spreading out from Lake Okeechobee to both coasts, we all need to preserve and protect our waterways and beaches, our public health, our private property, and our tourist economy. We need a detailed plan for water quality, water storage, agricultural discharge standards, and septic tank pollution restrictions. We also need substantial funds dedicated to both short term and long term solutions. Finally, we need a serious long-term commitment for moving forward from the local, state, and federal governments.

Howard Simon, executive director, ACLU of Florida

Last week: The dispute between the President and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is startling. The President’s argues that if the courts don’t bend to his will they are preventing him from protecting the country. The occasion for this dispute involves the cases now in court challenging the President’s scapegoating of immigrants and his retreat from our nation’s historic policies that have been welcoming to immigrants as new Americans. But the larger, more ominous aspects of the dispute with the Chief Justice involve this President’s authoritarian tendencies and his disdain for the role of the judiciary in our democratic system. Looking ahead: Too many people assume that our system of checks and balances will work as intended and that our democratic system will survive, even with big swings of the pendulum. But our democracy is far more fragile than many of us are willing to believe. The pillars of constitutional democracy are under assault every day – attacks on the vital role that a free and inquiring news media plays in establishing the facts, the independence of the courts and the integrity of democratic elections. To make matters worse, the President uses race and ethnic differences to spread fear and stoke dangerous divisions.

Ghenete "G" Wright Muir, attorney, LGBTQ advocate Last week: Many celebrated Thanksgiving and some highlighted its tragic origins on social media. Tara Chadwick posted on Facebook “Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where we celebrate the annihilation, assimilation and genocide of the people and cultures of our ancestors... I wish every family completeness, safety, joy and enough resources to meet the needs of the body and soul.” My brother posted, “Big love to my Native fam... also to anyone to which this is a complex and triggering holiday...” Regardless of what the holiday represents, many people are just happy for the day off and time to spend with loved ones. Looking ahead: A few weeks ago I noticed a bright green electric scooter placed oddly at the entrance of a friend’s building in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Then the next day I saw someone riding a scooter, then another person, and tada -- scooters everywhere! Fort Lauderdale was suddenly feeling more vibrant with people outside of their cars. Turns out, the City of Fort Lauderdale agreed for hundreds of dockless scooters to be placed throughout the city. Some people are excited while others question their safety. I hope this is a new mode of transportation and not a passing fad.

Beam Furr, Broward County mayor Last week: President Trump’s extremely weak response to Saudi Arabia’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi should worry all Americans. It’s an abdication of two values that define us as a country. One, it abandons America’s position as a moral leader in the world. It sends a message loud and clear: if you pay us enough money, we will look the other way from tyranny. It also continues the very worrying trend of violation of freedom of the press. Under the Trump administration, journalists have been attacked and vilified from the Oval Office. Our president should champion our American values and humanity, not capitulate to tyranny and dictatorship. Looking ahead: This week, I joined Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez for the a crucial Joint County Mayoral Meeting. This was a very productive discussion of our shared priorities and opportunities to coordinate on issues important to our residents. The two main things we discussed were transportation and environmental resilience. These are regional challenges that require a regional response, especially when it comes to leveraging for funds. Miami-Dade is not just our neighbor- they are our partner here in South Florida. We should have a meeting like this every year, and I hope to see it become an annual event moving forward.

George Moraitis, chairman, Broward Republican Executive Committee Last week: The November election was a tremendous success for the Republican Party in Florida and in Broward and I am proud that we did our part to turn back what many had predicted would be a blue wave this election cycle. In fact, Broward pushed out 72,000-83,000 more votes these midterms for Ron DeSantis (222,012) and Rick Scott (211,261) this election compared to Scott in 2014 (138,394).

Missing comments? We’ve turned off comments across Sun Sentinel while we review our commenting platform and consider ways to improve the system. If you purchased points through the Solid Opinion platform and would like a refund, please let us know at circsupport@tronc.com.

HOME NEWS WEATHER

SPORTS

CONTESTS

COMMUNITY

Author Brings GUITAR At The Miami Book Fair 2018! Posted: Oct 30, 2018 7:15 PM EDT

Author Brings GUITAR At The Miami Book Fair 2018! MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ The books are definitely coming to downtown Miami as the nation’s finest literary festival, the Miami Book Fair International holds its annual celebration. This eight day literary party will commence on November 11 with over a hundredthousand readers and writers in attendance. Distinguished authors from the United States and other parts of the globe, as well as book lovers, will be gracing the Fair and its many activities. Formerly known as “Books by the Bay”, the Miami Book Fair was founded in 1984 by MiamiDade College. The growth and success of the very first event which took place in the same year were endeavored by MiamiDade College in cooperation with the MiamiDade Public Library System, Wolfson Campus President, Eduardo J. Padron, and local independent bookstore owners Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books and Craig Pollock of BookWorks. The team had reached their success during the 90’s, when the twoday street fair grew steadily and became the largest literary festival in the country, thus acquiring its wellearned name, Miami Book Fair. AuthorCentrix celebrates its second year as one of the exhibitors at the Fair. The company will be gracing the event with Kenneth Jackson, a published author and guitar lover. This year at the Fair, he brings to the readers, a special piece that serves as a manual for all those who play the guitar and those who would want to play it. A chance for onetoone Author Interview and Book Signing with Jackson await everyone! Ken Jackson’s GUITAR presents a monograph for all the guitar players who have dedicated their lives to music. Jackson considers music as the medicine of the mind and he wants to share his expertise for those who want to play guitar. The book serves as a manual, intended to help everyone learn about scales, chords, and the structure of songs. He encourages everyone to enjoy swinging guitar with fervour! The Festival will bring over hundreds of renowned national and international exhibitors together as it continues to become a model for other fairs across the country. Events and activities include the Street Fair, book signings, live music, workshops, and readings and discussions with notable authors from both, the U.S., and from around the world. The Miami Book Fair 2018 invites the book lovers to join the annual celebration, as it remains to uphold the cognizance of reading ability and literary arts in the city’s multiethnic community, making it the nation’s undisputable, finest literary festival! Kenneth Jackson AUTHORCENTRIX, INC. +1 888-504-0951 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook Twitter

Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. Frankly and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are af liated with this page and would like it removed please contact pressreleases@franklyinc.com