Can’t miss author talks & signings
Dr. Anthony Fauci On Call
Sunday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Anthony Fauci became a world figure during the COVID-19 in his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But he also played a crucial role in researching HIV and bringing AIDS into sympathetic public view and his leadership in navigating the Ebola, SARS, West Nile, and anthrax crises.
His memoir reaches back to his boyhood in Brooklyn, New York, and carries through decades of caring for critically ill patients, navigating the whirlpools of Washington politics, and behind-the-scenes advising and negotiating with seven presidents on key issues from global AIDS relief to infectious disease preparedness at home.
Fauci also served as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden in 2021 and 2022 when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Richards will be in conversation with Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Entertainment Editor Rodney Ho and will take questions from the audience as he discusses his memoir “Entrances and Exits.”
The three-time Emmy winner, beloved for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the groundbreaking television series “Seinfeld,” serves up a candid, insightful, humorous, and complex memoir about his life and storied career with Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Jason Alexander, Julia LouisDreyfus, and other celebrated figures in show business.
Richards opens the door to the evolution of the iconic character who brought the kavorka to “Seinfeld” and shares the real-life insecurities and successes he experienced creating one of television’s most memorable characters, and the ways the two are forever intertwined on and offscreen.
Albom, The Little Liar Monday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Mitch Albom returns with a powerful novel of hope and forgiveness that moves from a coastal Greek city during WWII to America in the golden age of Hollywood, as the intertwined lives of three young survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption.
Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis has never told a lie. His schoolmate, Fannie, loves him because of it. Nico’s older brother Sebastian resents him for both these facts. When their young lives are torn apart during the war, it will take them decades to find each other again.
The evening will begin with Kristallnacht Commemoration with prayers by Rabbi Brian Glusman.
Adam Nimoy, The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy Sunday, Nov. 10, 1 p.m.
Michael Richards, Entrances and Exits
Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
Actor and comedian Michael
Adam Nimoy will be in conversation with author and media personality Nadia Bilchik to discuss his memoir, “ The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy.” There will also be an opportunity for audience questions. While the tabloids and fan publications portrayed the Nimoys as a “close family,” to his son, Leonard Nimoy was a total stranger. The actor was as inscrutable as the iconic half-Vulcan science officer he portrayed on Star Trek, even to those close to him.
Now, his son’s memoir explores their complicated relationship and how it informed his views on marriage, parenting, and later, sobriety.
Regional Director of the American Jewish Committee, discussing his memoir “The Gates of Gaza.”
The gripping true story of how Tibon, along with his wife and their two young children, were rescued from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, by Tibon’s own father—a tale of survival that also reveals the deep tensions and systemic failures that led to Hamas’s attacks that day.
Tobiin describes his family’s ordeal alongside the histories of the place they call home and the systems of power that have kept them and their neighbors in Gaza in harm’s way for decades.
Amir Tibon, The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Israeli journalist Amir Tibon will be in conversation with Dov Wilker,
Stuart Eizenstat, The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed the World
Thursday, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.
In one readable volume, diplomat and negotiator Stuart E. Eizenstat takes readers inside the the diplomatic negotiations of the past 50 years, from the treaty to end the Vietnam War to the Kyoto Protocols and the Iranian Nuclear Accord.
Written from the perspective that only a participant in top level negotiations can bring, Eizenstat recounts the events that led up to the negotiation, the drama that took place around the table and draws lessons from successful and unsuccessful strategies and tactics.
Eizenstat served as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union and Deputy Secretary of both Treasury and State.
Mitch
Emily Giffin opens festival with discussion of ‘The Summer Pact’
By Eloisa Bloom
Atlanta-based bestselling author Emily Giffin released her latest novel, “The Summer Pact,” in August. Giffin will be the opening night guest at the Book Festival of the MJCCA on Nov. 2.
The novel follows a group of college friends who make a promise to always be there for each other in the wake of tragedy. Ten years later, the friends find
the University of Virginia and form an intense bond that deepens after the tragic death of their friend, Summer. Can you tell us a bit about each of them?
A: Thank you so much for saying that. With this novel, I wanted to write about the power of coming-of-age friendships. My characters lost their innocence the moment they lost their friend Summer. They were never the same, and we see how this continues to shape them when they come together to help each other through a different kind of crisis.
themselves reuniting for an adventure that will change their lives.
I sat down with Giffin at her Ansley Park home to discuss friendship, love, loss, the importance of talking about mental health, her favorite Atlanta book spots, and her recent brush with royalty.
Q: I read “The Summer Pact” in two sittings. It’s such a moving portrait of friendship, and how our friendships sustain us through the darkest of times. The book is narrated by three characters who meet at the beginning of their freshman year of college at
with a protagonist, and I wanted to show how important friends are in dealing with weighty issues.
Lastly, we have Tyson. He is the rock of the group (and my favorite!). Tyson is also dealing with parental expectations as his mother and father are both highprofile federal judges, part of the DC elite, and he’s very bright and intellectual. Although he enjoys the academic pursuits that are expected of him, he’s not entirely happy as a lawyer in a big firm.
As for the three narrators, I’ll start with Hannah. I knew I wanted to have a traditional southern girl trying to find her own path. Hannah is under a lot of pressure from her narcissistic mother, who wants her to live her idea of a picture-perfect life without taking into account what Hannah truly wants.
The novel’s second narrator, Lainey, is very much a free spirit. She
likes to have a great time. She has a ton of charisma and a big personality. But she is haunted by a family secret and drinks to numb herself and to cope with her feelings. This is the first time I’ve written about substance abuse
On the surface, it’s Hannah’s crisis — the collapse of the picture-perfect life – that brings the friends together. But the others realize they are all at turning points in their lives and have issues they must confront. I think that’s very true to life — that when we can take a pause in our life even if it’s just as simple as a benchmark birthday, we can rediscover ourselves. For example, as I approached my 30th birthday, I decided to quit my job at my large Manhattan law firm and move to London where I wrote my first novel, “Something Borrowed” (published 20 years ago)!
Q: It’s not a spoiler to tell readers your characters end up escaping their lives by taking a trip to Capri. How did you choose Capri? And did you have the chance to go there for research?
A: I have always loved Italy. I’ve been to the Amalfi Coast, but I’ve never been to Capri. It captured my imagination because it’s both a historical and a mythical place (Homer’s Odysseus arrived at Capri’s famed cliffs with his companions). And yes, I did have the opportunity to do book research there. I wanted all the details to feel authentic and vivid. The trip was magical. I went with a very dear friend (who happens to be an Atlanta-based travel advisor), and we had the most wonderful time eating and drinking and exploring and dreaming. Because the island is small, I was able to cover a lot of territory in a short period of time and see and get a lot of material for “The Summer Pact.”
Q: Reading your book, I started thinking a lot about how so many novels and television shows feature friendships among four women. This made me appreciate that one of your characters in this group is a man, Tyson, who is willing to quit his job and break up with his girlfriend to be there for Hannah.
A: You know, the age-old question from “When Harry Met Sally” of whether men and women can be friends or if it always
morphs into a romantic entanglement. I’m a firm believer in the purity of malefemale friendships and that there are plenty where the friendship is platonic from start to finish. I’ve always had close guy friends at every stage of my life. I remember at my eighth birthday party, five of the eight people at the party were boys. In college, I was a basketball manager at Wake Forest, and I had a lot of close friends on the team. Then in law school, my best friend was a guy. I think it adds another layer to include a male perspective. I love that Tyson brings a different viewpoint and that he is a man who so clearly values his friendships.
Q: Tyson also offers a unique perspective as the only Black character in the trio.
A: Frankly, I thought it more interesting to mix it up and have that layer and perspective. The fact that Tyson is not only the only man in the group but is also Black adds a different element, which I was nervous about because I wanted to write his story authentically. There’s always the question of do I, as a white female writer, have the right to tell a story from a point of view that is not my own. At the same time, I always want to write books that reflect the diverse world in which we live.
Ultimately, I decided that because it was an ensemble cast with multiple viewpoints, I felt comfortable having a portion of the book being told from Tyson’s point of view. I simply had to approach that POV with care and diligence. I hope readers appreciate that risk and feel that I did a good job with it.
Q: “The Summer Pact” deals with some serious topics: mental illnesses, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. In all your work, how did you balance those heavy topics with the lighter, more romantic ones?
A: This might be a copout — or an overly simplistic answer – but those issues are part of life. Life is beautiful, but we go through these difficult experiences. We go through trauma and tragedy and pain and heartbreak. But the only thing we can do is to continue to go on with our lives, and try to find joy, connection, and purpose. That balance between romance and tragedy feels true to life.
Aside from that, I’m drawn to stories with multiple layers. I don’t want to spend several days reading a completely dark or a completely light book. My favorite movies and books have both.
I think the best friendships reflect this
Emily Giffin (Photo by Chris Martin)
balance too; the friends you can tackle heavy experiences with, that you can be vulnerable with, but can also share moments where you can’t stop laughing are the most precious friendships to me. I wanted to include this type of friendship in “The Summer Pact.” The characters can take on serious issues, but they’re also a lot of fun.
Q: The loss of Summer is the heart of the book, and of course, her name inspired the title. Her presence is felt even when she’s not there. What inspired the character of Summer in particular?
A: “The Summer Pact” is the first book I’ve written with a trigger warning. Summer, as we learn in the prologue, dies by suicide. I know there are so many layers to depression, and I’m not in any way trying to oversimplify the illness. It is an incredibly complex topic. But we
have seen that young people, particularly college athletes like Summer, experience this heavy pressure and toxic culture perfectionism which can lead them to make these very impulsive decisions.
Suicide affects some of the best and the brightest, which I really started to delve into in 2017 when Kate Spade took her life and then when Anthony Bourdain died by suicide in 2018. In the lead-up to writing “The Summer Pact,” I started to see suicide impact star athletes, like the soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer from Stanford. There was a time when we thought that suicide only affected those who were visibly depressed, but it touches people who seem to have it all. With Summer, I thought it was important to create a character who seemed to have it all and whose struggles were hidden even from those who knew her best.
Summer is an all-American distance
runner, a sport that is so mentally challenging. It’s typically distance runners, too, who can be hard-working perfectionists. I mean, who else would go out and run that kind of mileage? Having three distance runners for children who compete at high levels – my sons George and Edward compete in Division 1 at Columbia, and my daughter Harriet is a top runner in Georgia high school running– and witnessing the pressure they experience influenced my focus on mental health in distance running.
In the prologue, Tyson uses a David Foster Wallace quote in which he likens suicide to jumping off a burning building. He says, “It’s not that the person doesn’t fear falling – because he does – it’s just that falling feels less terrible than burning.” I think this so beautifully attempts to explain the profound pain that some people experience.
Q: Summer’s death is such a tragic loss. It is a powerful reminder that you never really know what people are carrying on the inside, even if everything looks perfect on the outside. What other messages do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
A: I never write a book with a message in mind — it comes together as I write it. The major takeaway didn’t come to me until I wrote the trigger warning, which I articulated in my final words to my readers, especially those who are struggling, in my acknowledgments:
“Life is tough. Life is messy. Life can be heartbreakingly cruel. You have helped me through some tough times, and I hope my stories have brought you a measure of comfort. I care about each and every one of you and wish you endless silver linings.”
FROM AFRICA TO THE WORLD
SEPT. 18, 2024–FEB. 23, 2025
Don’t miss one of the most highly regarded cultural events in the Southeast. Hear from, meet, and interact with the year’s most renowned authors, entertainers, thought leaders, and pop culture icons. With countless award-winning and bestselling authors, our Book Festival is truly unlike any other!
Join the Conversation!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2
8:00 PM
Emily Giffin
The Summer Pact: A Novel
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 1:00 PM
Mimi Zieman, MD
Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 7:30 PM
Anthony Fauci, MD
On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service
(No photo or signing lines)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4 12:00 PM
Julie Satow
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4
7:30 PM
Neil R. Gordon and Mike Petchenik Trial Watchers
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 12:00 PM
Rochelle B. Weinstein What You Do to Me: A Novel
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 7:30 PM
Yaniv Rivlin
Live Like a Startup: Take the Initiative and Transform Your Life
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 12:00 PM
Susan and David Schwartz
The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 7:30 PM
TALK & DESSERT RECEPTION
Chef Moshe Basson
The Eucalyptus Cookbook Opening Night
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9
8:00 PM
Michael Richards
Entrances and Exits
(No photo or signing lines)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10
1:00 PM
Adam Nimoy
The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10
7:30 PM
John Quiñones and María Elena Salinas
One Year in Uvalde: A Story of Hope and Resilience
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11
12:00 PM
TWO AUTHORS, ONE PROGRAM
Lisa Barr
The Goddess of Warsaw: A Novel Talia Carner
The Boy with the Star Tattoo: A Novel
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11
7:30 PM
THE SHARON V. FAGIN JOY OF READING PROGRAM
KRISTALLNACHT COMMEMORATION
Mitch Albom
The Little Liar: A Novel
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 12:00 PM
Jonathan Santlofer
The Lost Van Gogh: A Novel
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
7:30 PM
Amir Tibon
The Gates of Gaza: A Story of Betrayal, Survival, and Hope in Israel’s Borderlands
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
12:00 PM
Mary Glickman
Ain’t No Grave: A Novel
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
8:00 PM
Teaming with Israel: A Conversation with Noa Tishby
Presented by Israel ParaSport Center Team in Partnership with the MJCCA (No photo or signing lines)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14
12:00 PM
Andrew Mellen
Unstuff Your Life! Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14
7:30 PM
THE ESTHER G. LEVINE READ
Stuart E. Eizenstat
The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that Changed the World
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
12:00 PM
THE EVA & GEORGE STERN LECTURE SHABBAT LUNCHEON & TALK
Joan Nathan
My Life in Recipes: Food, Family, and Memories
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16 8:00 PM
An Evening with Fauda’s Lior Raz, Israeli Television and Film Star (No photo or signing lines)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 1:00 PM
TWO AUTHORS, ONE PROGRAM
Arthur Smith
Reach: Hard Lessons and Learned Truths from a Lifetime in Television
Robert Steinfeld
3…2…1… We’re on the Air: An Inside Look at Sports Television, Journalism, and Gender Equity
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17
7:30 PM
Stay tuned for a special announcement!
‘Trial Watchers’ profiles a group of true crime enthusiasts
and those of several other trial watchers. He coupled those stories with co-author Petchenik’s look at other aspects of trial watching, including the psychology of it.
Gordon first asked Petchenik to help him develop a documentary series on true crime enthusiasts after his PR firm helped him out of a jam over a book he had written on the Murdaugh trial.
By Bob Pepalis
“Trial Watchers,” a new book by Augusta’s Neil Gordon with Sandy Springs’ Mike Petchenik, has its roots in a group of true crime enthusiasts including Gordon’s wife, Melissa.
The authors will discuss the origins of the nonfiction book at the festival on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
“My wife is the first trial watcher that I’ve ever known,” Gordon said.
Gordon had co-written “Behind the Doors of Justice” with Becky Hill, the former Clerk of Court for Colleton County where the Murdaugh trial was held. Allegations of her possibly tampering with jurors after the verdict resulted in Gordon discovering she had lifted an entire section of the book from another writer’s work. Publication of the book was subsequently withdrawn. Petchenik, now CEO of Petchenik Media Group, helped Gordon navigate the PR nightmare.
Local residents best know Petchenik from his news work with WSB-TV, but his relationship with Gordon goes much farther back, as Gordon hired him for his first broadcasting job in Augusta, GA.
Melissa told him she wanted to take on a personal project as a buddy trip with a fellow photographer to attend the Alex Murdaugh murder trial in the Low Country of South Carolina. She made that trip and met journalists and “regular people” who came to watch the trial.
Melissa gained empathy for members of the Murdaugh family at the trial. Twenty-five years earlier, she was attending the trial of her uncle, who, like Alex Murdaugh, was an attorney accused of murder. Melissa attended his trial for weeks in Augusta, at first believing he was innocent until the presentation of evidence and his ultimate conviction. Then she felt a sort of shame for being associated with her uncle.
“Trial Watchers” tells his wife’s story
Petchenik said the market for true crime is incredibly robust. The fans they encountered during the research for this book follow cases closely on Court TV, listening to podcasts or attending in person.
What they learned was that the people who became trial watchers weren’t doing it as a hobby. They found some common threads, starting with having had past trauma in their own lives. An example was two daughters whose father had been murdered in Atlanta about 30 years ago.
“The killer was never brought to justice, Petchenik said.
For years his daughters carried around a piece of paper with the accused killer’s name on it in their pocket because they wanted to exact revenge on that person, Petchenik said.
Authors Neil Gordon and Mike Petchenik. (Photo by Bob Pepalis)
Then the daughters started following trials. In the process, Petchenik said the daughters realized they were trying to achieve justice for their father by going to these trials to listen to the testimony.
A media psychologist he interviewed said the disproportionate number of women trial watchers want the good guy to prevail and the bad guy to go to prison.
“The other thing that we learned from talking to this psychologist was that it’s like a blueprint for them to learn how to not become the victims of a crime. So they watch these trials and they listen to the evidence and they can sort of learn how to
avoid becoming victims,” Petchenik said.
The authors have created a TrialWatchers.com website and will be sharing information in podcasts. Gordon said they’d have some sizzle reels of video episodes they plan for a docu-series.
“We’ll be writing articles and then we’re going to get the individual authors who wrote chapters to lend their voice to an audiobook and one,” he said.
Every week, they plan to produce these podcasts, articles, and bits of the docuseries. Memberships will be offered for $10 a month for exclusive content.
State Representative House District 80
NEIGHBOR, PARENT LEADER, BUSINESS OWNER
Thank you for electing me as your Georgia State Representative. I am asking for your support in returning me to the Gold Dome.
I will continue working:
■ To grow jobs keeping Georgia the #1 place to do business.
■ To prioritize an educational environment for our kids to excel.
■ To support our first responders to keep our communities safe.
Early Voting
OCT 15 - NOV 1
General Election NOVEMBER 5
The Trial Watchers team met Nancy Grace at CrimeCon, an annual convention that attracts many true crime enthusiasts. (Provided by TrialWatchers.com)
More to Explore: Kids, food, and conversations
All Aboard the Ark!: Family Storytelling Workshop
Sunday, Oct. 27, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
This special event for children ages 3 to 6 and their grownups features awardwinning Jewish educator Jonathan S. Chapman, author of “Let There Be Play.”
Explore the story of Noah’s Ark through interactive storytelling and theatrical play. Make an animal character, set sail on the ark, and discover a rainbow after the storm. Connect and collaborate as a family while crafting and creating your way through the story.
A Conversation With Lior Raz
Saturday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.
Born and raised in Jerusalem, Raz is an actor, screenwriter, and co-CEO of Faraway Road Productions. Raz is known
worldwide for portraying Doron Kabilio in the hit series, Fauda (Netflix), which he created with Avi Issacharoff. In addition to Fauda, the pair created Ghosts of Beirut for Showtime and the Netflix series, Hit and Run, starring Raz.
As an actor, Raz starred in films and series such as 6 Underground (Netflix), Operation Finale (Netflix), A Body That Works (Netflix) and Crowded Room (Apple). Raz will be seen next in projects such as Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2.
As for roles outside the screen, Raz served as President of the Jury for the 2023 Cannseries Festival and is currently serving as an official ambassador for the International Judo Federation.
Teaming With Israel: A Conversation with Noa Tishby Wednesday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m.
New York Times bestselling author and Israel’s former Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism and Delegitimization will discuss her latest book “Uncomfortable Conversations With A Jew,” which she co-wrote with Emmanuel Acho.
The authors ask—and answer— questions that may make one squirm, but together they explain the tropes and catalysts of antisemitism in America today so that the nation can better understand what it is—and isn’t—and eradicate not
just hate towards Jews, but also learn how to have the conversations that will end hate toward all groups.
An Evening with Chef Moshe Basson
Thursday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Chef Moshe Basson will be in conversation with Roey Shoshan, Senior Director of Philanthropic Engagement, discussing his book, “The Eucalyptus Cookbook.”
In this cookbook, Basson asks can you tell a life story through food? Can you convey religion, history, personal experiences of a specific place and time through culinary art? Can food have an impact that motivates people to come together and find common ground?
Basson unpacks all these questions and delves into the fascinating world of modern Jerusalem cuisine. Through the eyes of this renowned Jerusalem chef and owner of the Eucalyptus, an innovative restaurant that has been thriving for 36 years, personal stories come to life along with modern and ancient history and folklore.
A dessert reception will follow featuring recipes from the book.
A Conversation with Joan Nathan
Friday, Nov. 15, 12 p.m.
Food writer and educator Joan Nathan will discuss her new cookbook “My Life in Recipes: Food, Family & Memories” with Jeremy Salamon, chef/owner of Agi’s Counter.
The beloved authority on global Jewish cuisine uses 100 recipes to look back at her own family’s history— their arrival in America from Germany; her childhood in postwar New York and Rhode Island; her years in Paris, New York, Israel, and Washington, DC. Nathan shares her story—of marriage, motherhood, and a career as a food writer; of a life well-lived and centered around meals—and she punctuates it with all the foods she has come to love.
A Shabbat buffet lunch featuring recipes from the book will follow.
Explore.
BOOK FESTIVAL OF THE MJCCA 2024–2025 SPONSORS
Presenting Sponsors
Barbara and Ed Mendel
Platinum Sponsors
Lisa and Ron Brill Charitable Trust
The Hyman Foundation
The Eva and George Stern Family The Zaban Foundation The Fagin/Danz Family
Silver Sponsors
Sheryl S. Blechner
Marcy Louza and Mike Kenig
Bronze Sponsors
