Arts Life

Spotlight

`Brad & Jen'

Local author shares story behind Hollywood's "Golden Couple."

T

he recent breakup of
Hollywood superstars
Brad Pitt and Jennifer
Aniston left heartbroken celebrity
watchers with many unanswered
questions, including, "How could
this happen?" and "What went
wrong?"
Farmington Hills native Mara
ROBIN
Reinstein,
a senior writer at Us
SCHWARTZ
Weekly
magazine,
was quick to dig
Columnist
up answers. The
29-year-old, who
regularly writes about the lives and
careers of Hollywood's A-List, co-
authored the book Brad 6- Jen: The

Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Golden
Couple during a five-day marathon
writing session; 175,000 copies were
pre-ordered before the book even hit
the shelves. -
"In the end, they had different
goals from the relationship," said
Reinstein, who now lives in New
York.
"They really just grew apart," she said.
About 50 proud family members and friends gath-
ered at Woodward Avenue Brewers in Ferndale on
Feb. 20 for a book-signing party hosted by her
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit alumna

3/10
2005

96

friend Erin Schwartz and Mara's parents, Alan and
Nattie Reinstein of Farmington Hills.
"It's great for her. She deserves it; she works very
hard," said Mara's twin brother Frank Reinstein of
Farmington Hills.
"It's just great to see her book in bookstores all
around the country," added Jason Ruttenberg of
Auburn Hills, a longtime friend.
Reinstein, a graduate of North Farmington High
School, says she honed her writing skills in Metro
Detroit as an intern for various publications, includ-
ing the Jewish News.
"I feel lucky to work in
a job where I love what I
do," she said.
Reinstein has never
met Pitt or Aniston, but
says she was able to write
the unauthorized biogra-
phy using extensive
research and reporting
she has done over the
years.
Spotted in the crowd
at the book signing were
Susan Edgar of Royal
Oak, Bryce Sandler of Clawson, Jill Sklar of
Huntington Woods, Sharon Schwartz of Bloomfield
Hills, Mara's grandmother Adelle Sears of West
Bloomfield and Rose Cooper of West Bloomfield. ❑

Clockwise from top right: Frank Reinstein with his sister's book. Mara gets a hug from Sonia Pone of
Farmington Hills. Neal Zalenko of Bloomfield Hills with Mara's parents, Alan and Nattie Reinstein of
Farmington Hills. Erin Schwartz and Jill Sklar flank Mara. Mara Reinstein with copies of her book.