Arts & Entertainment ON THE COVER May We Have a Few Words? A brief introduction to what you'll see at this year's Book Fair. * Events are free unless otherwise noted. The Mascot Note: For tickets and/or a brochure includ- ing day-by-day listing of speakers and events, please call the Jewish Community Center's Jewish Life and Learning Department at (248) 432-5577, ext. 7, or visit the JCC Web site at www.jccdet.org . WB denotes the JCC in West Bloomfield. OP denotes the JCC in Oak Park. MEMOIRS The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit By Lucette Lagnado The Lagnados were Jewish, and Egypt was no place for Jews when Nasser came to power. So in 1962 they left Cairo. More than 40 years later, Lagnado tells a story of loss and deep memories as she recounts her family's life in and exile from Egypt. 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 — WB 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 — OP Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited By Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein This is the account of twins separated when born who grew up not even knowing the other existed — until they met as adults. 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 — WB Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days By Judith Viorst Alexander is an adult with children of his own, and they're all coming to Grandma's house for an extended visit. 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 16 — WB Looking Back By Mania Salinger Mania Salinger survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen thanks to her optimism and absolute certainty that good would prevail over evil. 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9 — WB Threshold Resistance: The Extraordinary Career of a Luxury Retailing Pioneer By A. Alfred Taubman A. Alfred Taubman considers all the incred- ible events of his life in his new book. 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12 — WB B6 October 25 • 2007 By Mark Kurzem Alex Kurzem was 5 years old when virtu- ally everyone in his family was murdered by the Nazis. Alex managed to escape into the woods, where he lived by himself, sleeping under nothing but a blanket of leaves, eat- ing what he could find. Then a Latvian Nazi army unit found the boy and decided to make him a mascot. 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 9 — WB Dadditude By Philip Lerman Philip Lerman knew he wanted a child. The only question was: Would he be buying a stroller or a wheelchair first? Dattitude is Lerman's look at full-time parenthood from the perspective of a 50-something. 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 — WB Fast Company By David Gross Fast Company is Gross' tale of his adven- tures as a "corporate image consultant" in Italy, where he meets up with a set of mem- orable figures, including always-garbed-in- Versace colleagues and a skinhead he picks up while out for a ride. 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 — WB journey to get there included everything from Reiki to hypnosis, but she could never find what she wanted — until she made an appointment with Iris Goldblatt, "tarot card reader and mirror of the soul." 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 — WB Sala's Gift: My Mother's Holocaust Story By Ann Kirschner Sala Garncarz was 67 and facing bypass surgery when she showed her daughter, Ann, a breathtaking collection: Often no more than bits of paper, they comprised 250 cards, poems, love letters that Sala collected while in Nazi labor camps. 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9 — WB FAMILY Learn Hebrew Though Fairy Tales By David Burke Step into a magic world where fairy tales begin in English and end in Hebrew. Could there be a better way to learn a new lan- guage? For children 2-6. A nut-free, kosher snack will be provided at both events. 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 — WB 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 — OP POETRY An Island Called Home By Ruth Behar Born in Cuba, Ruth Behar returns to the land of her birth where she sees the life she might have had. And who is there now? Jews who have little connection to Judaism, a sad remnant of a lost commu- nity. 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 — OP The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest To Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible By A.J. Jacobs The author decided to spend a year living every one of the biblical commandments — even dining on kosher crickets (Jacobs opted for the chocolate-covered variety). 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 — WB The Devil, the Lovers and Me: My Life in Tarot By Kimberlee Auerbach All Kimberlee Auerbach wanted was to know that life had a happy ending. Her Gathering Sound By Susan Davis In her first book of poetry, Susan Davis con- siders life, art and work in a collection that speaks of both tragedy and hope. 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 — WB Little Pink Slips By Sally Koslow Magnolia Gold, true to her name, is a one- of-a-kind. She's a magazine editor originally from Fargo, N.D., who is surrounded by a quirky cast of characters. Then one day her employer announces that he's looking for a new format and a new editor. 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8 — WB The Book Thief By Markus Zusak This is the story of Liesel Meminger, who lives in Germany during World War II. Liesel's greatest passion is books. The 9- year-old gains a collection of friends includ- ing a Jewish man hiding in her foster fam- ily's basement and the mayor's wife, who own a large library from which she allows Liesel to take whatever she wants. 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 — WB Lunch, plus signed copy of book: $38 Lunch only: $25 (Reservations: Hadassah, (248) 683-5030) Kalooki Nights By Howard Jacobson As children, Max and Manny have their place. It's an abandoned air-raid shelter in Manchester, England, where, throughout the 1950s, the two work on a comic book — the story of Jewish suffering. Years later, Max is a cartoonist and Manny is a criminal who, after many years, is finally out of prison. When Max begins a TV documentary based on Manny's life, he discovers revelations about their pasts and their identities. 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 — WB When We Were Bad FICTION The Ministry of Special Cases By Nathan Englander Kaddish Poznan spends his nights protect- ing the name of a community that denies his existence and his days searching for a son seemingly lost from existence. It is Argentina, a time of terror, mystery and loss. Kaddish and his wife must go in search of their missing child, their desperation taking them to the dark corridors of the Ministry of Special Cases, the refuge of last resort. 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8 — WB (Book Lover's Package: $30 includes presale copy of the book and dessert reception with the author; $18 reception only) By Charlotte Mendelson Charlotte Mendelson's latest novel tells the story of Claudia Rubin, a leading rabbi in London, and her extraordinary family. 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11 - West Bloomfield Gentlemen of the Road By Michael Chabon Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon recreates 10th-century Khazaria, a kingdom of wild red-haired Jews who live along the Caspian Sea. The heroes are Zelikman and Amram, who make a living thanks to confidence tricks and other ques- tionable acts. 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7 — WB ($10 JCC members/$12 nonmembers/$15 at the door)