Arts & Entertainment
A WORLD OF BOOKS
Featuring the Talents Of
Our Local Authors
T
he Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's 59th Annual
Jewish Book Fair's Local Authors Event, chaired by Sarah Gottlieb, takes
place 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, Nov. 7, in the Janice Charach Gallery in the
Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield.
Local authors are scheduled to speak in the following order:
Steven Hartman: The Ten-Day Forecast
Life is always going to go exactly as you planned, right? Meet Drew, a typical
Midwestern kid about to learn that nothing is ever quite what he imagined.
Keri Guten Cohen: Stolen Childhood
In Stolen Childhood, Keri Guten Cohen shares the powerful and influential story of
Holocaust survivor Nathan Taffel (see sidebar).
Mark Adler: Production Algebra
This easy-to-read, informative handbook provides the tools necessary to break
into the film and video industry as a production assistant. Adler has served for
more than 20 years as a trainer, director, producer and president of VAIdigital LLC,
a video support company for the film industry.
Theresa Rich: Staying Sane in Crazy Times
This book is here for anyone who ever felt lost, or fearful, or unsure of what he/she
wanted or how to get it. Learn how to develop an action plan with four vital words
that will change your life and set you on your path.
Norman Prady: Isabella
Isabella is a talented young girl from northern Michigan used to a simple, quiet
life, but work takes her to the city, where she is surrounded by powerful, wealthy
and influential men. Isabella follows this quiet young woman on her journey.
Jessie K. Stern: Never Miss a Beat: An Evocation Of The Heart
In 79 years, Jessie K. Stern has lived a lifetime of triumphs and challenges. This
memoir begins with Stern's teenage years, when she became an orphan. Her tragic
childhood experiences developed Stern's sense of leadership in college and car-
ried throughout her adult years to help her become an influential member of the
Detroit Jewish community.
Charles H. Newman: Beyond the Chicken Dance
This book is a compelling "how to" about building successful business alliances.
With more than 40 years of experience, Charles Newman provides insight on how
to create the most effective business relationships.
Bruria Barish: My Life, a Spiral
Bruria Barish was 14 years old in 1946 when she illegally immigrated to Israel;
she has been blazing trails ever since. Barish was a prisoner in a British deten-
tion camp for four years, worked as a nurse at Children's Hospital in Detroit and
has been a tremendous supporter of the Reform/Progressive movement, includ-
ing founding (with the help of philanthropist Jerry Daniel) the first Reform/
Progressive in Israel.
Leonard Borman: Our Jewish Robot Future
This sarcastic novel with biblical subtext is narrated by Margarita Haralson, a
post-menopausal housewife determined to become pregnant because her chil-
dren are refusing to produce grandchildren. The story begins when Margarita's
husband Alex enters the world of quirky Jewish robots who send him into a paral-
lel world, where he learns about a potentially disastrous future.
Josh Becker: Going Hollywood
In 1976, Josh Becker was a Michigan teen with big dreams of making it the
film industry. Going Hollywood is an inspiring, entertaining memoir that will
inspire anyone to reach for his dreams. L
62
October 28 • 2010
JN
A Tale Of Courage
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
have always been interested in telling
other people's stories. That's probably
why I went into journalism. You won't find
me constructing plots, concocting witty
dialogue or developing complex characters.
I'll stick with real people — true life is fasci-
nating enough for me.
I knew my uncle Nate Taffel had an
amazing life story. He's a Holocaust survi-
vor who reached age 17 during
World War II and lost nearly
all his immediate family to the
Nazis. He never talked about his
experiences — ever.
As a teen, I had a school
assignment to interview some-
one interesting and write about
his or her life. While walking
in a park with Nate during a
visit, I broached the subject.
Surprisingly, he told me some of
his painful experiences. We cried together,
especially when he told me he never said
goodbye to his parents.
Many years later, Nate was asked to tell
his story to school groups in Milwaukee,
I
where he lives.
He had refused
before, but
this time he
„---.
was ready. He
started speak-
JN Story Development
ing to honor
Editor Keri Guten Cohen
the beloved
with her uncle, Nate Taffel
family he lost.
Though the experience was difficult and
many painful lost memories often surfaced,
he continued. He knew his message about
not letting hatred destroy you
was important to share. Students
began asking for a book about
his life.
So we teamed our efforts.
We met for long weekends in
Milwaukee and Florida. I asked
the questions and he talked.
Sometimes we cried; we also
laughed a lot. I taped the inter-
views so we'd have them forever.
Finally, I started writing. It was
the most difficult assignment of my life. I
wanted it to be perfect.
Stolen Children is much more than my first
book. It's a labor of love. By sharing Nate's
story, I know others will be inspired. Ll_
In addition to her appearance at this year's Local Authors Event, Jewish News
Story Development Editor Keri Cohen will conduct a Teen Journalism Workshop 3
p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, at the JCC in West Bloomfield. Teens will learn the basics of
journalism as well as how to join the staff of Teen2Teen, a monthly section inside the
Jewish News written by and for teens. Free. Register by e-mail: jmorton@jccdet.org.
Kids Can Be Authors, Too
Program at Oak Park JCC features student writers.
0
n Sunday, Nov. 7, at the Jewish
Community Center in Oak Park, Book
Fair will offer a forum for young
published authors from Akiva Hebrew Day
School.
Students in Yehudit Jubas' language
arts enrichment class published two books,
Some Bugs Are, written by 8-year-old
Samantha Lofman and illustrated by 9-year-
old Aviva Levi, both of Southfield, and
Namaste, an inspirational book the entire
class wrote and illustrated.
The book projects started with
construction paper stapled together and
evolved to glossy, heavy stock. The class
found a publisher on the Internet, and the
books were born.
During a program titled "Kids Can Be
Authors, Too,” the children will talk about
the process of writing and illustrating their
books, and afterwards will sign copies.
The presentations will be bookended by
talks by children's book authors Howard
Fridson (Our Family Treasure) of Huntington
Woods and Harold Gottlieb (Joshua's
Grandfather Clock) of Birmingham.
In addition to Samantha Lofman and Aviva
Levi, participating authors include Avraham
Benjamin, Eitan Bluth, Eden Gilan, Jonah
Gilan, Eitan Shere and Rachel Shulkin.
❑
Kids Can be Authors, Too will be held 1-2
p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, at the JCC in Oak
Park.