Oy, I know I promised you guys a lovely, thoughtfully-written, intellectual discussion of a book last week in exchange for my giddiness over Jewish Origami . Howevah, because it is about to launch its rocket, I thought On The Nightstand Thursday would be a delightful place to mention Celebration of Jewish Books, a festival happening in Los Angeles November 5-11.
Sponsored in part by the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, American Jewish University and Borders, the festival started when a 2002 Jewish Journal story sparked an idea of Gady Levy, head of the adult-ed program at American Jewish University. A story in today's Jewish Journal (erm, actually, it's dated for tomorrow) reports:
The void certainly wasn't for a lack of trying, the story noted; the Jewish community centers had hosted a fair, but the budgets were low (generally $3,000 to $10,000), attendance was poor, and the program had died out soon after the turn of the millennium. If Los Angeles was home to 600,000 Jews, why were we fest-less? Levy didn't think the reason had to do with Los Angeles' vast geography: "If you create a good event, people will drive," he said. "This city provides a lot of opportunities for us to be entertained, to do things by ourselves or with our families, some of them Jewish, some not Jewish, so people really have to pick and choose," he added. "In order to put a book festival on your radar, it has to be 'big.' You need 'big' authors to provide name recognition, and to offer people access to the authors of the books they actually read."
And, the festival is pretty big. Not a ton of love for small publishers or the DIY crowd (He specifically sought-out "best selling authors"), but he was aiming for a big Jewish book festival and it certainly looks like he's pulled it off.
He's got the controversial Tony Kushner, Israeli Ram Oren, Michael Chabon, Anita Diamant, children's authors Judith Viorst and (ahem) author of Jewish Origami, Joel Stern (I promise you I just noticed that. I'm not stalking the guy. I sweahhh.), a kosher food court, a real-to-life replica of Anne Frank's House (Should we discuss that????), and various music and dance events. (Uh, yeah, that's a big-ass book festival.) And, it is complete with a mitzvah project: buy a pre-K through 5th grade book at the Oasis of Books tent and donate to Koreh L.A., a Jewish literacy foundation, as the name suggests.
Any of you Los Angeleans (Angelenos? What do you call yourselves?) heading that way? Looks like there are already waiting lists for some events— anyone want to try to sneak in and report back? (Not that I am suggesting anyone gain entrance to anything by questionable or dishonest means. Ahem.)
Oh, and also, load up your nightstands because November 4th-December 4th is Jewish Book Month.