Diverse lineup at the 2009 Festival

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ST. LOUIS JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL

Diverse lineup at the 2009 Festival

BY CATE MARQUIS, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT

From big-name celebrities to heavy-hitters on prestigious best-seller lists, the 31st annual St. Louis Jewish Book Festival offers something for every reader, with more than 30 authors appearing from Nov. 1-12. Oscar winning actress Helen Hunt will be the keynote speaker and a special Halloween treat by Vampire Kisses author Ellen Schreiber will unofficially kick off the proceedings on Oct. 29.

"We always look for a variety of authors so that readers of all interests are served," says Marcia Evers Levy, Director of the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival. "Hopefully, there are names at the festival that grab people's attention as well as authors who people are not familiar with but sound interesting and they are willing to try."

In addition to Hunt, familiar names on the roster include Susie Essman of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, who has a new memoir, What Would Susie Say? This year's program also includes a couple of husband and wife pairs: Steven and Cokie Roberts, the National Public Radio host, who together wrote From Every End of the Earth: 13 Families and the New Lives They Made In America, and Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry, of erstwhile TV's L.A. Law fame, whose book is Family Meals: Coming Together To Care for an Aging Parent.

The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, which has the largest attendance of any Jewish book festival in the country, features authors and entertainers in a series of fun and/or informative events. This year's program ranges from entertainment to current affairs to history and from sports to cooking to dating. Peter Yarrow, the Peter of the legendary trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, will perform and share stories from his book Day is Done (shortly after the festival on Wednesday, Nov. 18 – he had to re-schedule his appearance, due to a memorial for the late Mary Travers) while the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will perform a special concert featuring Concertmaster David Halen at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8.

Darla Grossberg, co-chair of this year's festival along with Gail Feldstein, said all of the events will take place in the Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur, except for the gala dinner, the pre-opening Oct. 29 event and the symphony concert.

Plenty of parking is available, with shuttles running from the Millstone Campus parking lots to the Staenberg front door, starting a half hour before and continuing a half hour after every program, according to Levy.

Hunt, the keynote speaker, will officially open the festival at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 1. Hunt is an actress, writer, director and producer whose work includes TV's Mad About You and the film As Good As It Gets, for which she won the best actress Academy Award.

"She'll be in conversation with Charlie Brennan of KMOX (radio)," said Levy. "She wanted to do an interview format, so we could have a discussion, rather than make a speech on any one topic. And there will, of course, be audience questions and answers, as there always are. It is a great way to kick off another festival."

Hunt's Mad About You co-star Paul Reiser was the keynote speaker two years ago at the festival. Reiser urged Hunt to accept the invitation to come to the festival by telling her what a wonderful time he had here, according to Grossberg.

"She will be the guest of honor at the Gala Patron Dinner, which is taking place in the Versailles Ballroom at Sheraton Westport Lakeside Chalet," said Levy. "That takes place right after the presentation at the JCC."

The Gala is part of the fundraising efforts for the festival, said Gala organizer Eileen Schneider Edelman.

The gala includes cocktails, kosher dinner provide by Steven Becker Fine Dining and dancing to music by Galaxy — and pictures with Helen Hunt for patrons, Edelman said.

Before the official opening, the festival offers a talk by the author of teen books Vampire Kisses: The Beginning and Blood Relatives, at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters on Lindbergh Boulevard at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Light refreshments will be served from 6 to 7 p.m., along with a manga artist drawing caricatures of people.

Other festival highlights include:

* Comedian Susie Essman of Curb Your Enthusiam.

* Children's author and environmentalist Cambria Gordon, author of The Down-To-Earth Guide To Global Warming, who offers practical tips to save the planet and an all-ages explanation of the science of global warming.

* Seinfeld and Saturday Night Live writer Carol Leifer, whose memoir offers a humorous take on aging, adoption, animal rights and feminism, among other topics.

* Sportswriter Howard Megdal's new book on every Jewish player ever in the major leagues called The Baseball Talmud.

* Wall Street veteran William Cohan, who will discuss his new book House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street.

* Dr. Gustav Schonfeld, who replaces Yarrow's original time slot, on Monday, Nov. 9 and will talk about his book Absence of Closure.

St. Louis Jewish Book Festival

WHEN: Nov. 1 through 12

WHERE: Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur (except for a pre-opening event, the festival gala and a concert by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra)

how much: Between $12 and $20 for individual author appearances; $60 for series tickets

MORE INFO: For a complete schedule, visit www.stljewishbookfestival.org. Call the festival hotline at 314-442-3299. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com

Read more stories on this year's book festival:

* Ellen Futterman talks with Curb Your Enthuasiam's Susie Essman

* Q&A with Lisa Cohen, author of After Etan: The Missing Child Case That Held America Captive

* Author tells Jewish family's story of life in the Military

* Bruce Feiler calls Moses 'America's Prophet'

* Wit, humor draws reader in with 'Guinea Pig Diaries'