The Connection

Northern Virginia j.talks, conversations with authors and artists, has announced the visiting authors for this year’s Book Fest, running Oct. 29–Nov. 10. Most programs and a book sale will be held at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (the J). The J is a member of the Jewish Book Council, and most author appearances are courtesy of the JBC, including visits from Elyssa Friedland (“Love and Miss Communication”), Jennifer Rosner (“The Mitten String”), Dion Nissenbaum (“A Street Divided: Stories from Jerusalem’s Alley of God”), and William V. Madison (“Madeline Kahn: Being The Music – A Life”). In addition, j.talks will host a local author event at One More Page Books on Nov. 4. j.talks is a program of the J.

The Book Fest opening event is a visit from author Elyssa Friedland on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Friedland’s debut novel, “Love and Miss Communication,” asks us to look up from our screens and out at the world… and to imagine what life would be like with no searches, no texts, no tweets, and no posts! “‘Love and Miss Communication’ is a breezy, funny, and timely debut novel … a cut above standard chick lit fare. Despite its up-to-date themes, it’s a smart, funny, and sweetly old-fashioned love story.” — Examiner.com. Friedland has written for publications including Modern Bride, New York Magazine, and Columbia Journalism Review. She attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She lives in New York City with her husband and three children.

Enjoy a special storytime with author Jennifer Rosner on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Tysons Corner Mall. “The Mitten String,” a modern folktale told with beautiful language and imagery, is a story of learning to appreciate our physical differences. When Ruthie’s family invites a deaf woman and her baby to stay with them, she wonders how the mother will know if her child wakes in the night. The surprising answer inspires Ruthie to make a special gift. Jennifer is raising two deaf daughters in a talking family and a hearing world, which she wrote about in the adult memoir, “If a Tree Falls.” “The Mitten String” was inspired by the story of a deaf ancestor whom she discovered in the course of researching her family tree. This free event is hosted in partnership with JCCNV Growing Jewish Families and PJ Library; please consider bringing a pair of mittens to donate (these will be donated to a local shelter serving families). In addition to the reading (most appreciated by ages 4–9; siblings welcome), there will be crafts, games, door prizes and photo opportunities with the author.

The j.talks Local Author Event will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at One More Page Books in Arlington. This free admission event is like speed dating, but with authors. They’ll have just three minutes to capture your imagination. Local authors participating include Jacqueline Jules, Eric Lotke, Alan Orloff, Deno Seder, Dave Tevelin, and Courtney Tisch.

Journalist Dion Nissenbaum recently took on a new reporting assignment for The Wall Street Journal in Istanbul. He visits the J on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. to talk about his new book, “A Street Divided: Stories from Jerusalem’s Alley of God.” Arab families called it “al Mantiqa Haram.” Jewish residents knew it as “shetach hefker.” In both languages it meant the same thing: “the Forbidden Area.” To folks on either side of the border, it was a dangerous no-man’s land separating warring nations and feuding cultures. Prior to his assignment in Turkey, he was a national security reporter based in Washington for The Wall Street Journal. Previously, Dion was based in Afghanistan, where he traveled around the country both as an independent journalist and with U.S. military. He has won several awards, including a National Press Club award for diplomatic correspondence.

The Book Fest closing event features William V. Madison on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. who presents the first biography of the beloved Tony-winning and Oscar-nominated actress, “Madeline Kahn: Being the Music — A Life.” The book examines the career of a star who grew up in a non-observant family and went on to work frequently with Jewish writer–directors such as Mel Brooks, Peter Bogdanovich, and Gene Wilder. With a special focus on Madeline's work in Wendy Wasserstein's play “The Sisters Rosensweig” and Eric Mendelsohn's film “Judy Berlin,” each of which explores Jewish cultural heritage, the book also examines subtler treatment of Jewish themes in Young Frankenstein and High Anxiety, among others. Madison’s own biography: “I’ve been a producer on radio, a writer on television, a gopher on Broadway, a stage manager, and costume designer off-off-Broadway, an opera critic, a secretary, a reporter, an editor, an actor, a teacher, and a go-go boy. ... My former bosses include soprano Teresa Stratas, actress Madeline Lee Gilford, producers Robert V. Straus and Lee Guber, and broadcast journalists Dan Rather and Connie Chung.”

Prior to Madison’s talk, the J will screen Madeline Kahn’s last film, “Judy Berlin” (Tuesday, Nov. 10, 4:45 p.m.). Judy Berlin (Edie Falco) is an aspiring actress whose zippy idealism is at odds with her small suburban community, where a solar eclipse induces town inhabitants, including a lonely housewife (Madeline Kahn), frustrated schoolteacher (Barbara Barrie), and a school principal (Bob Dishy) to search for solace and understanding in themselves and each other. With Julie Kavner and Anne Meara.