Without a doubt, the contributions of Jewish writers to the American literary canon are immense. Across genres, authors from Isaac Asimov and Cynthia Ozick to Fran Lebowitz and Tony Kushner have shaped the literary record of our nation and thus our cultural identity. And the Gordon Jewish Community Center is committed to bringing contemporary Jewish authors to Nashville to engage in conversations about their work.Â
Now in its fifth year, the Nashville Jewish Book Series has gone online — like almost everything in 2020 — and kicked off on Dec. 3, with its second event scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 15, and set to feature legendary comedy writer Alan Zweibel. His memoir, Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier, recounts his life in comedy, from being one of the original SNL writers — and collaborating with the great Gilda Radner — to co-writing the upcoming film Here Today with Billy Crystal.Â
To choose the eight authors participating in the series, the Nashville Jewish Book Series committee members sat in on the National Jewish Book Council’s annual conference online, where hopeful authors made their pitches to organizations and community centers around the country. Â
“Obviously, we would all rather be in person doing this,” says committee member (and Scene contributor) Margaret Littman, “but there is some opportunity in being able to do it by Zoom. The budget’s different, so we can invite more speakers, but also we hope to have more people participate. And so we really thought about books and authors and projects that might interest a wider cross section of the community than we might normally be able to.Â
“This is a cross section of books we thought reflected what might be on people’s minds,” she continues. “Michael Ian Black’s A Better Man is about raising boys. We thought that parents who’ve been homeschooling or assisting their kids and spending more time with their kids on a day-to-day basis might be particularly interested in that. We thought of [Nashvillian] Marcus Whitney’s book, Create and Orchestrate, because it will be interesting to people who are thinking about their jobs differently and their careers differently.”
At the Feb. 4 event, authors Cameron Douglas (son of actor Michael Douglas) and Dan Peres (the former editor of Esquire) will discuss their memoirs, both of which detail their struggles with addiction. This presentation is in partnership with addiction treatment center Cumberland Heights. This too is especially relevant — the pandemic has exacerbated the already harrowing opioid epidemic, spiking overdoses across the nation.Â
On Feb. 18, Littman will interview author Sue Eisenfeld about Wandering Dixie: Dispatches From the Lost Jewish South. In her book, Eisenfeld explores the complicated history of Jewish life in the South, from those who aligned with the Confederacy to those who fought alongside Black activists in the civil rights movement.Â
Other titles include book-club favorite Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story by Bess Kalb and The Party Upstairs by Vanderbilt MFA program alum Lee Conell. Because most of the events are scheduled far in advance, it’s easy to read the book ahead of time, come with your thoughts and questions, and leave with a deeper understanding of Jewish American life.Â
Nashville Jewish Book Series Events
All events will begin at 7 p.m. Register via nashvillejcc.org/book.Â
Tuesday, Dec. 15Â
Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier by Alan Zweibel
Thursday, Jan. 14
The Party Upstairs by Lee ConellÂ
Thursday, Jan. 21
Create and Orchestrate: The Path to Claiming Your Creative Power From an Unlikely Entrepreneur by Marcus Whitney
Thursday, Feb. 4
Long Way Home by Cameron Douglas and As Needed for Pain: A Memoir of Addiction by Dan Peres
Thursday, Feb. 18
Wandering Dixie: Dispatches From the Lost Jewish South by Sue Eisenfeld
Tuesday, April 13
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story by Bess KalbÂ
Thursday, April 22
A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son by Michael Ian Black
