The Acclaimed Author Series, presented by Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J, returns this spring with four events.
The Acclaimed Author Series will comprise four separate events over three weeks at various locations in the Kansas City area. Each event is free, and registration is strongly encouraged. Interested individuals can visit thejkc.org/aas for more information and to register.
“We’re so excited to welcome these four wonderful and unique authors to Kansas City to wrap up our third season of the Acclaimed Author Series,” said Ethan Helfand, director of Jewish Experiences. “This spring, we’re featuring stories and authors that tug at our heartstrings and remind us about the unending power of storytelling.”
Sara Goodman Confino
Best-selling women’s humor fiction author Sara Goodman Confino will launch the series with her book “She’s Up To No Good” at Monarch Books & Gifts (7713 W 151st St., Overland Park, KS 66223) on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. Hosted along with PJ Library, sushi and drinks will be available at this Mom’s Night Out event.
Goodman Confino’s 2022 novel tells the story of a woman who agrees to accompany her eccentric grandmother on a road trip after being blindsided when her husband asks for a divorce. As she learns more about her grandmother’s past, she discovers a new side of herself that she never knew existed and learns that the possibilities for healing can come at the most unexpected times in a woman’s life.
Kaley Wajcman, MA, ATR-BC, and founder of Creative Pathways LLC will serve as moderator.
“There are many trials and triumphs we experience as Jewish women,” Wajcman said. “It is so important to laugh, cry and celebrate amidst the beauty that is Jewish womanhood, our generational bonds and how we honor the past while walking in the present. I am so eager to encourage these conversations as a community and to explore our collective stories in the company of other dynamic women.”
Christopher Gorham
Dr. Shelly Cline, historian and director of education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, will moderate the second event in the series, as author Christopher Gorham comes to Kansas City to share his book “The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America.” The event will be held in the Blue Valley CAPS Building (7501 W. 149th Ter., Overland Park, KS 66223) on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
“The Confidante” tells the true story of Anna Rosenberg, who acted as a trusted advisor to multiple presidents and was involved in crucial points in history spanning from the New Deal to the 1960s. For her contributions to an Allied victory in WWII, she became the first recipient of the Medal of Freedom and was later appointed Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Cold War.
“It is always exciting to learn the stories of individuals, especially women, who, despite their contributions to historic events, have somehow been left out of the narrative,” Cline said. “I love a book that seeks to correct these oversights.”
Natasha Lance Rogoff
Muppets and mystery are the themes of Natasha Lance Rogoff’s “Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia.” Moderated by Jewish Experiences Director Ethan Helfand, the event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at The Coterie Theatre (2450 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108).
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Lance Rogoff, a young Jewish American TV producer, was tasked to bring Sesame Street to post-communist Russia and faced bombings, assassinations, cultural clashes and more before ultimately creating a successful series that broadcasted messages of tolerance and inclusion. Her story offers deep insights into the Russian people and their culture while exploring tensions that continue to thwart relations between Russia and the West.
“As a lifelong fan of the Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street, this book appealed directly to my inner child,” Helfand said. “I am excited to hear Natasha share her remarkable behind-the-scenes story about the fall of the Soviet Union as told through the eyes of our beloved Muppets.”
Joe Posnanski
Finally, the Acclaimed Author Series will close out its third season on Thursday, March 7, as New York Times bestselling author of six books and former Kansas City Star sports columnist Joe Posnanski will share his book “Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (1616 E. 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108).
Moderated by Ben Heisler, host of “Benny & The Bets” on KC Sports Network, the event will include special guests from the Kansas City sports community.
A special VIP opportunity will be available for this event only. Guests who purchase the VIP ticket will enjoy an exclusive tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum with Joe Posnanski and Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, as well as a copy of Posnanski’s book to be signed at the event.
The Acclaimed Author Series is co-sponsored by Jewish Experiences and the Jewish Book Council and is supported by the Sam Schultz Jewish Book Fair Fund.
Monarch Books & Gifts is the exclusive bookseller of the Acclaimed Author Series. Only copies purchased from Monarch Books & Gifts will be eligible for author signing by the author.
More information around the Acclaimed Author Series and other programs developed by Jewish Experiences is available at TheJKC.org/jewishexperiences.