Friends Interviews

Donna Fales has lived in Miami since 1969, after relocating from New York City with her husband, Gordon. A longtime Friend, she first learned about the Fair as a patron of Books & Books and – with just a handful of exceptions – has attended every year. Married for 63

Longtime Friend of the Fair David Singer largely grew up in Riverdale, New York, and came to South Florida in 1977 to attend law school. He and his wife, Sharon – whom he met at a happy hour at the now-defunct Grand Bay Hotel in Coconut Grove – have two

Ileana Oroza came to the United States from Cuba in 1961 to live with family in Miami as part of Operación Peter Pan. She relocated to Puerto Rico to finish high school and attend university before returning to the Magic City in the seventies, and she’s been here ever since.

Longtime Friend of the Fair Stephen Colyer moved to North Carolina in 2016, when his wife’s career compelled them to relocate. But this lover of books – and barbeque! – has remained a committed member of the Friends family. You lived in Miami for 21 years before putting down stakes

Anisha Durve was born in India, grew up in Ohio, and lived all over the country before a seven-year run in Fort Lauderdale and a move to Miami two years ago. An acupuncturist, Ayurvedic doctor, yoga therapist, and meditation instructor – she blends all of those things in her clinical

Rosemary Ravinal was born in Cuba, raised in New York, and relocated to Miami 25 years ago to work for Discovery Channel Latin America. A former international media executive, corporate communications and PR pro, and broadcaster, today this author and TEDx speaker runs her own media training and executive speaker

Exchange for Change founder Kathie Klarreich grew up in Ohio, lived for a time in California and Haiti, and then settled in Miami for the second time in 2023, where she’s lived ever since. She is a former journalist, a writer, an educator, and a longtime Friend of the Fair,

Beatriz Portela grew up in Miami, left to attend UC Santa Cruz, then stayed put in California after landing her first job, at a TV station. She continued working in that field when she returned to the Magic City, editing film and commercials, and writing and producing educational videos and

Stuart Gitlitz grew up in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, ventured upstate to attend college at SUNY Binghamton, then escaped the cold to come to Miami for law school and stayed put after he earned his JD. What kind of law did you practice before you retired?

Elizabeth DiAlto is the founder of the School of Sacred Embodiment and host of the “Embodied With Elizabeth DiAlto” and “Mystical Aunties” podcasts, the latter launching later this year. A relative newcomer to Miami, she joined the Friends of the Fair family last year. I’m so excited to do this

Mervyn Solomon is a longtime Friend of the Fair who has contributed to our work in more ways than one. A native of Tobago and the son of a Methodist school headmaster, he lived in Trinidad and then Canada for a time before coming to Miami in 1983. Tell me

Blogger and writer Patricia Azze was born and raised in Miami and has been attending the Fair since she was a child. Heavily involved in the local children’s theater scene growing up, she can also claim a stretch as a singer in a girl group. OK, you have to tell

Conrad Gleber and his late wife, Gail Rubin, built a successful niche book publishing business in New York City and raised three children. The couple relocated to Tallahassee in the nineties; he now divides his time between Miami, where his daughter, Katrina, lives, and New York, which is home to

Attorney Sheryl Berkowitz grew up in Brooklyn, New York, went to college in Washington, D.C. – where she became involved in political and community-based organizing – and went on to earn her law degree at Northeastern in Boston. She landed in Miami in 1986, spent some time living in Israel

A native of Maine, Irene Sperber grew up in the Pine Tree State and as an adult lived for a time in London, Hong Kong, and New York City before making Miami her main base in 1998. A self-described “non-planner” and “creative being,” she enjoyed a career as a fine

Jackie Peña grew up in the Bronx in New York and, after a stop in Massachusetts, came to Miami to pursue her doctoral degree. That planned two-year stint ended up being a long-haul decision, as she’s still living in South Florida today nearly 20 years later. She is the founder

Award-winning poet Jubi Arriola-Headley, who presented his debut collection, original kink, at Miami Book Fair 2020, grew up in Boston, made stops in New York, Washington, D.C., and Houston, and today lives in South Florida with his husband, Paulo. He’s also a Friend of the Fair, and he sat down

After serving as a judge for 20 years – most notably in the courts of Miami’s Dependency and Criminal Drug Court Divisions – Jeri Cohen retired from the bench in 2020. She has three adult children, a son and two daughters, and today shares her life with her partner, Richard

Longtime Friend of the Fair Jim Herron divides his time – and playing tennis – between Miami and New York City, where his wife, Sara Czaja, who specializes in gerontology, is the Gloria and Roland Harriman Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Before he retired he served as

Asha Elias planted roots in Miami in 2001, where she’s raising her 10-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son. She’s a longtime fan and more recent Friend of the Fair, and also a soon-to-be-published author – her first novel, Pink Glass Houses, will be released June 2024. Congratulations on the book –

JJ Schmidt is a longtime Friend of the Fair. Born in Los Angeles, he moved with his family to South Florida at the age of 2 so we’re claiming him as one of our own. After 30-plus years in corporate America, he completed his doctorate at FIU’s school of business

Candis and Guy Trusty – she’s an attorney, he’s a commercial real estate broker specializing in the hotel industry – have been sharing their thoughts and opinions on the books they read with each other ever since they were growing up across the street from one another in Virginia. They

Philly native, poet, and writer Connie Goodman-Milone lives in Miami with her husband David – they met-cute at a bookstore! – and their two cats, Ursa and Maya, named for Maya Angelou. She’s been involved with the Junior Orange Bowl Creative Writing Contest for many years and is its past

Architect Anne Jackaway and attorney Pete Ferrero are both longtime fans of Miami Book Fair. She’s attended every Fair since its inception in 1984; he’s been going for years and became an official Friend of the Fair in 2022. “I snuck in all the other years,” he said, laughing. The