[{"id":38587,"date":"2026-02-23T15:10:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.wpenginepowered.com\/?post_type=blog-post&p=38587"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:19:10","slug":"friends-of-the-month-margie-mark-buchbinder","status":"publish","type":"blog-post","link":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friends-of-the-month-margie-mark-buchbinder\/","title":{"rendered":"Zanmi Mwa a: Margie ak Mark Buchbinder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Margie and Mark Buchbinder \u2013 he moved here as a child \u2013 have lived in Miami for many years. They have three daughters, three \u201cfabulous\u201d sons-in-law, six grandchildren, one grandchild-in-law, and a great-grandson. Longtime champions of promoting educational opportunities for children and youth, in 2003 they established the I Have a Dream Overtown initiative, which followed two groups of children from kindergarten through high school, providing them with inspiration, enrichment, mentoring, and support as they went on to college and careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When did you first hear about Miami Book Fair?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Margie: Very early on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: I think it was the very first year. It was something we immediately knew we wanted to support and participate in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does Book Fair mean to Miami?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mark: That\u2019s probably a 10-part question. [laughs] I moved here in 1954 and I\u2019ve seen the county go through so many different transformations since then; every 15 years or so it reinvents itself. I spent a lot of time downtown when I was a kid, and to me it\u2019s always been the center of activity in the city. Then it started to deteriorate, but with the library and\u00a0HistoryMiami Museum<\/a>\u00a0and other things coming to the area, it started to regenerate. And when Book Fair,\u00a0Miami Film Festival<\/a>, and the other museums started to establish themselves there \u2013 along with the growth of Miami Dade College \u2013 that\u2019s when downtown started becoming the cultural destination that it is today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, we\u2019ve always been readers \u2013 Margie was a media specialist at an elementary school \u2013 and our walls are filled with books. So supporting something where books and authors can be celebrated, and where people can learn different things, is a wonderful thing to do. As a communitywide project the Fair certainly brings people downtown every November, but it\u2019s really a yearlong thing, because you bring authors to Miami all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: For me, knowing that I can go and hear so many authors is wonderful; I just love that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: We definitely brought our Dreamers to the Fair, many times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of your favorite FOTF benefits?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Margie: Really, it\u2019s all the authors and hearing them talk about their books \u2013 that\u2019s fabulous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you usually Book Fair together to attend the same sessions, split up to see authors separately, or a little bit of both?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mark: I would say it\u2019s a little bit of both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: But for the most part we\u2019re together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: We don\u2019t have to sit next to each other every time. [laughs]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s an MBF moment or experience that really stands out for each of you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mark: One thing I really enjoyed was when Harry Belafonte came to speak \u2013 remember that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: Yes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: Marlon Hill introduced him. Over the years we\u2019d seen him in concert, but at that point he was getting older and wasn\u2019t making a lot of public appearances. It was a moment that I\u2019ll always remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: I absolutely agree with that, but I\u2019m also a huge Dave Barry fan, and not just because he makes me laugh all the time but because his son went to my school. I\u2019ve known him for a good number of years and it\u2019s always a pleasure to see him at the Fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: And thankfully he never satirized you in his column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: Yes! Fortunately he never did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell me about the last great book you read.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Solito<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Javier Zamora. It\u2019s a memoir of his journey from El Salvador to the United States as an unaccompanied 9-year-old. It is so personal and so appropriate for what\u2019s happening today that I haven\u2019t ever taken it off my night stand. I think it\u2019s a book that everybody should read. More recently, and this is a shameless plug, is a book called\u00a0King\u2019s Corner<\/em><\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: K-I-N-G apostrophe s \u2013 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: \u2013 that was written by a young author named Easy Jack Portman, who happens to be our grandson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: Published on the very day he graduated high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, wow \u2013 that\u2019s amazing!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Margie: We are so proud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: Of course it\u2019s the best book we\u2019ve ever read. [both laugh]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it wouldn\u2019t have been the same as seeing your grandson do a reading, but I\u2019m sure you must have seen someone at last year\u2019s Fair that you really enjoyed.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mark:\u00a0Maya Wiley and Eddie Glaude Jr.<\/a>\u00a0We watched them all the time on MSNBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margie: We\u2019re big fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re on a monthlong sabbatical on a deserted island, just you and your thoughts. What\u2019s the one book you\u2019d be sure to bring with you and why?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Margie: It would be King\u2019s Corner<\/em> by Easy Jack Portman! [all laugh]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark: Probably an atlas, so I could figure out where I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38588,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[903],"class_list":["post-38587","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-friend"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFriends of the Month: Margie & Mark Buchbinder - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friends-of-the-month-margie-mark-buchbinder\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friends of the Month: Margie & Mark Buchbinder - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Margie and Mark Buchbinder \u2013 he moved here as a child \u2013 have lived in Miami for many years. 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Proud parents of a daughter living in New York City and a son in Seattle \u2013 and grandparents of four \u2013 they make their home in Coconut Grove with their beloved Labradoodles: Blue, 2, and Gem, 10.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"76\" src=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/UM-horiztonal-PMS-1-300x76-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-38584\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/UM-horiztonal-PMS-1-300x76-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/UM-horiztonal-PMS-1-300x76-1-18x5.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why did you initially make the decision to support Miami Book Fair?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you come to my house you\u2019ll see a home filled to the brim with books in just about every room \u2013 photography and art books, biographies and memoirs, nonfiction books and political books \u2013 just a huge collection. We recently had to eliminate an entire wall of bookshelves because of a renovation project, and what a challenge that was! [laughs] Deciding what to keep and what to let go of was one of the hardest things I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But to answer your question, I love books. And the Fair celebrates literature and reading and brings world-class writers to our city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do you think the Fair has brought to Miami as a whole?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When we first moved here in the \u201970s, Miami wasn\u2019t exactly known as a cultural destination; it was a beach town. But the Fair \u2013 along with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.artbasel.com\/miami-beach?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Art Basel<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nws.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New World Symphony<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 led the way in changing that. It\u2019s also created this community of readers and thinkers. Personally, it\u2019s allowed me to see some incredible authors speak about their work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tell me about some of the other organizations you\u2019ve supported in Miami.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We were longtime supporters of New World Symphony,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thebass.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Bass Museum<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 where I sat on the board for a number of years \u2013 and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/aijustice.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Americans for Immigrant Justice<\/a>, where I was a board member for a long time. Immigrant rights are a cause that\u2019s very close to my heart, and in 2004 I collaborated with my friend\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/bruceweber.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bruce Weber<\/a>\u00a0on a special insert for the\u00a0<em>Miami Herald<\/em>\u00a0called \u201cNeglected, Forgotten, Denied, but not Broken,\u201d which told the stories of Haitian immigrants fleeing to Miami, and how mistreated they were. We actually went to the Krome Detention Center and took pictures inside. We went on to show those images in the Russell Rotunda in Washington, D.C. Ted Kennedy helped us get the exhibition there.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does our work align with your personal thoughts on access to literary culture?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I think the Fair opens doors. It brings diverse voices to the stage and it makes these events welcoming and affordable. It gives our community access to writers and stories that we wouldn\u2019t have otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You\u2019ve very graciously opened up your home to host MBF events \u2013 how did that happen and what were those experiences like for you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My late best friend Linda Frankel \u2013 we were like sisters \u2013 was a big supporter of the Fair, and she was also an acquaintance of [MBF senior development associate] Lisa Better\u2019s, but I had never met her. But one day we were both out walking our dogs, met and started chatting, and had an immediate connection. So when she asked me if Lanny and I would host something for the Fair in our home, we were thrilled to do it; reading means everything to us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The events were both great. Lisa and [MBF director of development] Corey and the entire team were wonderful, and we loved opening up the house and meeting other supporters of the Fair \u2013 so many interesting people! The first one was an event with Bruce; he spoke. The most recent one happened to be held on Holocaust Remembrance Day \u2013 that was a powerful reminder of why the freedom to read and remember and share stories matters so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You\u2019re also a supporter of the Next Page Dinner.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. Last year\u2019s event was fantastic; I saw so many people from the community that I knew. My daughter is coming down from New York for it this year. She actually has a very good friend presenting at the Fair, Margaret Stohl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Going back to your love of books, have you read anything good lately?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The last book that really resonated with me was the Pulitzer Prize-winning\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780812985085\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between<\/em><\/a>, by Hisham Matar, a memoir. It\u2019s about his quest to return to Libya to find out what happened to his father, who disappeared during the Gaddafi regime. It\u2019s really moving. Right now I\u2019m reading something that Mitch Kaplan recommended,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781954118638\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Go as a River<\/em><\/a>, by Shelley Read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">She\u2019s presenting that at the Fair this year.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Really? It\u2019s such a great book \u2013 it really pulls you in and immerses you in the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you could have a one-on-one lunch with any author, living or dead, who would they be and what\u2019s something you would ask them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Oh, that\u2019s an easy one: Maya Angelou. My daughter-in-law, who\u2019s a pediatrician, was a Black history major as an undergrad and Maya Angelou is the person she admired most in the world. So when Angelou came to Miami for a speaking engagement and invited a mutual acquaintance to attend, he asked me and my daughter-in-law if we wanted to go because he couldn\u2019t. So we go and we\u2019re sitting in the front row waiting for it to start when a man comes up to me and says, \u201cAre you Behna Garder? Come with me \u2013 Maya Angelou would like to meet you.\u201d And he leads us backstage and my daughter-in-law just bursts into tears when she sees her. It was an incredible moment. And then she invited us to lunch afterward! We thought it was going to be a big reception but it was just us, Maya Angelou, and three other people. I think my daughter-in-law had an out-of-body experience. [laughs]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would do anything to have lunch with her again, because I\u2019d love to know what she thinks about the world today, and of the arc \u2013 which we thought was bending in her direction, with diversity and caring and openness and freedom, but has bent so far away from all of that. I want to know if she\u2019d still be optimistic that it could bend back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38585,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[904],"class_list":["post-38583","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-sponsor"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sponsor Spotlight: Behna Gardner - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/sponsor-spotlight-behna-gardner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sponsor Spotlight: Behna Gardner - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photographer Behna Gardener and her husband, Lanny Gardner, chair emeritus of the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, have lived here since 1974. 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Mwa a: Susan Schein"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/susan-schein-friend-jan26-300x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-38582\" srcset=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/susan-schein-friend-jan26-300x300-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/susan-schein-friend-jan26-300x300-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/susan-schein-friend-jan26-300x300-1-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Susan Schein lives in South Florida and New York City, and also devotes time to exploring other worlds and cultures during frequent trips outside the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can you recall when you first became aware of Miami Book Fair?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I first came here in 1985, the year after the Fair started, so I\u2019ve been going since it was still at its toddler stage! [laughs] I think a friend told me what it was, or I may have heard something about it at Books & Books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tell me about your favorite FOTF benefits.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Definitely the up-front seating, especially as the Fair has grown and gotten more crowded, and being able to get tickets to the bigger programs happening at Chapman. But what I love most about the Fair overall is the intellectual stimulation it provides, and the new things it introduces you to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anyone who\u2019s been to Book Fair has a great MBF moment or memory to share \u2013 what\u2019s yours?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The singular, most significant event I experienced at the Fair was I believe in 2006, and that was seeing Barack Obama. At the time he hadn\u2019t yet declared his presidential run \u2013 though there were rumours about that flying around \u2013 and I was like, <em>Who is this guy?<\/em> because I didn\u2019t really know anything about him. He was scheduled for Chapman and then his program had to be moved to a bigger venue, which was my first clue, and then when I heard him speak and he was so brilliant, that\u2019s when I knew: This guy is a big deal and if he wants to be president, he\u2019s going to be president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do you think Book Fair has brought to Miami and what has it brought you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I think it\u2019s brought Miami prestige, surprise, praise, and a place to gather. I like the energy; I like the validation of being in a room with like-minded people, people I see every year there \u2013 in that way it\u2019s like a reunion \u2013 and I also like the collective overview it gives me on our culture as it stands at that moment. I think of the Fair as my annual conference on America, and everyone who knows me knows that if they want to find me the weekend before Thanksgiving, that\u2019s where I\u2019ll be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Have you read anything good lately?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I just finished Rabbi Angela Buchdahl\u2019s\u00a0<em>Heart of a Stranger<\/em>, which I heard her\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdc.edu\/livestream\/video.aspx?chan=dlhy2jdpzhh2zr4fsx4i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">discuss at the Fair last year<\/a>. Her joy comes through the pages and the way she shares her self-doubt around the challenges she\u2019s faced \u2013 which\u00a0 I think most of us can relate to \u2013 is inspiring. I really admire her..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which MBF25 program did you find the most engaging?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I found the new slate of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamibookfair.com\/program\/jewish-life-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jewish Life & Culture<\/a>\u00a0programming to be both interesting and necessary.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If MBF came to you and said, \u201cWho do you most want to see at the Fair next year?\u201d who would that author be and what would you ask them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m back to Barack Obama. It would be the 20-year anniversary of his last appearance at the Fair and I\u2019d like to hear about what he sees as his legacy \u2013 does he think he helped move us toward truth and reconciliation from a longview perspective? That\u2019s what I want to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38582,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[903,904],"class_list":["post-38580","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-friend","tag-sponsor"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friend of the Month: Susan Schein - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-susan-schein\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friend of the Month: Susan Schein - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Susan Schein lives in South Florida and New York City, and also devotes time to exploring other worlds and cultures during frequent trips outside the United States. 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A longtime Friend, she first learned about the Fair as a patron of Books & Books and \u2013 with just a handful of exceptions \u2013 has attended every year. Married for 63 years, she has three children and two grandchildren.<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h3>What does Miami Book Fair mean to Miami, and what has it brought you personally?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s one of the best events in town. When you have something so terrific and unique, how can you not be there? It\u2019s so nice to be around so many people who love books and who read. You\u2019re with thousands of people who enjoy the same things you do, seeing 400-600 brilliant authors, at an event with a national \u2013 an international \u2013\u00a0reputation. And not only do you see authors you know, but you discover new ones. You walk into a session and you\u2019re listening to someone you\u2019ve never heard of, and all of a sudden you\u2019re totally absorbed, and I think that\u2019s one of the things that continually surprises me \u2013 how many authors I\u2019ve been introduced to by accident at the Fair, who I then start following and reading. The energy of the Fair always excites me; I like poking around there. It\u2019s wonderful!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What are your favorite FOTF benefits?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I like standing in a different line than anybody else [laughs], and I love going to the front of the room to the reserved seats. But what\u2019s really great is that, invariably, you meet people from around the country. You\u2019ll find yourself sitting next to someone from Minneapolis or Chicago, for example, and you start up a conversation about how did you end up here? And you find out that they\u2019re in Miami expressly for the Fair.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think the authors really like being here, too, and being a part of that energy and meeting and socializing with other authors \u2013\u00a0they, too, are in awe of who comes to the Fair. Amor Towles is a friend, and that\u2019s one of the things that he likes so much about coming down \u2013 meeting other authors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>If you don\u2019t mind sharing, how did you come to know him?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We go to the same summer spot; he grew up with my children. My granddaughter is very shy, and when we were there last year I asked my son how she was doing. He said, \u201cYou won\u2019t believe this, but the only person she\u2019s talked to the whole time is Amor.\u201d [laughs] They were both watching tennis, which is a very common thing there, and she was also reading a book at the same time, so he engaged her about it. She had no idea who he was, but when she found out she went straight to the local indie bookstore and bought one of his books.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s an MBF experience that really stands out for you?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twyla Tharp is someone I never would have seen, but I was going to hear the author who was going to be in the room after her. I got there early and thought, well, I\u2019ll just sit down and listen \u2013\u00a0that\u2019s another advantage to being at the Fair \u2013 and I\u2019m so glad I did. She talked about how important it is to move and to continue to move, and then she said that through routine, you build your creativity. Both of those thoughts have stuck with me, and I\u2019ve gone back to them again and again through the years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I play tennis at a very high level \u2013 I\u2019m 85 and I\u2019ve been the world champion in my age group the last four times I\u2019ve competed \u2013 and everyone asks me, how do you do it? And I say, you have to keep moving. As soon as you sit down, it\u2019s over. [laughs]<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Tell me about your summer reads.<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250178633\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Women<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250080400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nightingale<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Kristin Hannah; they\u2019re two of my favorites. Also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780525509486\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt\u2019s Ancient Temples from Destruction<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Lynne Olson and Kate Quinn\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780063144705\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Diamond Eye<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These are all strong women books, so I think there\u2019s a theme here. [laughs] One you\u2019d never guess I would have read is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780593298640\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father\u2019s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig, the fourth book I\u2019ve read on him. This man is so unusual that I keep trying to figure out why he does the things he does, which is impossible, obviously. Right now I\u2019m reading <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780671244095\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by David McCullough.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Which MBF 2024 program did you find most engaging?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamibookfaironline.com\/event\/an-evening-with-erik-larson-on-the-demon-of-unrest-a-saga-of-hubris-heartbreak-and-heroism-at-the-dawn-of-the-civil-war\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evenings With session with Erik Larson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I made a real effort to be there and I brought a friend who hadn\u2019t been to the Fair before. I like to take people who are maybe new in town and don\u2019t know about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>If MBF came to you and said, \u201cWho do you most want to see at this year\u2019s Fair?\u201d who would that author be?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I never get tired of seeing Amor. I\u2019d ask him about how he develops his characters, because I\u2019m eagerly awaiting to see Eve in another book. And I\u2019d love to see <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=robert+caro\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robert Caro<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We\u2019re all waiting to see if he\u2019s going to finish his last volume on LBJ. He writes so well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6967,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[903],"class_list":["post-6968","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-friend"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friend of the Month: Donna Fales - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friend of the Month: Donna Fales - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Donna Fales has lived in Miami since 1969, after relocating from New York City with her husband, Gordon. 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Married for 63 years, she has three children […]","og_url":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/","og_site_name":"Miami Book Fair","article_modified_time":"2026-02-23T20:19:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/august-friend-sponsor.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/","url":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/","name":"Friend of the Month: Donna Fales - Miami Book Fair","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/august-friend-sponsor.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-22T19:02:52+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:19:09+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"ht","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ht","@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/august-friend-sponsor.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/august-friend-sponsor.jpg","width":1080,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-donna-fales\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Friend of the Month: Donna Fales"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/","name":"Miami Book Fair","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"ht"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-post\/6968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog-post"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog-post"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":6965,"date":"2025-09-22T15:02:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T19:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.wpenginepowered.com\/blog-post\/sponsor-spotlight-the-bratter-family-bratter-pa\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:22:08","slug":"sponsor-spotlight-the-bratter-family-bratter-pa","status":"publish","type":"blog-post","link":"http:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/sponsor-spotlight-the-bratter-family-bratter-pa\/","title":{"rendered":"Pwotagonis Patwone: Fanmi Bratter\/Bratter PA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-131972 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/august-friend-sponsor2-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fanmi Bratter \u2013 Joshua, Samantha, ak pitit gason yo, Max \u2013 depi lontan ap sip\u00f2te Miami Book Fair e yo ap patisipe depi pi lontan toujou. Yon fanmi cho, sosyal, ak ki byen ini, ki renmen literati ak sinema, yo travay ansanm tou: Joshua dirije konpayi ki pote non li. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bratterpa.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bratter PA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Nan kabin\u00e8 avoka a, Samantha se Ch\u00e8f Operasyon li, e jiskaske li te pati pou lek\u00f2l lalwa pi bon\u00e8 sezon ete sa a, Max te s\u00e8vi k\u00f2m asosye rech\u00e8ch legal la. Nou te chita pale ak yo twa a d\u00e8ny\u00e8man pou diskite sou poukisa Fwa Liv la t\u00e8lman enp\u00f2tan pou yo, ni p\u00e8son\u00e8lman ni k\u00f2m moun ki rele Miami lakay yo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-129136 size-medium alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/BRATTER_PA_LOGO-300x129.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"129\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Fanmi ou te patwone sesyon ot\u00e8 MBF espesifik nan tan pase, d\u00e8ny\u00e8man Henry Winkler, Michael Imperioli ak Blitz Bazawule, Roz Chast, ak Malcolm Gladwell \u2013 \u00e8ske ou te kapab rankontre nenp\u00f2t nan ot\u00e8 sa yo?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JB: Nou genyen li, e se esans Fwa a ak menm Miami a, nan k\u00e8k fason. Yon vitrin ent\u00e8nasyonal de premye klas, ak op\u00f2tinite etranjman n\u00f2malize pou rankontre moun o aza epi f\u00e8 ti k\u00f2mant\u00e8 sou yo.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ak gwo p\u00e8sonalite nan dom\u00e8n pa yo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MB: Mwen te totalman plonje nan <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sopranos<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> L\u00e8 yo te mande m prezante Michael Imperioli pou sesyon li a. Mwen te konnen li k\u00f2m Christopher, p\u00e8sonaj li nan emisyon an, e li te jis k\u00f2manse w\u00f2l li ki poko teste nan <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">La<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lotus Blan<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> seri a. Li t ap f\u00e8 paj nan liv yo (d\u00e8y\u00e8 s\u00e8n), epi papa m ak mwen te jis k\u00f2manse yon ti konv\u00e8sasyon fasil av\u00e8 l sou kijan nou te renmen travay li \u2013 tankou fanatik ki sezi devan yon ved\u00e8t \u2013 epi li mande m sa m te panse de <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blanc<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lotus<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Apre sa, nou te jis gen yon konv\u00e8sasyon k ap koule sou travay li.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JB: Mwen te renmen l nan <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bon kamarad<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ak Spike Lee a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Klak\u00e8<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, e mwen mande l kijan sa te ye pou travay sou yo; li souri paske nou te konnen t\u00e8lman anpil sou kary\u00e8 li. E Malcom Gladwell \u2013 se te jis pou nou te nan prezans li. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780316017930\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eksepsyon<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> li menm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MB: Se vr\u00e8man etonan l\u00e8 yo vide sal antren\u00e8 a epi ou la, pare pou prezante yon moun ki te f\u00f2me fason yon jenerasyon antye panse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB: Henry Winkler se te moun ki te pi p\u00e8son\u00e8l pou nou. Manadj\u00e8 li a te di, \u201cMesye Winkler ap vini dir\u00e8k, pa gen foto, li pral jis monte sou s\u00e8n nan.\u201d Men l\u00e8 li rive, li vin jwenn mwen epi li di, \u201cBonjou, mwen se Henry. Ou sanble manman gwoup la.\u201d Apre sa, nou te pale de tout bagay, soti nan bar mitzvah Max la rive nan chanday super-cool Winkler te gen sou li a. Li te pran selfie, epi li te pran kamera Max la pou l te f\u00e8 yon videyo li te narre.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JB: Se jis yon l\u00f2t nan moman koneksyon ant jenerasyon yo nan Fwa a pou fanmi nou. Sam ak mwen te grandi ak \u201cthe Fonz\u201d e Max ak mwen te renmen li nan <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Devlopman ki bloke<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Li te t\u00e8lman otantik.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB: Pou mwen, Roz Chast se te lavi ki f\u00e8 yon s\u00e8k konpl\u00e8 \u2013 nou tout t ap tann katon li yo nan <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nouv\u00e8l Y\u00f2k\u00e8 a<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">! Mwen te grandi nan Manhattan e li te yon sous rekonf\u00f2 pou mwen ak fason li te w\u00e8 mond lan av\u00e8k ironi ak maladwa. Li te santi l mal al\u00e8z ak tout atansyon nan Fwa a; l\u00f2t panelis yo te gen anpil resp\u00e8 pou li. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Nou tout renmen literati menm jan nou renmen sinema. Ki pi bon adaptasyon liv-pou-ekran nou te w\u00e8?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MB: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apokalips Kounye a<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Mwen f\u00e8k li Joseph Conrad la. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780143106586\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K\u00e8 F\u00e8nwa<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> e m sezi anpil w\u00e8 kijan Francis Ford Coppola rakonte istwa a ank\u00f2 sou kont\u00e8ks Lag\u00e8 Vyetnam nan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JB: Li difisil pou apresye vizyon surreal Coppola te itilize pou rakonte istwa sa a, ki jeneralman klase k\u00f2m yon fim lag\u00e8 oswa sou Vyetnam men ki anpil plis pase sa. Pandan nou menm k\u00f2m telespektat\u00e8 ap desann rivy\u00e8 sa a, ou swiv p\u00e8sonaj yo pandan y ap plonje nan foli ak later\u00e8, tankou lag\u00e8 a li menm. Dennis Hopper k ap freestyling \"Hollow Men\" yo se t\u00e8lman inatandi. Mwen ta ajoute tou <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780375706677\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pa gen peyi pou granmoun aje<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Ke fr\u00e8 Coen yo te kapab rakonte yon naratif t\u00e8lman liney\u00e8, ki t\u00e8lman dekole de ton absid yo, epi prezante Javier Bardem k\u00f2m yon Anton Chigurh ki menm pi terifyan \u2013 youn nan pi gwo mechan tout tan \u2013 te ekstra\u00f2din\u00e8.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780385420174\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tankou Dlo pou Chokola<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Se pi renmen mwen. Mwen te etidye li pou t\u00e8z mwen nan iniv\u00e8site, l\u00e8 mwen te deja fiyanse ak Josh. Manman li, yon majisyen nan kwizin, te k\u00f2manse anseye m kijan pou kwit manje, kijan pou renmen manje, ak kijan pou renmen fanmi w atrav\u00e8 manje. Fim nan te t\u00e8lman fid\u00e8l ak liv la e li te t\u00e8lman b\u00e8l ke sa te f\u00e8 k\u00e8 m santi doul\u00e8.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Ki d\u00e8nye gwo liv ou te li? \u00c8ske w ap li yon bon liv kounye a?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MB: Mwen ap viv lwen Miami depi s\u00e8t ane e kounye a m ap reaprann kilti ki d\u00e8y\u00e8 vil la. Mwen f\u00e8k li e mwen renmen <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780679781806\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mayami<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pa Joan Didion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JB: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250831927\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tout pech\u00e8 yo senyen<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pa S.A. Cosby, yon woman nwa Sid ki chaje ak t\u00e8lman anpil t\u00e8m ak jan ki konekte youn ak l\u00f2t, ou pr\u00e8ske ka w\u00e8 adaptasyon fim nan pandan w ap li l.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB: M ap li mitoloji gr\u00e8k ank\u00f2. Mwen retounen ladan l pou m jwenn sans nan bagay ki antoure m e ki pa f\u00e8 okenn sans. Gen anpil bagay konsa kounye a.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Si ou te ka f\u00e8 yon dejene youn-a-youn ak nenp\u00f2t ot\u00e8, vivan oswa mouri, kiy\u00e8s li ta ye e kisa ou ta mande li?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JB: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=Jorge%2BLuis%2BBorges\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">J\u00f2j Lwis B\u00f2rg\u00e8s<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, m\u00e8t ajanten istwa kout la \u2013 \u00e8ske aleph la rey\u00e8l?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SB: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=Elie%2BWiesel\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eli Vyz\u00e8l<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, paske mond lan bezwen vwa rezon mondyal li ki gen nanm, ak tout konpasyon ak briyans li, plis pase tout tan. E si m te gen privil\u00e8j pou m te nan manje midi av\u00e8 l, mwen t ap jis koute.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MB: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250391230\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sarah Wynn-Williams<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Kijan ou ka gen okenn sans de vi prive nan mond sa a ank\u00f2?<\/span><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ent\u00e8vyou pa Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; repons yo te modifye pou espas ak kl\u00e8ti.<\/span><\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":6966,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[904],"class_list":["post-6965","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-sponsor"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sponsor Spotlight: The Bratter Family\/Bratter PA - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/sponsor-spotlight-the-bratter-family-bratter-pa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sponsor Spotlight: The Bratter Family\/Bratter PA - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Bratters \u2013 Joshua, Samantha, and their son, Max \u2013 have long supported Miami Book Fair and have been attending even longer. 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He and his wife, Sharon \u2013 whom he met at a happy hour at the now-defunct Grand Bay Hotel in Coconut Grove \u2013 have two adult children, a daughter and a son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When did you first start going to the Fair?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I was a young lawyer starting out about 40 years ago and I wanted to get involved in community activities that reflected my interests. Reading was and is a big interest of mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does Miami Book Fair mean to Miami, and what has it brought you personally?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fair brings another aspect of cultural richness to Miami, and it showcases the city\u2019s intellectual depth to the world. Little did I know when I first started going so many years ago that it would grow to be one of the most respected book fairs in the country. Sharon and I look forward to it every year \u2013 we\u2019re stimulated by the speakers and invigorated by being among a community of curious and thoughtful fellow fairgoers, and we easily buy a year\u2019s worth of books every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are your favorite FOTF benefits?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The ability to meet and have conversations with the authors \u2013 that\u2019s something I really love \u2013 and sitting up close. As I\u2019ve aged, being seated where I can see the faces of the authors is a big plus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you and Sharon usually Book Fair \u2013 do you attend sessions together, follow your own agendas, meet up with family or friends?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We go to some of the same presentations but we also have our own interests and see authors separately. At the end of each Saturday and Sunday of the Fair, we have a lot to talk about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s an MBF experience that really stands out for you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Meeting the authors as they\u2019re signing my copies of their books is always a thrill. Happily, they often give face time to people at the Fair; I can usually get in a few questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tell me about the last great book you read. Are you reading anything good right now?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m reading <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250104557\"><em>President Carter: The White House Years<\/em><\/a>, a biography of Jimmy Carter by Stuart Eizenstat, who worked in his administration. It started slow, but it\u2019s improving as the section I\u2019m at shares a lot of inside baseball about the legislative process. In other words, how the sausage is made. The last great book I read is any book by <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=robert%2Bcaro\">Robert Caro<\/a>, my favorite author and, in my opinion, the greatest nonfiction writer in the history of the English language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which MBF 2024 program did you find most delightful\/inspiring\/engaging?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For both myself and my wife it was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.miamibookfaironline.com\/event\/an-evening-with-amir-tibon-on-the-gates-of-gaza-a-story-of-betrayal-survival-and-hope-in-israels-borderlands\/\">Evenings With presentation with Amir Tibon<\/a>. I knew him as a great Israeli journalist but I didn\u2019t know that his family was trapped inside Kibbutz Nahal Oz while Hamas was invading and slaughtering their neighbors. Thankfully, his wife and kids survived because they were in a safe room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s the best book-to-screen adaptation you\u2019ve seen \u2013 or worst \u2013 and why?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My favorite adaptation of a book is also my favorite movie, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780679723226\"><em>Double<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780679723226\"><em>Indemnity<\/em><\/a>, written in 1936 by James Cain. Thinking about the worst, there are so many examples of disastrous attempts at movie adaptations. I could tick off all the famous ones, including <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250352651\"><em>La<\/em><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250352651\"><em>Bonfire of the Vanities<\/em><\/a>, but I will just say I\u2019m disappointed that Hollywood hasn\u2019t made a really good adaptation of Fitzgerald\u2018s <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780743273565\"><em>The Great Gatsby<\/em><\/a>, in spite of trying to do so every 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If MBF came to you and said, \u201cWho do you most want to see at this year\u2019s Fair?\u201d who would that author be and what would you ask them?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, I think it\u2019s unlikely that the MBF will produce a live William Shakespeare this year, but, in lieu of that, I\u2019d like to see all the great biographers. Of course Robert Caro, but also <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=Ron%2BChernow\">Ron Chernow<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=Doris%2BKearns%2BGoodwin\">Doris Kearns Goodwin<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=Eric%2BFoner\">Eric Foner<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=Jon%2BMeacham\">Jon Meacham<\/a>, and the underrated <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/search?q=A.+Scott+Berg\">A. Scott Berg<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><br>Ent\u00e8vyou pa Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; repons yo te modifye pou espas ak kl\u00e8ti.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":6964,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[903],"class_list":["post-6963","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-friend"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friend of the Month: David Singer - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-david-singer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friend of the Month: David Singer - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"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. 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There, he leads the board and works closely with foundation director Victoria Shahbaz to fulfill BBB\u2019s mission of changing the lives of single mothers while developing the future chances, challenges, and choices of children.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-127210 size-full alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/bbb-logo-300x150-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>What compelled BBB to partner with Miami Book Fair \u2013 how does our work support your community-building and cultural connection goals?<\/h3>\n<p>BA: The name of the foundation \u2013 Bam, Books, and Brotherhood \u2013 says it all. Growing up my mom focused on education before anything and I truly think that helped me stay focused.<\/p>\n<h3>BBB has also partnered with MBF via our Books for Free initiative \u2013 what\u2019s been the most gratifying thing about that collaboration so far?<\/h3>\n<p>BA: being able to give anything to kids is always a blessing, and the fact that its education? Even better. Like I said, my mom always made education super important in our house. But I think the best part is knowing that at least one kid will be curious enough seeing my face (on life-sized cutouts at the B4F shelves) to pick up a book. That\u2019s when I feel like I\u2019ve done something bigger.<\/p>\n<h3>Tell me about some of the other organizations BBB partners with in Miami and why.<\/h3>\n<p>VS: Partnerships are everything within our organization. We\u2019re a small team with a large vision, so being able to collaborate with others to further our reach is our motto; together we can do more. We\u2019re pretty much open to partnering with any organization that shares our vision and truly wants to make a difference in the community.<\/p>\n<h3>How does MBF\u2019s work align with your personal thoughts on access to literary culture?<\/h3>\n<p>BA: You guys get it \u2013 you understand that education should be attainable by anyone. You\u2019re making kids that are like I was when I was growing up feel that they can be great and achieve; you believe in them. Just by providing the tools, and that\u2019s something small that goes a long way. We say at the foundation to \u201cgive thanks for a little and you will find a lot.\u201d Everything you guys are doing is my vision, and that\u2019s why this partnership is just getting started.<\/p>\n<h3>Bam, you\u2019ve spoken to the media about being raised by a single mom who emphasized the critical importance of education, and of the financial struggles you faced as a family. Did you have access to programming similar to Books for Free or the children\u2019s programs offered by MBF when you were growing up?<\/h3>\n<p>BA: (My friends and I) had public libraries, and those really helped. But if these kinds of standalone libraries existed, like the ones provided by Books for Free, we certainly didn\u2019t have anyone of influence that motivated and inspired us to take advantage of them. And more than just supporting the bookshelves, I want kids to know that I\u2019m there for them, that BBB is there for them. Partnering with MBF is just one way I\u2019m doing that.<\/p>\n<h3>What was the experience like for you and your team at Miami Book Fair 2024?<\/h3>\n<p>VS: This year we were unable to actually be present at the Fair, but we worked very, very closely with the team to create unique ideas to raise literacy awareness and make it \u201ccool\u201d for kids to want to attend. We came up with the golden ticket idea, where these tickets were hidden inside books \u2013 and that encouraged the kids to open up, look through, and read the books.<\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s the last great book that you read?<\/h3>\n<p>BA: <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781250290045\"><em>Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You<\/em><\/a> by WNBA champion A\u2019ja Wilson.<\/p>\n<h3>Is there a book you read as a child or teenager that still holds resonance for you?<\/h3>\n<p>VS: <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780062315007\"><em>The Alchemist<\/em><\/a> by Paolo Coelho. It\u2019s a book I read as a teenager, a young adult, and then once more in my adulthood, each time understanding a different perspective.<\/p>\n<h3>If you could have a one-on-one conversation with any author, living or dead, who would they be?<\/h3>\n<p>BA: James Baldwin would have to win this one.<\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\nEnt\u00e8vyou pa Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; repons yo te modifye pou espas ak kl\u00e8ti.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":6961,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[904],"class_list":["post-6962","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-sponsor"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sponsor Spotlight: Bam Adebayo & Victoria Shahbaz\/BBB Foundation - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/sponsor-spotlight-bam-adebayo-victoria-shahbaz-bbb-foundation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sponsor Spotlight: Bam Adebayo & Victoria Shahbaz\/BBB Foundation - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Miami Heat center and NBA legend Bam Adebayo has candidly discussed in the press his hardscrabble upbringing and his appreciation for the single mom who instilled within him the importance of hard work and education \u2013\u00a0and that led to him founding the BBB Foundation in 2021. 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She relocated to Puerto Rico to finish high school and attend university before returning to the Magic City in the seventies, and she\u2019s been here ever since. A longtime MBF attendee and Friend of the Fair, she\u2019s also a member of a very active book club and loves to travel.<\/p>\n<h3>How did you first learn about Miami Book Fair?<\/h3>\n<p>I worked in the arts section at the <em>Miami Herald<\/em>, so I and the rest of the staff were very aware of anything going on locally, culture-wise. That was the time when everything was happening downtown \u2013 Book Fair, the ballet, the film festival, the art museum. It was a very exciting time for the city.<\/p>\n<h3>That\u2019s a nice segue to my next question: Thinking about what downtown Miami used to be and what the perception of Miami was in general for folks who didn\u2019t live here, what do you think the Fair has brought to the city and what has it brought to you personally?<\/h3>\n<p>A seat at the global cultural table. Through the Fair and the other institutions I mentioned, Miami came into its own culturally. To me, the Fair is just like Christmas but every November. [laughs] I just love it \u2013 it\u2019s a wonderful way to connect with people and you get to see so many authors that you\u2019ve read and never would have thought you\u2019d see in person or exchange words with. But I think one of the most important things the Fair does is its work for the children in our community. I\u2019m always impressed by that side of it, and how it brings literature to life for kids as a real, living thing and not some schooltime drudgery.<\/p>\n<h3>What are your favorite FOTF benefits?<\/h3>\n<p>Getting good seats at Chapman! [laughs] That and being able to see the schedule ahead of time. The year-round FOTF author events and receptions are really great, too. I took my whole book club to see Mary Morris earlier this month.<\/p>\n<h3>How do you Book Fair \u2013 solo or with family or friends?<\/h3>\n<p>The answer to that is yes! [both laugh]<\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s an MBF moment or experience that really stands out for you?<\/h3>\n<p>One year I had a friend from out of town visiting, in part to see Ben Fountain, who was a student of hers at UNC. He was appearing on a panel with Madison Smartt Bell and somehow or another we all ended up talking afterward. And before I knew it, we were all at my house having an impromptu dinner party.<\/p>\n<h3>That\u2019s so cool!<\/h3>\n<p>Yves Colon, the journalist, and his wife, Melissa, also came. It was great!<\/p>\n<h3>You\u2019re a Friend, you support the Fair, and you\u2019re in a book club, so I know you read a lot of good books. What\u2019s a recent one?<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780593798430\"><em>The Correspondent<\/em><\/a> by Virginia Evans. I\u2019m 75, and while I love to read books about young people, I also like to read about people of my generation and there aren\u2019t many out there. The book is about a seventysomething woman named Sybil who corresponds with all kinds of people throughout her life, including Joan Didion, who writes back. I was really charmed by it. Up next is a memoir by Gayle Young, a friend of a friend who was a bureau chief for CNN in Cairo \u2013\u00a0I actually visited her when I was there. It just came out and it\u2019s called <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781954805828\"><em>Update: Reporting From an Ancient Land<\/em><\/a>. I\u2019m also looking forward to Anne Berest\u2019s new book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9798889660897\"><em>Gabri\u00eble<\/em><\/a>, which she wrote with her sister Claire. That one is about their great-grandmother Gabriele Buffet-Picabia, who was married to the French artist Francis Picabia.<\/p>\n<h3>Which MBF 2024 program did you find most engaging?<\/h3>\n<p>You know I can\u2019t remember if it was last year or the year before, but I still think about a panel of four young Latinos from Miami who spoke about the future of the city, and one of them, Andrew Otazo \u2013\u00a0he wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0BV43LG43?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_T28QXDWF5262ZJNZ8KZJ\"><em>The Miami Creation Myth<\/em><\/a> \u2013 was there and he was dressed as a croqueta. [both laugh] When I got there and saw that I thought to myself, <em>This is going to be terrible!<\/em> But it was the most interesting and smart conversation. It was great to hear these young people talk about Miami and share their perspectives.<\/p>\n<h3>What\u2019s the best book-to-screen adaptation you\u2019ve seen and why?<\/h3>\n<p>Any Merchant Ivory film from the eighties or nineties, like A <em>Room wIth a View<\/em> or <em>The<\/em> <em>Remains of the Day<\/em>. Those movies and the books they\u2019re adapted from just transport you. You never left the theater disappointed after seeing them and they made you want to read those books again.<\/p>\n<h3>If MBF came to you and said, \u201cWho do you most want to see at this year\u2019s Fair?\u201d who would that author be and what would you ask them?<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s a Chilean writer named Benjamin Labatut who wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780593654491\"><em>The Maniac<\/em><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781681375663\"><em>When We Cease to Understand the World<\/em><\/a>. They explore either the birth of AI, AI, or quantum physics. He tells the most brilliant, interesting stories, and I\u2019d ask him how he walks that fine line between fiction \u2013\u00a0which he does \u2013\u00a0and real people, which he uses in his novels to discuss very complicated issues in very approachable terms.<\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\nInterview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6960,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[903],"class_list":["post-6959","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-friend"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friend of the Month: Ileana Oroza - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friend of the Month: Ileana Oroza - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ileana Oroza came to the United States from Cuba in 1961 to live with family in Miami as part of Operaci\u00f3n Peter Pan. 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A longtime MBF attendee and […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-23T20:19:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/june-2025-friend-ileana.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/\",\"name\":\"Friend of the Month: Ileana Oroza - Miami Book Fair\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/june-2025-friend-ileana.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-22T19:02:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-23T20:19:09+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"ht\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ht\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/june-2025-friend-ileana.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/june-2025-friend-ileana.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/blog-post\\\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Friend of the Month: Ileana Oroza\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Miami Book Fair\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/miamibookfair.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"ht\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Friend of the Month: Ileana Oroza - Miami Book Fair","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-ileana-oroza\/","og_locale":"ht_HT","og_type":"article","og_title":"Friend of the Month: Ileana Oroza - Miami Book Fair","og_description":"Ileana Oroza came to the United States from Cuba in 1961 to live with family in Miami as part of Operaci\u00f3n Peter Pan. 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But this lover of books \u2013 and barbeque! \u2013 has remained a committed member of the Friends family.<\/p>\n<h3>You lived in Miami for 21 years before putting down stakes in North Carolina, so you must remember what downtown was like before Book Fair helped turn it into the cultural hub it is today. What do you think that transformation has meant for Miami, and what has it meant for you?<\/h3>\n<p>Any celebration of the written word, authors, and their works is a good thing. And there are so many authors I never would have seen had it not been for the Fair. People like Isabel Allende \u2013 who I think is the finest storyteller in the world today \u2013 and Pat Conroy, a fellow South Carolinian who I met and spoke with several times at Book Fair. Turns out we were both at the state\u2019s Department of Natural Resources.<\/p>\n<h3>What an unexpected bit of shared history.<\/h3>\n<p>Quite so! He had a department hat on and I immediately knew what it was. [laughs] Reza Aslan is another one; he gave one of the best presentations I\u2019ve ever seen. He made the observation that anytime you have significant progress forward there\u2019s always going to be a reaction, and that helps me understand what\u2019s going on today. I remember Walter Isaacson said during a presentation that innovation is the intersection of art and science, and I think that\u2019s such a cool way to capture the concept. And then there\u2019s Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen. No matter how crappy the world is, Dave Barry makes me laugh.<\/p>\n<h3>You and your wife do your best to make it back every year for the Fair \u2013 what are some of the benefits you most enjoy?<\/h3>\n<p>Sitting near the front. The older I get, the more my hearing and eyesight suck! [laughs] Sandra adores the Hospitality Lounge.<\/p>\n<h3>Tell me about a singular moment or experience you\u2019ve had at the Fair.<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s several, with one being meeting Pat Conroy; that was marvelous. Another is seeing the National Book Award winners. When the Fair started bringing them here it was just off the charts \u2013 that MBF is\u00a0 able to bring that level of talent en masse to Miami just two days after the awards are announced is incredible.<\/p>\n<h3>You\u2019ve established a book fair yourself in North Carolina called Greensboro Bound \u2013 tell me about that.<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, I\u2019m one of the founders; we kind of modeled <a href=\"https:\/\/greensborobound.com\/festival\/\">Greensboro Bound<\/a> after MBF but it\u2019s held in May. I was at the Fair the year before our first one, waiting for a presentation to start and talking on the phone with our indie bookseller \u2013 he\u2019s our Mitchell Kaplan counterpart \u2013 and he told me that we had gotten a yes from Carmen Maria Machado as our keynote. I was so excited that I yelled out, \u201cWe got Carmen Maria Machado?!?\u201d And a woman a few rows in front of me turned around and said, \u201cI\u2019m Carmen Maria Machado.\u201d [laughs] That was so cool.<\/p>\n<h3>That\u2019s so funny! Is Greensboro Bound solely an annual thing, or do you also offer year-round programming?<\/h3>\n<p>We also do year-round programming, for kids and adults. We\u2019ve got a great in-school program where we bring recorded author conversations into the classroom and combine those with books and lesson plans. It\u2019s an optional thing for the county\u2019s school libraries, and we\u2019ve found that the ones that participate have seen circulation rates jump to 84% higher than the rates of the schools that don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<h3>Wow!<\/h3>\n<p>Yeah, the theory is that the kids are falling in love with a genre or a specific author they\u2019ve seen, and then they start looking for and checking out more books in that genre or by that author.<\/p>\n<h3>Speaking of falling in love with books, what\u2019s the last great book that you read?<\/h3>\n<p>Two recent ones have really impressed me. One was a middle grade book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780545880831\"><em>Refugee<\/em><\/a> by Alan Gratz. We were trying to get it into the school program. I was amazed by it for two reasons: one, it was a really tight, four-story interconnected tale and he did it with limited vocabulary. Two, there was a cliffhanger every four to five pages \u2013 I was like, wow, there are some impressive writing skills going on here. The other one is a book of poetry by Ashley Lumpkin, and specifically a poem entitled \u201cBloody Sunday.\u201d It was like capturing <em>The Color Purple<\/em> in a page and a half.<\/p>\n<p><em>Interview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6957,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[903],"class_list":["post-6958","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-friend"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friend of the Month: Stephen Colyer - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/friend-of-the-month-stephen-colyer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friend of the Month: Stephen Colyer - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Longtime Friend of the Fair Stephen Colyer moved to North Carolina in 2016, when his wife\u2019s career compelled them to relocate. 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Proud parents of two adult daughters, they\u2019ve supported Miami Book Fair for years, both personally and through his firm, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bergersingerman.com\/\">Berger Singerman LLP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-131355 size-medium alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berger-Singerman-Law-300x80.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"80\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Your family funds Miami Book Fair individually and through Paul\u2019s firm. Can you tell me what drives the latter\u2019s support?<\/h3>\n<p>I can\u2019t speak as an official spokesperson of the firm, but I do know that it\u2019s committed to supporting organizations that make a positive impact in our communities. Miami Book Fair does that through its focus on literacy, cultural programming, and community engagement, and the partnership between the Fair and Berger Singerman reflects shared values around education, access, and the importance of diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n<h3>What do you think Miami Book Fair has brought to the community as a whole?<\/h3>\n<p>When we moved here we lived in the Atlantis building, which was seen in the opening credits of <em>Miami Vice<\/em>. That was the year that the cover of <em>Time<\/em> magazine ran the \u201cParadise Lost\u201d story, about all the drug use here and how fraught Miami was at the time. So the vision of the city was either sun-soaked parties or drug-infested streets. Without the establishment of cultural and intellectual institutions like Book Far, those would have remained the only two impressions people had. We needed legitimacy \u2013 and Book Fair and other entities like it were the beginning of Miami becoming an actual city.<\/p>\n<p>At Berger Singerman, I think the Fair is seen as an important part of the city\u2019s cultural landscape and a way to support education and the arts locally. As parents, Paul and I brought our daughters to the Fair when they were kids, and what I really loved about it was that it made books accessible and fun, and made reading part of an event rather than a solitary endeavor.<\/p>\n<h3>Tell me about some of the other organizations you support in Miami.<\/h3>\n<p>We\u2019re big supporters of Mount Sinai Hospital, Temple Beth Shalom, the University of Miami, and the Miami Center for Mental Health and Recovery. We\u2019ve also been big supporters of Camillus House. Paul and I are both very interested in the intersection of mindfulness and mental health, and mental health and homelessness.<\/p>\n<h3>How does Miami Book Fair\u2019s mission align with your own thoughts on access to literary culture?<\/h3>\n<p>Again, it makes a solitary thing into a group experience. Book Fair gives you a peer group and celebrates the joys of reading, of books, and of thinking, and the authors you present bring world-class intellectual discussions to Miami.<\/p>\n<h3>Is there a book you read as a child or teenager that still holds resonance for you?<\/h3>\n<p>Not a lot of people know this, but there\u2019s an entire series of Mary Poppins books, not just one, and they are wonderful. There\u2019s a story from the second book that I still tell today. I also think the Fairy Books by Andrew Lang are fantastic. I read them as a child and then read them to my daughters when they were children.<\/p>\n<h3>Are you reading anything good right now?<\/h3>\n<p>Always! [laughs] I just finished <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9780593862735\"><em>James<\/em><\/a> by Percival Everett; it was really thought-provoking. And I also recently read <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.booksandbooks.com\/book\/9781639888443\"><em>The Evil Inclination<\/em><\/a> by Daniel Victor. What a fabulous book. Our stepsister is a Broadway actress and she narrated it for Audible and she\u2019s so good!<\/p>\n<h3>If you could have a one-on-one lunch with any author, living or dead, who would they be and what would you ask them?<\/h3>\n<p>Can I have more than one? [laughs]<\/p>\n<h3>Yes, you can. [laughs]<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019d love to sit down with Bren\u00e9 Brown. I think she\u2019s incredible. And Sylvia Boorstein, too.<\/p>\n<h3>What would you ask them?<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019d ask Bren\u00e9 Brown about her current thoughts on the meaning of life. She\u2019s always reinventing things and looking at things from a different perspective. And Sylvia Boorstein \u2013 we\u2019ve tried to bring her to Miami but she\u2019s older now and doesn\u2019t travel anymore \u2013 I\u2019d love to know what she\u2019s thinking as she is in her twilight era. So, I\u2019d ask Bren\u00e9 what to think about going forward and Sylvia what to think about looking back.<\/p>\n<h3>That\u2019s a nice bookend to your profile, no pun intended. [both laugh]<\/h3>\n<p><em><br \/>\nInterview by Elisa Chemayne Agostinho; responses have been edited for space and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6955,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6954","blog-post","type-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sponsor Spotlight: Marte Singerman - Miami Book Fair<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/miamibookfair.com\/ht\/blog-post\/sponsor-spotlight-marte-singerman\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ht_HT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sponsor Spotlight: Marte Singerman - Miami Book Fair\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Marte Singerman and her husband, Paul, set down roots in Miami in 1983 after they both completed law school at the University of Florida. 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