Talk by local novelist Lillian Li.
6-8 p.m., AADL Downtown multipurpose rm. Free. 327-4200
This award-winning local writer reads from and discusses Tazia and Gemma, her new novel that spans 1911-1961, moving forward in time with the story of an unwed pregnant Italian immigrant and then backward with the story of her daughter’s search for her father. Writer Deepak Singh calls it a “moving story of racial and religious conflicts.” Light refreshments. Signing.
7 p.m., Nicola’s, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
Literati Bookstore is thrilled to welcome John Kerry to Ann Arbor as he reads and discusses his memoir, Every Day Is Extra. The Secretary will be in conversation with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.
Tickets are general admission and include a hardcover copy of Every Day Is Extra, to be picked up at the venue the evening of the event. A Q&A and signing will follow. To reduce wait times for signing, there will be no personalizations and no posed photographs.
About Every Day Is Extra: John Kerry tells the story of his remarkable American life—from son of a diplomat to decorated Vietnam veteran, five-term United States senator, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, and Secretary of State for four years—a revealing memoir by a witness to some of the most important events of our recent history.
Every Day Is Extra is John Kerry’s candid personal story. A Yale graduate, Kerry enlisted in the US Navy in 1966, and served in Vietnam. He returned home highly decorated but disillusioned, and testified powerfully before Congress as a young veteran opposed to the war.
Kerry served as a prosecutor in Massachusetts, then as lieutenant governor, and was elected to the Senate in 1984, eventually serving five terms. In 2004 he was the Democratic presidential nominee and came within one state—Ohio—of winning. Kerry returned to the Senate, chaired the important Foreign Relations Committee, and succeeded Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State in 2013. In that position he tried to find peace in the Middle East; dealt with the Syrian civil war while combatting ISIS; and negotiated the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement.
Every Day Is Extra is Kerry’s passionate, insightful, sometimes funny, always moving account of his life. Kerry tells wonderful stories about colleagues Ted Kennedy and John McCain, as well as President Obama and other major figures. He writes movingly of recovering his faith while in the Senate, and deplores the hyper-partisanship that has infected Washington.
Few books convey as convincingly as this one the life of public service like that which John Kerry has lived for fifty years. Every Day Is Extra shows Kerry for the dedicated, witty, and authentic man that he is, and provides forceful testimony for the importance of diplomacy and American leadership to address the increasingly complex challenges of a more globalized world.
About John Kerry: John Forbes Kerry is a former Secretary of State and five-term US Senator. Kerry is the author of Every Day Is Extra, A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America, The New War, and the best-selling This Moment on Earth. He is currently a Distinguished Fellow for Global Affairs at Yale University as well as the inaugural Visiting Distinguished Statesman for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, have two daughters, three sons, and seven grandchildren.
About Debbie Dingell: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell represents Michigan’s 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Recognized as one of the 25 hardest-working Members of Congress, Debbie is focused on forging bipartisan solutions that support Michigan’s families and economy, including improving long-term care and ushering in the future of the American auto industry. Before being elected to Congress, Debbie worked in the auto industry for more than three decades, where she was President of the General Motors (GM) Foundation and a senior executive responsible for public affairs. She was also Chairman of the Wayne State University (WSU) Board of Governors, and continues to fight to make education more affordable and accessible in Congress.
This legal scholar and Fox News contributor discusses Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross. Also, display and sale in the JCC lobby (Oct. 18-Dec. 1) of some 170 new books by Jewish authors, ranging from cookbooks, expensive gift books, children’s books, and reference books to books by local authors and new titles hot off the presses. (Publishers plan their releases for November, which is Jewish Book Month.)
7-8:30 p.m., JCC, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. Free admission to the sale; $18 for the talk. 971-0990.
U.S. Naval War College Center for Naval Warfare Studies research professor Richard Moss discusses his new book based on the Nixon tapes as well as newly declassified documents. Book sale, signing, and reception follow.
7 p.m., Ford Library, 1000 Beal. Free. 205-0555
One MFA student of fiction and one of poetry, each introduced by a peer, will read their work. The Mark Webster Reading Series presents emerging writers in a warm and relaxed setting. We encourage you to bring your friends – a Webster reading makes for an enjoyable and enlightening Friday evening.
Readings by U-M creative writing grad students, including prose by Samantha Bares and poetry by Daniel Neff.
7 p.m., UMMA Auditorium, 525 S. State. Free. 764-6330
Participants write, direct, and perform their show in 24 hours from scratch), Performance. Free, but pay what you can.
Readings by 13 of the group’s most popular poets, including Marlin Jenkins, John Buckley, Cozine Welch, Chavonna Bigham, Ashwini Bhasi, Alex Kime, Dan Bigham, and others TBA.
7 p.m. Espresso Royale, 324 S. State. $5 suggested donation. facebook.com/AnnArborPoetry.
Reading by this Ann Arbor-based poet from Kerala (India), who writes poems about the connection between trauma and chronic pain and about her experiences as a genomic data analyst and poet. Her poem about the 2016 presidential election was nominated for a Pushcart prize. Preceded by an open mike.
7-8:30 p.m. Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, 123 W. Washington. Free. 994-6663.
ToastMasters at SweetWaters is an opportunity to practice your personal and/or professional speaking as well as Leadership in a fun friendly atmosphere.
The club is open to everyone. Attendees have the opportunity to speak, give and receive feedback about speaking, presentations and current events.
We typically have 2-4 prepared speeches followed by (Kind and constructive evaluations) to provide feedback and growth. Attendees will have an opportunity for impromptu speaking as well.
Sweetwaters Cafe, 123 W Washington. Free. chrisjriley@hotmail.com
