TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Jewish Authors To Sign Books

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICHELLE BEARDEN

mbearden@tampatrib.com

Published: November 8, 2008

When "Lord of the Flies" meets "Fantasy Island," what do you get?

If you guessed summer camp, you win the prize.

"It's utopia. It's magical. It's where boys and girls of yesteryear became the men and women they are today," says Roger Bennett, co-author of "Camp Camp," a show-and-tell compilation of camping memories published in July.

Bennett joined with fellow New Yorker Jules Shell to put together this very funny account of camp experiences and retro photos after an Internet solicitation asking for input.

"We put out the call and got 80,000 responses," he says. "We found a whole nation of campers out there."

With an estimated 20,000 camps of all themes spread across America, the pool of recollections is endless. So the duo set up www.campalumni.com to keep the memories coming.

"What we've learned is that every camp is its own unique universe," Bennett says.

He's one of seven authors who will be featured at the fourth annual weeklong Jewish Book Month Celebration. The event is sponsored by the Tampa Jewish Community Center in collaboration with the Jewish Book Council, a national organization devoted to the promotion of Jewish-interest literature.

"Camp Camp" - filled with tales of first kisses, sporting triumphs, bunkhouse wars, scary stories and guitar-strumming around the campfire, off-campus exploits, talent shows starring showoffs and shrinking violets, shopping at the canteen and moments of sheer joy or humiliation - reveals why summer camp was a coming-of-age, life-changing experience.

"For most kids, it was the first place they could experience freedom. It was a place to experiment away from a parent's watchful eye," Bennett says.

These days, putting some distance between parent and camper isn't as easy. "Technology keeps a closer connection, with cell phones and Internet, " Bennett says.

His own camping memories?

"I was a Jew from Liverpool. We didn't have camps in England," he says. Instead, a teenage Bennett came to the United States to work as a counselor at Camp Kingswood in Bridgton, Maine. With his accent and worldly knowledge, he was definitely a cool addition.

"It was coed. I was blown away by the whole scene," he recalls. "Working on the book just shook loose a lot of those memories that never went completely away."

Bennett's presentation may help jog other recollections. His appearance includes a campfire, a songfest of favorite camp tunes and s'mores for adults. He'll also talk up his next book: "And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Our Vinyl," a history of Jewish people in America as told on albums from the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

JEFFREY HANTOVER

7:30 p.m. Nov. 19: Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, 4200 Jim Walter Blvd., Tampa. Jeffrey Hantover, author of "The Jewel Trader of Pegu;" free.

ELYSE SCHEIN AND PAULA BERNSTEIN 8 p.m. Nov. 15: Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 2713 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein, authors of "Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited;" $18, including dessert reception.

RUTH NEMZOFF

10 a.m. Nov. 16: Tampa Jewish Community Center. Ruth Nemzoff, author of "Don't Bite Your Tongue: How to Foster Rewarding Relationships with Your Adult Children;" free.

BENYAMIN COHEN

7:30 p.m. Nov. 17: Congregation Beth Am, 2030 W. Fletcher Ave., Tampa. Benyamin Cohen, author of "My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith;" free.

RABBI BRAD HIRSCHFIELD

7:30 p.m. Nov. 18: Congregation Kol Ami, 3919 Moran Road, Tampa. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, author of "You Don't Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism;" free.

ROGER BENNETT

7 p.m. Thursday: Tampa Jewish Community Center, 13009 Community Campus Drive, Tampa. Roger Bennett, co-author of "Camp Camp;" free.

ANNE-MARIE ASNER

4 p.m. Nov. 23: Barnes & Noble Carrollwood, 11802 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa. Anne-Marie Asner, author of "Klutzy Boy," "Shluffy Girl," "Shmutzy Girl," "Noshy Boy," and "Kvetchy Boy;" free.

Michelle Bearden can be reached at (813) 259-7613.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT