Barbra Streisand To Open BookExpo America 2010

By Benjamin Ivry May 24, 2010

Fans of the comedian Kathy Griffin will recall her deathless account of Barbra Streisand’s visit to “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and the television host’s astonishment on discovering that Streisand had painted her microphone white as part of a recent obsession with color. Another expression of this color sensitivity is Streisand’s forthcoming “My Passion for Design” due on November 16 from Viking Publishers. In advance of this much-anticipated arrival, BookExpo America 2010 will open with a splash, with Streisand herself being interviewed on May 25 by the chat show host’s best friend, editor Gayle King.

When first signed a year ago, Streisand’s book was titled “A Passion for Design,” but the change to the possessive “My” instead of “A” has surely added powerful new impact and a sense of personal control to this “lavishly illustrated personal tour of the great star’s homes and collections.”

For readers with no designs on either La Streisand or her collections, BookExpo America will be redolent with Yiddishkeit, with a generous number of Jewish authors signing their new books for the masses. On May 26, Steve Brezenoff, known for his blog Exile in Goyville, will sign “The Absolute Value of -1,” his book for teens from Carolrhoda Books. Also on May 26, Allen Kurzweil will sign his lighthearted new opus, “Potato Chip Science” from Workman Publishing. The next day, comic book author and artist Bob Fingerman will sign his zombie thriller “Pariah,” forthcoming from Tor Books. Also on May 27, Bruce Feiler, author of popular books about being Jewish in the South, will sign his “The Council of Dads” from William Morrow Publishers. Something for everyone.

To see Barbra Streisand sing “Hatikvah” and chat with Golda Meir in 1978, click here. And for Streisand’s unique song stylings applied to “Avinu malkeinu,” click here.

Benjamin Ivry is a frequent Forward contributor.

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