“We are the ones in charge…of deciding what we find important as a society, and what we want to learn more about,” says Vancouver-based writer Braude.

The festival’s opening night features Selina Robinson, author of Truth Be Told and one of Canada’s well-recognized Jewish elected officials, in conversation with Marsha Lederman, columnist at the Globe and Mail. Lederman will also close the festival in conversation with actor and comedian Brett Gelman about his literary debut The Terrifying Realm of the Possible: Nearly True Stories.

Remembering a forgotten legend

Braude will be speaking about his book (Feb. 24), Kiki Man Ray: Art, Love and Rivalry in 1920s Paris, in conversation with UBC professor emeritus of history Chris Friedrichs. The novel delves into the life of Kiki de Montparnasse, a symbol of 1920s bohemian Paris, highlighting her works in surrealist experimental films and cabaret performances.

Kiki is best known as an artist model from the works of surrealist Jewish photographer, Man Ray. Le Violon d’Ingres is one of Man Ray’s most famous works, and features Kiki’s nude back marked up like a violin. For a while, Braude only ever referred to Kiki as Man Ray’s muse while teaching Parisian history at Stanford university.

“After teaching this class a few times, it [bothered] me that I didn’t know about her,” Braude says. “So just for my sake of having a better lecture, I… started to learn more about her and I realized that I had the story completely wrong.”

Braude discovered that Kiki was also a painter and illustrator, as well as a cabaret performer who was one of the big hits in 1920s Paris. Alongside her influence on Man Ray’s art and the Parisian culture at the time, Braude asks readers to reflect on the influencing factors that shape cultural memory.

“Is it simply that some people… are lucky enough to be remembered and others get forgotten?” he asks. “Or are there some bigger structural issues at play?”

The aforementioned photograph, Le Violon d’Ingres, was recently sold for a record-breaking $12.4 million USD at Christie’s Auction House in New York. However, while Man Ray is celebrated as a legend, Kiki and her contributions are often excluded from the conversation and are instead being forgotten.

“History isn’t this thing that’s set in stone like a monument,” Braude points out. “It’s this living, breathing thing and it’s only at the mercy of people who are around right now.”

Exploring family stories

This year’s Book Clubs event presents American author Laurie Frankel (Feb. 25) and her novel Family Family in conversation with fellow writer Anne Marie Corrigan. The novel breaks the mold of traditional family structures by exploring the topic of adoption from the perspective of an adoptive mother.

Although Frankel often writes on the topic of family, she admits that the writing process for Family Family was more difficult. Writing during the global pandemic in 2020, Frankel acknowledges that family became more of a sensitive topic.

“Writing about family is particularly emotional,” she says. “And the stakes feel really high because it’s so personal, because you want for the world to be better for the small humans you are raising up in it.”

As an adoptive parent herself, Frankel admits that while there already exist stories about adoption, these stories are not entirely representative of the experience and lack diversity.

“I wanted to tell a story that seemed more true… to my life and experiences,” she adds. “In this case, I felt like it’s not a simple story. It’s not uncomplicated, [it’s] not straightforward.”

The novel actively challenges stereotypes and outdated practices, confronting the idea that adopted children have the same needs, and advocates for the recognition of their individuality.

“Biological children… can have a whole variety of needs and responses to those needs,” Frankel mentions. “But [seeing] adopted kids [as only needing one thing] seems reductive and problematic, and not possibly true to me.”

Frankel’s novel stands as a testament to the evolving nature of familial bonds in modern society. Family Family sheds light on often overlooked perspectives and celebrates this diversity of family structures that exist today.

“I think families are endlessly fascinating,” says Frankel. “They’re not necessarily the people you are blood related to, but they’re definitely the people you are stuck with one way or the other, for good and for bad.”

For more information on the Jewish Book Festival, see www.jccgv.com/jewish-book-festival

For more information on Mark Braude, see www.markbraude.com

For more information on Laurie Frankel, see www.lauriefrankel.net