“THE FESTIVAL CAN OFFER A DIVERSE RANGE, NOT ONLY OF AUTHORS BUT OF STORIES, GENRES, AND CULTURES” feature story / 13 author David Baldacci will be Friday night’s keynote speaker, during an event that will serve as a fundraiser for both Maplewood and South Orange libraries. Former Mets first baseman and cur- rent sports broadcaster Keith Hernan- dez will speak about his new memoir on Saturday morning. Oth- er notable authors in- clude Tayari Jones (An American Marriage, an O p r a h ’ s Book Club pick) and Claire Mes- sud (The Emperor’s Children). The chil- dren’s/young adult authors are equally impressive. Rosemary Wells will be the children’s keynote speaker. Other notable writers include Kheryn Cal- lender, Josh Funk, and Maplewood resident Christopher Healy. This year’s festival will take place at both the Woodland in Maplewood and the nearby Words Bookstore. “I had been thinking about a local festi- val for at least five years,” says Jonah Zimiles, who founded Words in 2009 along with his wife, Ellen. “A book festival requires an enormous amount of work and Robert has been doing a terrific job.” Zimiles says that he’s looking for- ward to holding festival events at the store this year. “We view ourselves as more than just a retail establishment,” he explains. “We sell books, first and foremost, but we are a hub for people in the autism community and pro- vide vocational training for people with autism. Hosting these events allows us to go beyond just being a bookstore. We are trying to enhance the community for every- body.” S a y s c o m m i t - tee member Becky Krae- mer, a publicist who runs Cursive Communications and Marketing and has lived in the area for about 14 years, “When Robert reached out to me last year and told me about the festival, it was one of those ‘palm against the forehead’ moments. We live in a won- derful literary area and the festival en- hances the community’s understand- ing of books as art.” Kraemer plays a pivotal role in publicizing the festival. She’s also en- listed Seton Hall student Laura Sor- rentino to be a marketing intern for the festival. “In addition to providing a hands-on opportunity and building L-R: Jonah Zimiles, owner of Words bookstore, Robert Lasner, the book festival's execu- tive director and committee member Becky Kraemer. SERVICE  KNOWLEDGE  EXPERTISE Broker / Sales Associate 973-214-4636 Susan.Blodgett@cbmoves.com Sales Associate 973-219-8865 Virginia.Spiegel@cbmoves.com Susan Blodgett, ABR Ginny Spiegel @WeKnowNJRealEstate 145 Maplewood Avenue Maplewood, NJ 973-378-8300 MAKING HAPPY HOMES  EVEN HAPPIER. MAKING HAPPY HOMES  EVEN HAPPIER. 19 South Orange Avenue, South Orange 973 821 5145 “A toy store for grown-ups.” We carry the handiest tools & gadgets for spring cleaning New Jersey Monthly BEST of NJ 4 YEARS RUNNING Named All-Star Retailer of the Year by Gourmet Insider Magazine South Orange’s Destination for Great Gifts These durable sponges are earth friendly and made in Newark! The best scrapers ever! They remove paint, candle wax, food, labels, and more.