Closing the 2017 JCC Book Fest

The 26th edition of the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center has earned a place in the history books, packing venues around the main building at Zaban Park, as well as the Rich Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Although what would have been the biggest event in festival history was canceled after closing-night speaker Sen. Al Franken halted his book tour in response to allegations of sexual misconduct, the two-week celebration of the written word, co-chaired by Dee Kline and Bea Grossman, still started (Justice Stephen Breyer) and ended (newsman Dan Rather) with national names.

The 27th festival is scheduled for Nov. 3 to 18 next year. Until then, here are a few of the 2017 festival’s many highlights.

Photos courtesy of the Marcus JCC

Below: Grammy-winning songwriter Steve Dorff, whose “I Wrote That One, Too …” is captured on a giant cookie from Ali’s Cookies, performs at the festival Nov. 6.

: Grammy-winning songwriter Steve Dorff, whose “I Wrote That One, Too …” is captured on a giant cookie from Ali’s Cookies, performs at the festival Nov. 6.

: Grammy-winning songwriter Steve Dorff, whose “I Wrote That One, Too …” is captured on a giant cookie from Ali’s Cookies, performs at the festival Nov. 6.

(From left) Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush Hager chat with best-selling novelist Emily Giffin on Nov. 18.

Harry Maziar reads from his book of business and life advice, “StorySelling,” on Nov. 7.

The authors of the comedic haggadah “For This We Left Egypt?” — Adam Mansbach, Alan Zweibel and Dave Barry — pose with representatives of the Atlanta Jewish Times (Michael Jacobs, Jen Evans, Kaylene Ladinsky and Lou Ladinsky), the media sponsor for their appearance Nov. 16.