Audio By Carbonatix
Some folks might make a case that because of high rents, Coral Gables’ art galleries have moved out of the once artistically thriving community. That’s not entirely true. It would be ignorant to dismiss the City Beautiful so quickly, especially the places that remain in the trolley’s loop and have made it their mission to stay relevant. No entity is more relevant in South Florida than the venerable Books & Books; its leader, Mitchell Kaplan, has worked hard to keep Miami on the international literary map. His endgame has always been consistency, so Books & Books’ offerings that tie into Coral Gables Gallery Night are on par with the rest of its yearly programming.
This Gallery Night, Miguel “Mike” Benito Fernandez, founder of MBF Healthcare Partners, will read from his travel memoir, Humbled by the Journey. A respected businessman and dedicated philanthropist, Fernandez documented his 508-mile pilgrimage from France to Spain along El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 2013. The setup might play on his rags-to-riches life, but the book is the story-within-the-story of his life while narrating his adventure. During the journey, Fernandez took pledges and was able to raise $5 million for a children’s hospital. All proceeds from sales of the book and the photographs within it, which will be on display at the store and priced at $300 apiece, will benefit the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation.
This story might have some parallels of its own, but in the wake of relations between the United States and Cuba taking a divisive turn, the true tale here is the resiliency and chutzpah of the Cuban people and the continued awesomeness of this little bookstore that could. The reading begins at 7 p.m. Friday at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables. The reading is free; hardcover copies of the book cost $29.95 each. Call 305-442-4408 or visit booksandbooks.com.
Thu., Jan. 1, 7 p.m., 2015
