Singles Night--Highs in the Low Fifties: How I Stumbled Through the Joys of Single Living by Marion Winik, author reading and book signing with dessert reception at Owings Mills JCC Tuesday, November 5 from 7 to 8:30 pm.

Beloved longtime NPR commentator and essayist Marion Winik is known for her uniquely redemptive and often hilarious take on the trials of life. In raves for her earlier books, People magazine noted "her keen sense of humor and lack of self-pity" and the Los Angeles Times said "we're happy to listen to any story she wants to tell." In her latest, she shares the tale of her attempt to rebuild her world and find new love as a once-widowed, once-divorced single mother.

 According to the most recent census, almost 50% of Americans are single, twice as many as fifty years ago. In 2009, Winik joined this statistic, crawling out of the ruins of her second marriage to embark on a new life in a new town with her then nine-year-old daughter. As she settled into her new normal, Marion placed finding a man high on her agenda.

 With her signature optimism, resilience, and poor judgment, Marion dove headfirst into a series of ill-starred romantic experiences. Some were pathetic, some were ludicrous, some were sweet, some were downright incredible. Meanwhile, she was navigating other choppy waters, as the mother of two twenty-something sons, their little sister, and a miniature dachshund. Documented in chapters with titles like “Desperate Housewives of Roland Park,” “Match Dot Bomb,” “The Five Guys You Meet in Hell,” and “The Boomer and the Boomerang,” Marion’s brand of single living is never lonely,never dull, and always makes for an entertaining read.  The fee of $15 for members and $25 for guests includes the book and refreshments.

 For interviews and photos, contact Kelley Martin at kmartin@jcc.org or call 410.500.5914. For more information contact Melissa Berman at 410.559.3593 or email mberman@jcc.org. To register contact Marilyn Zvili 410.559.3510 or mzvili@jcc.org.