Carrie Fisher stars at Katz JCC book festival in Cherry Hill

'I'm a short person with tall problems," quips Carrie Fisher.

Fisher, the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, has let the world know that she suffers from bipolar disorder as her late father did. "I talk fast and I think fast," says Fisher, who proclaims herself "a terrific daughter" and "a bookworm."

That "bookworm" will be center stage at 7:30 Thursday night at the Bank of America Festival of Arts, Books and Culture at the Katz Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill.

The festival, running from Sunday to Nov. 18, features a diverse group of authors, entertainers, and artists. It began in 1990 with 10 authors and modest crowds, and now draws about 15,000 people for a cultural smorgasbord.

"We've become a model for other festivals around the country," says Sabrina Spector, cultural director of the Katz JCC. Past speakers have included Mike Wallace, Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, comedian Robert Klein, and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Fisher is the author of Wishful Drinking, the book in which she candidly reveals her experiences with addiction and mental illness. "I guess I have no secrets," says the Princess Leia of the original Star Wars trilogy, who also has appeared in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally . . ., and Shampoo.

Her format at the festival, she says, is now her favorite platform style. "I call it 'Any Questions?' People just shoot questions at me and I answer them. I love it - and they seem to love it, too."

Also in the festival lineup is writer Delia Ephron (11 a.m. Monday), whose new novel, The Lion Is In, will be her focus.

"The story honestly came to me in a dream," Ephron says of her tale of three women on the run and their encounter with a lion in a small Southern town bar. "I can't explain this except to say that I'd never experienced anything like it - I actually dreamed a novel with well-defined characters and a plot."

Ephron's screenwriting career has included the romantic comedy You've Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Michael. She and her sister, the late writer Nora Ephron, collaborated on Love, Loss, and What I Wore, which had a 21/2-year run Off-Broadway.

"Women tell you their lives when they talk about their clothes - the feelings are loaded," Ephron says.

For festival speaker Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. ambassador to the European Union and an author and lecturer on global politics, Israel and its place on the world stage is the subject (7:30 p.m. Monday).

Eizenstat spent three years writing The Future of the Jews: How Global Forces Are Impacting the Jewish People, Israel, and Its Relationship With the United States.

"I've been fascinated by both the fragility and strength of the Jewish people, who have gone through such destruction yet still survive and thrive," Eizenstat says.

Another highlight of the festival is an appearance by the Capitol Steps, the comedy troupe that was launched three decades ago by Senate staffers and continues to satirize the political world in words and music (7:30 p.m. Sunday).

"We're very excited to have this group right on the heels of the presidential election. The timing is perfect," Spector says.

The festival also will offer visitors a glimpse of works by artists from Israel's Arad and Tamar areas, "sister cities" to the South Jersey Jewish Federation. Works will range from oils and pastels to jewelry, wall hangings, and accessories.

Len Berman, an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster and author of The Greatest Moments in Sports: Upsets and Underdogs (7 p.m. Wednesday), will share his reflections on triumphs that couldn't have been predicted.

Also appearing during festival week are broadcast journalist/author Kati Martin, rock-and-roll DJ Carol Miller, and Modi, popular comedian from Last Comic Standing and Comedy Central.

A vast array of books, more than 1,000 titles, will fill the Katz JCC's lobby, and many visitors do early holiday shopping at this sprawling marketplace.

The impact of the festival, according to volunteer cochair Andy Kaplan, has been dramatic.

"Our festival has become a cultural powerhouse in the region. It's a nationally recognized event that comes to life thanks to hundreds of volunteers and dedicated staff," Kaplan says, noting that after a year of preparation, there's a great sense of accomplishment when the event concludes.

But that relief is short-lived.

"The next day," Spector reports, "we start all over again, planning the next year's festival!"