An Evening with Jennifer Niven & Carmen Pelaez

Join us in Coral Gables for a lively conversation with Jennifer Niven, in discussion with Carmen Peláez, to celebrate (Flatiron Books, $29.99). Set in 1964, this big-hearted, sharply funny story follows America’s “perfect” TV family as their ratings—and their lives—begin to unravel behind the scenes. With secrets, shifting identities, and the pressure of a world rapidly changing, Niven explores what happens when a family built for television finally has to face reality. Don’t miss this engaging look at the dual lives we all lead, on screen and off.

🎟 This event is free with RSVP; seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed.

For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb—literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out. When Del—the creative motor behind the show—is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance? Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

Jennifer Niven is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of thirteen books, fiction and nonfiction, including the massive breakout All the Bright Places, which she also adapted for film. Her award-winning books have been translated into more than seventy-five languages and have sold upward of 3.5 million copies worldwide. Jennifer has loved television and film her whole life and has been lucky enough to develop projects with Netflix, Sony, ABC and Warner Bros. She divides her time between coastal Georgia and Los Angeles with her husband and literary cats.

Carmen Pelaez, Macdowell Fellow (23) Commissioned by Miami New Drama, Oolite Cinematic Arts and The Huntington theater to create new work. Most recently her play The Cuban Vote was presented in the Reading Room at the Folger Library in DC and her one act play Waiting for America which was part of Museum Plays was chosen best theatrical experience in Miami. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, NBC Latino and Huffpo.
Constantly inspired by old and new Miami, because cognitive dissonance makes great drama, Carmen is always looking for ways to share the stories this incredible city hides in plain sight. Currently she’s working on her latest commission Colada as well as developing a bilingual television series, Ventanita.

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