Arthur Smith & Robert Steinfeld

The 33^rd Edition of the Book Festival of the MJCCA Presents Arthur Smith and Robert Steinfeld

In conversation with Nadia Bilchik, Local Media Personality and Bestselling Author

Author Talk, Q & A & Book Signing

Arthur Smith, Reach: Hard Lessons and Learned Truths from a Lifetime in Television

One of the most daring, creative, and influential minds in nonfiction television, Arthur Smith draws on the most exciting moments of his pioneering career as a producer to show how far you can go when you reach for your dreams.

Arthur Smith is famous for his innovation and audacity, and as the man behind some of the longest-running unscripted series in television history. His groundbreaking hit Hell's Kitchen forged the modern food competition reality genre, while his Emmy-nominated American Ninja Warrior has spawned a cultural movement, with Ninja-inspired gyms in every major American city.

In Reach, Smith shares adventures, triumphs, and hard-won lessons from his astonishing career, beginning with his unprecedented ascension from the ranks of sports production to become the youngest-ever head of CBC Sports. Never one to rest on his laurels, Smith moved from Canada to the United States to produce a wide variety of entertainment programming with his mentor, television icon Dick Clark. Years later, he spearheaded an entirely new approach to sports television at FOX Sports Net, helping to grow the fledgling business into a true industry powerhouse. In 2000, Smith made the biggest reach of his career with the launch of A. Smith & Co. Productions, which has produced over two hundred television shows on more than fifty networks. Across genres, formats, and platforms, Smith and his A. Smith & Co. team have earned a reputation for original, emotional, buzz-worthy, and deeply personal storytelling.

Arthur Smith, the chairman of A. Smith & Co. Productions, is a pioneering veteran of nonfiction television, known for creating and producing some of the longest-running unscripted series in history, including Hell's Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior. Smith was honored as one of Variety's "Titans of Unscripted TV" in 2022, inducted into the Realscreen Awards Hall of Fame in 2021, awarded Broadcasting & Cable's "Producer of the Year" in 2020, has been nominated for several Emmy Awards, and has received dozens of industry honors and awards.

Robert Steinfeld, 3... 2...1... We're on the Air: An Inside Look at Sports Television, Journalism, and Gender Equity

Imagine what it's like to make hundreds of decisions in just two hours on "live" network television with your work seen by millions of people. That's what a sports television producer does each time they sit in "the big chair." In 3…2…1… We’re on the Air, Emmy Award Winning Producer Robert Steinfeld takes readers inside the world of sports television through his career producing some of the biggest sporting events, such as the Summer Olympics, the NBA and WNBA, the MLB, and the FIFA World Cup. Along the way he crossed paths with athletic stars like Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Nolan Ryan, Nancy Lieberman, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Bill Walton and announcers Bob Costas, Jim Nantz, and Robin Roberts. Join Robert Steinfeld on his path from eager, ambitious teenage journalist to ultimately realizing his dream producing major sporting events.

Robert Steinfeld has produced and directed network sports television for five decades, covering MLB, NBA, WNBA, college basketball and football, NCAA Championships, World Cup Soccer, Cotton Bowl Classics, and the summer Olympics. He is executive producer of the WNBA Dallas Wings. His innovated work has earned him ten Sports Emmy Awards plus five more nominations, a national Cable Ace Award nomination, and additional industry accolades. A New Jersey native, Robert grew up in Dallas.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Nadia Bilchik, President of Greater Impact Communication, is an internationally renowned television personality, communication and professional development training expert, author and keynote speaker.

Books will be available for purchase on the day of the event from our partner bookseller, A Cappella Books!

All sales are final. Tickets and books are non-refundable.