"A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965" January 18, 2012

This traveling exhibit that illuminates the contributions of Jewish songwriters such as Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin to the "American Songbook" will run from Jan. 19 through Feb. 24, 2012 at James Branch Cabell Library. Originally developed by Nextbook, Inc. and the American Library Association, the exhibit is supported by a variety of additional free events and exhibits at VCU and in the surrounding area. For details, please see www.library.vcu.edu/events/fine-romance/.

The best songwriters of the 1910-1965 period that the exhibit covers combined a genius for melody, a talent for pairing melody with the perfect words, and an ability to connect with a wide audience. A high percentage of these songwriters were Jewish, from families that had immigrated to the United States in the 1800s or fled pogroms and persecution in Europe at the turn of the century. Their sophisticated and romantic songs such as "Body and Soul," "Over the Rainbow," "That Old Black Magic" and "It Had to Be You" became beloved classics of American popular culture.