Book Launch: Billy Planer, Conversations That Matter

Format: In-Person — Off-Campus Venue: Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30338 Purchase Tickets About the Book Join congregant Billy Planer for an afternoon in conversation with Greg Bluestein, chief political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, celebrating the release of Billy's new book, Conversations That Matter: How Americans Can Talk About Tough Issues and Remain United. Part of the Atlanta Book Festival — tickets required. Book sale and signing to follow. Atlanta… it is time for a new conversation — one that includes people we disagree with. Why this conversation matters: Politics. Middle East. Identity. Current events. Difficult issues constrain families, friendships, workplaces, and communities. This candid conversation explores practical ways to listen better, speak honestly, ask meaningful questions, and keep dialogue open across real differences. Billy Planer is a trusted voice as a conversation activist. His new book, Conversations That Matter, packs a career spanning over 35 years of proving that talking to people we disagree with isn't just possible — it is our greatest strength and how we will change the world. As the founder and director of Etgar 36, he has led educational journeys for thousands of teenagers, families, religious congregations, non-profit and corporate boards, and interreligious and interracial groups to discover how we can become comfortable being uncomfortable having conversations that matter. Greg Bluestein has been a top political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2012 and is a contributor to MSNBC and NBC News. Co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast and radio show, he also curates the daily Jolt newsletter and is the author of Flipped, on Georgia's transformation into a swing state in 2020. Stay after the talk for a book sale and signing! Conversations That Matter is available October 23 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at the event.