In a presentation ranging from anecdotal airport recollections to reflections on soul-altering meditations, best-selling Elizabeth Gilbert addressed a Durham audience to promote her most recent book, “Committed.”
Gilbert, New York Times best-selling author of “Eat, Pray, Love,” spoke to an audience of approximately 400 at the Durham Armory Monday night. The event, sponsored by the Regulator Bookshop, opened with a passage reading by Gilbert from her newest book followed by a question and answer session.
“Committed” is a research-saturated memoir that continues the story of Gilbert and her boyfriend after “Eat, Pray, Love.” Gilbert, who had previously experienced an unpleasant divorce, explores the idea of marriage in the book. She dissects the different pretenses associated with desire, love and marriage in an attempt to better understand each concept before allowing herself to remarry.
“Desiring another person is perhaps the most risky endeavor of all,” she read. “As soon as you want somebody—really want him—it is as though you have taken a surgical needle and sutured your happiness to the skin of that person, so that any separation will now cause a lacerating injury.”
Gilbert then opened the floor to questions that sparked some discussion of the recent movie adaptation of “Eat, Pray, Love.”
The author explained that unlike many others in her profession who criticize Hollywood adaptations of their work, she had very few qualms about the book’s film version.
“You have to ask yourself if you’re ready to give [your work] away,” she explained. “‘Eat, Pray, Love’ outgrew me. It didn’t feel like it was mine anymore.”
The discussion closed shortly following Gilbert’s “word” description of Durham—an “Eat, Pray, Love” reference in which the author describes different cities using one defining word. Gilbert settled between the words “saucy” and “intriguing,” adding that the city has many interesting qualities that left her wishing for more time to explore it.
Monday marked the author’s second Durham book-signing hosted by the Regulator—Gilbert made her first Bull City appearance in 2003 following the release of her third book, “The Last American Man.” Regulator co-owner Tom Campbell said he thought the bookstore’s role in playing host to both local and best selling authors contributed to the city’s dynamic.
“I would like to think that we really add to the culture of the area,” Campbell said. “We are local but we’re able to bring big names here too... We’ve had to fight long and hard [to get the attention of the ‘New York publishing world’].”
Audience member Jennifer Ashdown said the store’s ability to attract authors of Gilbert’s caliber was a testament to Durham’s cultural upheaval.
“I do think Durham’s becoming much more cosmopolitan,” Ashdown said. “There’s a hip-ness in Durham that people are starting to recognize.”
Among Duke students, however, events such as author signings attract less attention.
“I love Elizabeth Gilbert, but something that caught my eye was the lack of publicity [for the event] on campus,” said senior Meaghan Fitzgerald. “Why don’t Duke students go to more things like this?”
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