Elizabeth Gilbert at the Eisemann Center

--by Deborah Lopez in Time.com

I went to hear Elizabeth Gilbert speak last night at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. The über popular Ms. Gilbert spoke for about an hour before she fielded questions collected on index cards. As a former Toastmaster, I was impressed with her ability to speak without notes for such a long time to such a large audience in such a large venue. That woman can talk!

If you don’t know who she is, Ms. Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love, the mega-selling book about her travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia as she was trying to recuperate from a traumatic divorce. Carolyn Bess, the producer of the DMA’s Arts and Letters Live program, introduced Ms. Gilbert with a few interesting facts about the author such as that the movie Coyote Ugly (starring Piper Perabo and John Goodman) was based on her article she wrote for GQ magazine, she and her husband are the owners of an antique store in New Jersey, and Julia Roberts will be starring in the movie version of the book.

In Ms. Gilbert’s non-stop monologue, she covered a variety of subjects like the time her husband was detained at DFW International Airport by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and deported out of the country (the reason they eventually married), the autonomy of women in the past 50 to 75 years (how new this is in the whole realm of history), her new book Matrimonium (and how she became a student of marriage due to her life experiences), how the body expresses the ailments of the soul, and, lastly, about why she chose not to have children. Peppered in among these were many experiences, quotes, and words of wisdom.

After the talk, Ms. Gilbert came down to the grand foyer of the center to sign books. The line to get books signed was daunting. A group of us just wanted to get a better idea of what Ms. Gilbert looked like closer up, as there had been a good number seated in the balcony. She really is quite striking and has a relaxed aura about her.

Another enjoyable evening thanks to the DMA’s Arts and Letters Live!

To read the Dallas Morning News’ GuideLive review, click here.

Proust Questionnaire

--from Wikipedia

After Ennyman posted his list of 25 Random Things About Ed Newman, I decided that it was time for me to do some sort of list, too. So many questionnaires are going around on Facebook such as 25 Random Things About Me, The Name Game, etc. that I decided to do one of the originals, the Proust Questionnaire. Vanity Fair magazine still does one every month featuring celebrities.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Reading a good story

What is your greatest fear?
Jumping to conclusions

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Moral superiority

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Gullibility

What is your greatest extravagance?
Books and magazines

What is your current state of mind?
Irritated

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Moderation

On what occasion do you lie?
To not hurt someone else

What is the quality you most like in a man?
Decisiveness

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Compassion

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A bird, so I could fly away whenever I wanted . . .

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“I don’t care.”

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Books

When and where were you happiest?
Right here, right now

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Surviving thus far

Where would you like to live?
In a city by the ocean

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Watching a bad sit-com

What is your most marked characteristic?
Steadiness

What do you most value in your friends?
Acceptance of imperfection

Who are your favorite writers?
Harper Lee and L. M. Montgomery

Who are your heroes in real life?
Police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, teachers

What is your greatest regret?
Not majoring in English or History

What is your motto?
Accomplish one thing each day

How would you like to die?
Quickly

Arts and Letters Live

I happened to go to one of the Dallas Museum of Art’s Late Nights events on the spur of the moment a couple of weeks ago. My favorite local band, Brave Combo, was going to be playing in the Atrium that evening, but I needed to kill some time before then. I picked up a Late Nights flyer and saw that an author was going to be talking about her new book and that it was a free event.

Stephanie Kallos gave a great talk on her latest book entitled Sing Them Home. Ms. Kallos lives in Seattle, Washington, and traveled all the way to Dallas for this talk and to promote her latest book. She said she had never been to Dallas before, and I think she was genuinely impressed with how friendly Dallas and its people had been all day leading up to her event.

Sing Them Home is a novel about the aftermath of a devastating tornado for one particular family and town in Nebraska. I haven’t read this book yet, but I did hear Ms. Kallos read the first chapter and was completely drawn in by the characters and can’t wait read it soon. I did buy and get signed her first book entitled Broken for You. This book was a Today Show pick. I didn’t want to buy the new book in hardback and I like to read authors’ works in order, so I bought Broken for You instead of the new one. The book was a great choice, as I read it quickly and enjoyed it immensely. From hearing her speak, you could tell Ms. Kallos was very comfortable in front of an audience. She is first an actor and acting teacher in Seattle.

Ms. Kallos’ free lecture was part of the museum’s Arts and Letters Live program. This program has been around for years, but last year was the first time I took the opportunity to go to some of the events. I had heard Anne Lamott speak at another free event and I saw a presentation of actors reading from the private letters of the Lost Generation, as well as a performance of some Cole Porter music. I am amazed at how many events are staged by Arts and Letters Live from January through June. Later in the month, my Chick Lit friend, Stephanie, and I are going to see Elizabeth Gilbert at the Eisemann Center, I am going to hear Dr. Zahi Hawass speak about King Tut, and another friend and I are going to see David Sedaris at McFarlin Auditorium in April. Last Monday evening, I went to see Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry (of L.A. Law fame) read short stories at the Dallas Theatre Center. Those are just a handful of the things I have chosen to see, but there are many more authors and programs scheduled and most of them are reasonably priced, if not free.

Take advantage of the Dallas Museum of Art and its Arts and Letters Live program.

Pictures from Italy . . .

The photos above were taken by a friend of mine, Martha, living in Nice with her husband, Bruce.

The first is from Venice and makes me feel as if I am on the Grand Canal.

The second is from Portofino, the beautiful fishing village located on the Italian Riviera near Genoa.

Click on each to enlarge and truly enjoy!

Arrivederci!