Elizabeth Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth M. Gilbert is an American
author
, essayist, short story
writer, biographer, novelist and memoirist. She is best known for her 2006 memoirs, Eat, Pray, Love, which as of December 2010, has spent 199 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list
, and was also made into a film by the same name in 2010.
. Her father was a chemical engineer
, her mother a nurse. Along with her only sister, novelist and historian Catherine Gilbert Murdock
, Gilbert grew up on a small family Christmas tree
farm in Litchfield, Connecticut
. The family lived in the country with no neighbors, and they didn’t own a TV or even a record player. Consequently, they all read a great deal, and Gilbert and her sister entertained themselves by writing little books and plays.
Gilbert earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Political Science
from New York University
in 1991, after which she worked as cook, a waitress, and a magazine employee. She wrote of her experience as a cook on a dude ranch
in short stories, and also briefly in her book The Last American Man (Viking 2002).
published Gilbert's short story "Pilgrims" in 1993, under the headline, "The Debut of an American Writer". She was the first unpublished short story writer to debut in Esquire since Norman Mailer
. This led to steady work as a journalist for a variety of national magazines including, SPIN
, GQ, The New York Times Magazine
, Allure
, Real Simple
, and Travel + Leisure
. As stated in the memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert made a career as a highly-paid freelance writer.
Her 1997 GQ article, "The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon
", a memoir of Gilbert's time as a bartender at the very first Coyote Ugly
table dancing bar
located in the East Village
section of New York City
, was the basis for the feature film Coyote Ugly
. She adapted her 1998 GQ article, "Eustace Conway
is Not Like Any Man You've Ever Met", into a biography of the modern naturalist, The Last American Man. It received a nomination for the National Book Award
in non-fiction
. "The Ghost", a profile of Hank Williams III
published by GQ in 2000, was included in Best American Magazine Writing 2001.
(Houghton Mifflin 1997), a collection of short stories, received the Pushcart Prize
and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. This was followed by her novel
Stern Men (Houghton Mifflin 2000), selected by The New York Times
as a "Notable Book". In 2002 she published The Last American Man (2002), a biography of a modern woodsman and naturalist, which was nominated for National Book Award
.
The memoir was on the New York Times Best Seller List
of non-fiction in the spring of 2006, and in October 2008, after 88 weeks, the book was still on the list at number 2. Gilbert appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
in 2007, and has reappeared on the show to further discuss the book and her philosophy, and to discuss the film. The book was optioned for a film
by Columbia Pictures, which was released as Eat Pray Love on August 13, 2010, with Julia Roberts
starring as Elizabeth Gilbert.
Gilbert's fifth book, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, was released by Viking in January 2010. The book is somewhat of a sequel to Eat, Pray, Love in that it takes up Gilbert's life story where her bestseller left off. Committed also reveals Elizabeth Gilbert's decision to marry a Brazilian man named Felipe whom she met in Indonesia. The book is a thorough examination of the institution of marriage from a multitude of historical and modern perspectives — including that of people, particularly women, reluctant to marry. In the book, Gilbert also includes perspectives on same-sex marriage
and compares this to interracial marriage
prior to the 1970s.
with nostalgia, adding, "I am a writer today because I learned to love reading as a child—and mostly on account of the Oz books..." She is especially vocal about the importance of Charles Dickens
to her, mentioning his stylistic influence on her writing in countless interviews. She lists Marcus Aurelius' Meditations
as her favorite book on philosophy.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, essayist, short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer, biographer, novelist and memoirist. She is best known for her 2006 memoirs, Eat, Pray, Love, which as of December 2010, has spent 199 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, and was also made into a film by the same name in 2010.
Early life
Gilbert was born in Waterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
. Her father was a chemical engineer
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
, her mother a nurse. Along with her only sister, novelist and historian Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Catherine Gilbert Murdock
-Background:Catherine Gilbert Murdock was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Her father was a chemical engineer, her mother a nurse. Along with her only sister, novelist Elizabeth Gilbert, she grew up on a small family Christmas tree farm in Litchfield, Connecticut. The family lived in the country...
, Gilbert grew up on a small family Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
farm in Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
. The family lived in the country with no neighbors, and they didn’t own a TV or even a record player. Consequently, they all read a great deal, and Gilbert and her sister entertained themselves by writing little books and plays.
Gilbert earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1991, after which she worked as cook, a waitress, and a magazine employee. She wrote of her experience as a cook on a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
in short stories, and also briefly in her book The Last American Man (Viking 2002).
Journalism
EsquireEsquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
published Gilbert's short story "Pilgrims" in 1993, under the headline, "The Debut of an American Writer". She was the first unpublished short story writer to debut in Esquire since Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer
Norman Kingsley Mailer was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, poet, playwright, screenwriter, and film director.Along with Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Hunter S...
. This led to steady work as a journalist for a variety of national magazines including, SPIN
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, GQ, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, Allure
Allure (magazine)
Allure is the leading U.S. women’s beauty magazine, published monthly by Condé Nast in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by editor in chief Linda Wells, who has been at the helm of the magazine ever since. From its inception, the magazine has been widely recognized for its intelligent,...
, Real Simple
Real Simple
Real Simple is a monthly women's interest magazine published by Time Inc.. Real Simple, which was launched by Time in 2000, features articles and information related to homekeeping, childcare, cooking and emotional wellbeing. Real Simple is distinguished by its clean, uncluttered style of layout...
, and Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure is a travel magazine based in New York City, New York. Published 12 times a year, it has 4.8 million readers, according to its corporate media kit. It is put out by American Express Publishing Corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Company led by...
. As stated in the memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, Gilbert made a career as a highly-paid freelance writer.
Her 1997 GQ article, "The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon
Coyote Ugly Saloon
The Coyote Ugly Saloon is an American drinking establishment and the namesake of a national chain of bars. It served as the setting for the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly.-History:...
", a memoir of Gilbert's time as a bartender at the very first Coyote Ugly
Coyote Ugly Saloon
The Coyote Ugly Saloon is an American drinking establishment and the namesake of a national chain of bars. It served as the setting for the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly.-History:...
table dancing bar
Table dance
Table dance, or bartop dancing, is typically an erotic dance performed at a patron's table, as opposed to on a stage. In some jurisdictions, a table dance may be an alternative to a lap dance, due to laws preventing exotic dancers from making contact with customers...
located in the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
section of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, was the basis for the feature film Coyote Ugly
Coyote Ugly (film)
Coyote Ugly is a 2000 romantic comedy/drama based on the actual Coyote Ugly Saloon, set in New York City. The film stars Piper Perabo and Adam Garcia...
. She adapted her 1998 GQ article, "Eustace Conway
Eustace Conway
Eustace Conway is an American naturalist and the subject of the book The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert and the subject of an early episode of the weekly radio show This American Life...
is Not Like Any Man You've Ever Met", into a biography of the modern naturalist, The Last American Man. It received a nomination for the National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
in non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
. "The Ghost", a profile of Hank Williams III
Hank Williams III
Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 , is a neotraditional country and punk metal singer, drummer, bassist, and guitarist. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates among country, punk and metal...
published by GQ in 2000, was included in Best American Magazine Writing 2001.
Books
Gilbert's first book PilgrimsPilgrims (short story collection)
Pilgrims is a collection of twelve short stories by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. It was named a New York Times Notable Book, won a Pushcart Prize, and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award....
(Houghton Mifflin 1997), a collection of short stories, received the Pushcart Prize
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. This was followed by her novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Stern Men (Houghton Mifflin 2000), selected by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as a "Notable Book". In 2002 she published The Last American Man (2002), a biography of a modern woodsman and naturalist, which was nominated for National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
.
Eat, Pray, Love
In 2006, Gilbert published Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Viking, 2006), a chronicle of her year of "spiritual and personal exploration" spent traveling abroad. She financed her world travel for the book with a substantial publisher's advance.The memoir was on the New York Times Best Seller List
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
of non-fiction in the spring of 2006, and in October 2008, after 88 weeks, the book was still on the list at number 2. Gilbert appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
in 2007, and has reappeared on the show to further discuss the book and her philosophy, and to discuss the film. The book was optioned for a film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
by Columbia Pictures, which was released as Eat Pray Love on August 13, 2010, with Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
starring as Elizabeth Gilbert.
Gilbert's fifth book, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, was released by Viking in January 2010. The book is somewhat of a sequel to Eat, Pray, Love in that it takes up Gilbert's life story where her bestseller left off. Committed also reveals Elizabeth Gilbert's decision to marry a Brazilian man named Felipe whom she met in Indonesia. The book is a thorough examination of the institution of marriage from a multitude of historical and modern perspectives — including that of people, particularly women, reluctant to marry. In the book, Gilbert also includes perspectives on same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and compares this to interracial marriage
Interracial marriage
Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. This is a form of exogamy and can be seen in the broader context of miscegenation .-Legality of interracial marriage:In the Western world certain jurisdictions have had regulations...
prior to the 1970s.
Literary influences
In an interview, Gilbert mentioned The Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
with nostalgia, adding, "I am a writer today because I learned to love reading as a child—and mostly on account of the Oz books..." She is especially vocal about the importance of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
to her, mentioning his stylistic influence on her writing in countless interviews. She lists Marcus Aurelius' Meditations
Meditations
Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161–180 CE, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy....
as her favorite book on philosophy.
Story collections
- PilgrimsPilgrims (short story collection)Pilgrims is a collection of twelve short stories by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. It was named a New York Times Notable Book, won a Pushcart Prize, and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award....
(1997) (Pushcart PrizePushcart PrizeThe Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
, finalist for PEN/Hemingway Award)
Biographies
- The Last American Man (2002) (finalist for the National Book AwardNational Book AwardThe National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
and National Book Critic's Circle Award)
As contributor
- The KGB Bar Reader: Buckle Bunnies (1998)
- Why I Write: Thoughts on the Craft of Fiction (contributor) (1999)
- A Writer's Workbook: Daily Exercises for the Writing Life (foreword) (2000)
- The Best American Magazine Writing 2001: The Ghost (2001)
- The Best American Magazine Writing 2003: Lucky Jim (2003)