This is this extraordinary opportunity to experience solitude, and I keep hearing people say this is really hard psychologically on people. Humans are social animals, we’re meant to be together—and that’s inarguably true, but that’s not the only thing we are. We’re also spiritual animals. And every spiritual tradition in the history of the world advises, at some point or another, going and being alone for a long period of time. Being in retreat, in stillness, and in isolation. – Elizabeth Gilbert, episode 169 on Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Four years ago Sam stumbled upon a book called “Big Magic”. From it, Talk Easy was born. Today we come full circle in sitting with beloved writer Elizabeth Gilbert. Both in her fiction and non-fiction work, Gilbert seeks a kind of radical honesty. She’s irrepressibly curious, a searcher of stories.
On this week’s podcast, those stories come in all different shapes and sizes: an appreciation for her current solitude; a re-examination of how her parents shaped the woman she is today; why she felt like a failure after getting a divorce, followed by the freedom she found on the heels of “Eat, Pray, Love”. Gilbert also candidly reflects on the love of her life—Rayya Elias—who sadly passed away two years ago.
Show-notes:
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- You can purchase Elizabeth Gilbert’s most recent book, City of Girls.
- To learn about her and her work, visit her site.
- If you’re in need of more Liz on podcast, we suggest her episode on Longform.
- If you would like to watch the TedTalk referenced about doodling view it here.
- And finally, the two poems read in the episode. By Jack Gilbert: Alone & It Is Difficult To Speak of the Night
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Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.
Music by: Dylan Peck and Jinsang.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.
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