The One... The Only... The Vieve

Fangirl

This weekend I did something I've never done before: wrote a fan letter to an author. I've been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love (just finished it last night), and it resonated so deeply, I felt I had to thank her. So much of what she writes about, yearns for, struggles through, I have too. Her feelings about control, loss, love, food, beauty...I feel those too. It was like she had peeked inside my soul, dug into my convoluted little head, untangled it, and arranged it -- lucidly, intimately, playfully -- onto the page. When I read a description of herself -- "the planet's most affectionate life form (something like a cross between a golden retriever and a barnacle)" -- I laughed and sighed in recognition. When I reached the part of the story where she experiences enlightenment in India, and a wave of exasperation washed through me, the next paragraph began: "As a reader and seeker, I always get frustrated at this moment in somebody else's spiritual memoirs...". And there are too many other examples to write about here. But I read this book, and thought, "She gets it, and now I get it a little more clearly too." And that couldn't have come at a better time for me.

So, I felt I had to write and thank her. This is what I said:

I'm reading your book, "Eat, Pray, Love," and I wanted to say thank you for it. I'm in a difficult place in my life right now -- 30, yet another failed relationship, job I hate, not sure who I am or what I want or where I want to be. I've been crushingly sad and unhappy for a while now, particularly the past month. I'd already started to work my way through it, finding some lightness and hope and contentment, but reading your book has helped me to work out some of the kinks. Your story -- and beautiful, funny, intimate, engaging writing -- resonate in ways that are pretty incredible, and surprisingly helpful.

I feel like I'm not being very eloquent here, but I guess that's OK. I just wanted to say thank you.

I'm not sure if she'll ever read it, but I think that's OK too.

Posted by thevieve at May 23, 2006 8:50 AM