Andrea Gibson, poet and subject of documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, dies aged 49
Gibson's death was announced on social media by their wife, Megan Falley.
Gibson and Falley are the main subjects of the documentary Come See Me in the Good Light, which won the Festival Favorite award at the Sundance film festival and is scheduled to air on Apple TV+ later this year.
'Andrea Gibson died in their home (in Boulder, Colorado) surrounded by their wife, Meg, four ex-girlfriends, their mother and father, dozens of friends, and their three beloved dogs,' Monday's announcement reads.
This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'.
The film, which explores the couple's enduring love as Gibson battles cancer, is directed by Ryan White and includes an original song written by Gibson, Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile. During a screening at Sundance in January that left much of the audience in tears, Gibson said they didn't expect to live long enough to see the documentary.
Tributes poured in Monday from friends, fans and fellow poets who said Gibson's words had changed their lives, including writers Cheryl Strayed and Elizabeth Gilbert. Many LGBTQ+ fans said Gibson's poetry helped them learn to love themselves. People with cancer and other terminal illnesses said Gibson made them less afraid of death by reminding them that we never really leave the ones we love.
In a poem Gibson wrote shortly before they died, titled Love Letter from the Afterlife, they wrote: 'Dying is the opposite of leaving. When I left my body, I did not go away. That portal of light was not a portal to elsewhere, but a portal to here. I am more here than I ever was before.'
Linda Williams Stay was 'awestruck' when her son, Aiden, took her to hear Gibson perform at a bar in San Francisco a decade ago. Their poetry was electrifying, lighting up the room with laughter, tears and love. Gibson's poetry became a shared interest for the mother and son, and eventually helped Stay better understand her son when he came out as transgender.
'My son this morning, when he called, we just sobbed together,' Stay said. 'He says, 'Mom, Andrea saved my life.''
Gibson's poetry later helped Stay cope with a cancer diagnosis of her own, which brought her son back home to St George, Utah, to help take care of her. They were delighted when Gibson accepted their invitation to perform at an event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in southern Utah.
'It was truly life-changing for our community down there, and even for our allies,' Stay said. 'I hope that they got a glimpse of the magnitude of their impact for queer kids in small communities that they gave so much hope to.'
Gibson was born in Maine and moved to Colorado in the late 1990s, where they had served for the past two years as the state's poet laureate. Their books included You Better Be Lightning, Take Me With You and Lord of the Butterflies.
Colorado governor Jared Polis said on Monday that Gibson was 'truly one of a kind' and had 'a unique ability to connect with the vast and diverse poetry lovers of Colorado'.
The comedian Tig Notaro, an executive producer on the documentary and Gibson's friend of 25 years, shared on Instagram how the two came up together as performers in Colorado. Hearing Gibson perform for the first time was like witnessing the 'pure essence of an old-school genuine rock star', and their words have guided Notaro through life ever since, she said.
'The final past few days of Andrea's life were so painful to witness, but simultaneously one of the most beautiful experiences of all of our lives,' Notaro said. 'Surrounded by real human connection unfolding in the most unlikely ways during one of the most devastating losses has given me a gift that I will never be able to put into meaningful words.'
Gibson's illness inspired many poems about mortality, depression, life and what happens next. In the 2021 poem How the Worst Day of My Life Became My Best, Gibson declared: 'When I realized the storm / was inevitable, I made it / my medicine.' Two years later, they wondered: 'Will the afterlife be harder if I remember / the people I love, or forget them?
'Either way, please let me remember.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘I am extremely sad': celebrities react to the end of Stephen Colbert's Late Show
Celebrities have expressed disappointment and anger at the controversial decision to end the long-running Late Show, bringing an end to host Stephen Colbert's award-winning tenure. The late-night comedy show has been on CBS for 33 years and the news arrived just days after Colbert called out the network's parent company Paramount for settling a 'frivolous' lawsuit with Donald Trump for $16m. Paramount is seeking approval for a $8.4bn merger with Skydance, a company ran by David Ellison, son of close Trump ally Larry Ellison. Colbert called it a 'big fat bribe' earlier this week and later announced to his audience that the show would be ending next year. 'Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job,' he said. 'I wish someone else was getting it. And it is a job I am looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months.' The Late Show received an Emmy nomination earlier this week for talk series. 'Sorry to hear @CBS is canceling one of the best shows they have,' actor and director Ben Stiller wrote on X. 'Wishing all the people who work so hard on that show all the best.' His Severance colleague Adam Scott also shared his sentiment. 'Love you Stephen,' he wrote. 'This is absolute bullshit and I for one am looking forward to the next 10 months of shows.' Writer and director Judd Apatow also wrote in response to Colbert's Instagram post: 'My admiration and appreciation for you is bottomless. Excited to see what other brilliance you put into the world.' Broadcast journalist Katie Couric added: 'I am so upset about this. I need more information.' West Side Story and Evita actor Rachel Zegler wrote: 'i am extremely sad. i adore you, stephen.' Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste, who used to lead Colbert's band on the show, called him 'the greatest to ever do it' on Instagram. Actor John Cusack shared a clip of Colbert on social media and wrote: 'He's not groveling enough to American fascism - Larry Ellison needs his tax cuts -- doesn't need comedians reminding people they are not cattle.' TV personality Andy Cohen, who hosts late-night show Watch What Happens Live, called it 'a sad day' both for late-night television and for CBS. 'I'm stunned,' he said to Deadline. 'He's one of three late-night shows deemed worthy enough for an Emmy nomination. He produces a brilliant show.' Colbert's late-night rival Jimmy Kimmel also weighed in, sharing his frustration with the decision. In an Instagram story poking fun at the network's much-ridiculed comedy shows, he wrote: 'Love you, Stephen. Fuck you and all your Sheldons, CBS.' Trump has already taken to Truth Social for a victory lap, writing: 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next. Has even less talent than Colbert! Greg Gutfeld is better than all of them combined, including the Moron on NBC who ruined the once great Tonight Show.'
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alan Bergman, Oscar-winning lyricist who helped write 'The Way We Were,' dies at 99
Alan Bergman, the Oscar-winning lyricist who teamed with his wife, Marilyn, for an enduring and loving partnership that produced such old-fashioned hits as 'How Do You Keep the Music Playing?,' 'It Might Be You' and the classic 'The Way We Were,' has died at 99. Bergman died late Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, family spokesperson Ken Sunshine said in a statement Friday. The statement said Bergman had, in recent months, suffered from respiratory issues 'but continued to write songs till the very end.' The Bergmans married in 1958 and remained together until her death, in 2022. With collaborators ranging from Marvin Hamlisch and Quincy Jones to Michel Legrand and Cy Coleman, they were among the most successful and prolific partnerships of their time, providing words and occasional music for hundreds of songs, including movie themes that became as famous as the films themselves. Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Tony Bennett and many other artists performed their material, and Barbra Streisand became a frequent collaborator and close friend.
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
What does one do on their last day as a ballerina? Gillian Murphy will jump off a cliff (gracefully)
In every career, there are plenty of consequential decisions to be made. And they tend to get more consequential as time goes on. So it was when Gillian Murphy, one of the most admired American ballerinas for nearly three decades, began contemplating not only when, but how to retire from American Ballet Theatre. She knew she wanted to go out on a high note. Murphy, at 46, is in incredible shape; at a rehearsal earlier this week, she was leaping and twirling like colleagues in their 20s. But in what role should she take her final bow, after 29 years at ABT? Should it be as Juliet? As Giselle? The first of these ends up stabbing herself to death. The other goes mad. The best (and most athletic) option, it turned out, was to jump off a cliff. That's what Odette, the swan queen, does at the end of ABT's version of 'Swan Lake' — followed in this dramatic leap by the prince who loves her, to be joyfully reunited in the afterlife. (In real life they leap onto a mattress offstage, dust themselves off and clamber back for the finale.) Murphy, who's known for her Odette/Odile — especially those fouettés, Odile's fiendishly hard whiplash turns — will be retiring with 'Swan Lake' on Friday night, ending her career in a blur of bouquets, hugs, tears and maybe confetti at the Metropolitan Opera House. 'We will all miss her incredible work ethic, her exacting attention to detail, her strength and her joy of dance,' ABT head Susan Jaffe said in an email. The day after, Murphy will sleep a bit late, hopefully, and start a new life focused on coaching other dancers. She'll also have more time with her 6-year old son, Ax, whom she shares with husband Ethan Stiefel, himself a celebrated former ABT principal. Murphy spoke to The Associated Press in the rushed moments between rehearsals, classes and delayed commuter trains in the days leading up to the big occasion. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. AP: You were only 17 when you joined ABT. Now you're 46. Did you imagine such a long career? MURPHY: I would have never expected to be dancing this long, honestly. I think in my mind I always had 40 years old as a time frame. But I didn't expect to feel this good at this point! I've truly loved my career at ABT, and it's given me the opportunity to dance all over the world. So I'm happy I'm still here.' AP: Ballet takes a huge amount of athletic ability. But you need to be an actor, too. How have your abilities developed as you've gotten older? MURPHY: I do feel that life experience really does come out in performances. And when we're telling these stories about true love and forgiveness and loss, all the dramatic sort of themes that come out in these ballets, it does make a difference when you've experienced those things in your life. AP: Speaking of true love: Some ABT ballerinas have chosen Juliet for their retirement performance. You've chosen a much more physically demanding role: 'Swan Lake.' Just seeing you rehearse it was exhausting. MURPHY: (laughing) It doesn't get any easier, yeah. I have so many favorite roles, but 'Swan Lake' includes two of my most favorite, Odette and Odile. It's always been incredibly challenging, but also so fulfilling. When I was a kid, my dream role was the Black Swan (Odile), actually. So just in a full-circle moment, it feels special to finish with this ballet that I dreamed of doing as a kid, and first did as a young soloist with ABT 24 years ago. AP: Let's not forget that you're known for Odile's fouettés (32 whiplash turns on one leg that the Black Swan performs). Are you still throwing in double turns? MURPHY: Well, I used to throw in triples, triple pirouettes in the middle of the fouettés. Anything could happen on Friday night, but I think I just want to finish strong ... and take risks elsewhere. I'll probably aim to do the 32, possibly with a few doubles in there. AP: It's such a tough call in any career — how did you make the decision to retire now? MURPHY: It's never an easy decision for any dancer. It's a calling from a very early age ... but I've always wanted to finish strong and with my own sense of agency. I really relish when that sense of imagination and life experience and artistry is integrated with the physicality, the athleticism, the technique. And I feel like I'm still in that place where I can do that. So I want to finish with that sense of fullness. AP: How have you managed to keep your conditioning so strong, for so long? MURPHY: I never knew what to expect in terms of how long I'd be able to do this job that I love so much. But I've always had strong feelings about getting plenty of sleep and rest. I try to keep a daily practice of class and sometimes several hours of rehearsal, but also to take at least one day off in the week to recover. And I've always put a priority on being as fit and strong as possible in terms of my nutrition. So, having a really balanced diet and also enjoying desserts and just good quality, good nutritious food, I think that has helped with longevity. AP: It sounds like you're talking about a healthy attitude toward food. MURPHY: A healthy attitude towards food, and also a sense of humor about myself. You know, dancers are not robots. Like an athlete, we can have an off day and (we should) not let that be too discouraging. That's par for the course. AP: Have there been any major injuries or setbacks along the way? MURPHY: I've been pretty fortunate about bouncing back from muscle strains and things like that. I'd say coming back from pregnancy and an emergency c-section was not easy ... but I was able to get onstage and do a full-length 'Giselle' when my son was 8 months old. And then, a couple of weeks after that, the pandemic hit. I had just gotten everything back together. AP: So when you hang up those pointe shoes ... how do you envision spending your time? MURPHY: I'm going to lean into coaching and staging, especially (husband) Ethan's choreography, for the immediate future. I also want to take some time to process this huge transition and consider options and think about what I really want to do. I would be really surprised if it doesn't involve giving back or working in some way in the dance world, because it's so meaningful to me. Clearly, this is a lifetime pursuit.
