Poet Andrea Gibson, candid explorer of life, death and identity, dies at 49
Andrea Gibson, a celebrated poet and performance artist who through their verse explored gender identity, politics and their four-year battle with terminal ovarian cancer, died Monday at age 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,' winner of the Festival Favorite Award this year at the Sundance Film Festival and scheduled to air this fall on Apple TV+.
'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 in part.
The film — exploring 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 — and, in some cases, saved them. Many 2SLGBTQ+ 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.''
'I know,' she responded.
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 2SLGBTQ+ 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 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 Gov. Jared Polis said 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.'
In a 2017 essay published in Out magazine, Gibson remembered coming out at age 20 while studying creative writing at Saint Joseph's College of Maine, a Catholic school. Identifying as genderqueer, Gibson wrote that they didn't feel like a boy or a girl and cited a line of their poetry: 'I am happiest on the road/ When I'm not here or there — but in-between.'
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.'
Hannah Schoenbaum And Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Was Fantastic Four's plot spoiled by trailers? Insiders say reveals are there on purpose
The excitement was high when Marvel Studios ' Fantastic Four: First Steps stormed into theatres in July. Many fans were eager to see the iconic quartet of heroes on film for the first time since 2015. But for some, the thrill was dampened by an unexpected foe: spoilers. Fans like Tyler (Sooplex) Williams took to social media to say that Marvel is "over-marketing" First Steps, while others on Reddit claimed they'd "already seen the whole thing" due to the overwhelming amount of trailers, clips and even toys released ahead of time. Trailers released in the months leading up to its debut had revealed key plot points — including that during the film's events, Invisible Woman (Sue Storm, played by Vanessa Kirby) gives birth to her son, Franklin. The drops didn't stop there. "In the early trailers, you don't know that the big villain [Galactus] wants the baby. And people were upset to find that out in a later trailer," film critic Rad Simonpillai told Day 6 's host Brent Bambury. Viewers who saw this teaser weren't happy, with some saying, "This seems like a very important moment, they're showing too much now." However, while viewers might see these moments as spoilers, one industry insider says the decisions behind them are anything but careless. Jim Fredrick, a professor of entertainment marketing at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., says there's a strategy behind every second of footage shown before release. "I don't think marketers of films set out to give away secrets in a movie, that's not our goal," he said. "Our goal is to try to get the most people to come [to] that first opening weekend to a movie theatre." 'Spoilers' play an important role Fredrick has experience with both the creative and strategic sides of making film trailers. His 40 year career in the industry includes cutting trailers and leading marketing at Castle Rock Entertainment, Warner Bros. and Sony Screen Gems. He's also the author of Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops. He says the push to reveal more in trailers stems in part from a shift in how audiences choose what to watch. "It used to be that if you had a big movie star, that was enough. If Adam Sandler made a movie, and you're an Adam Sandler fan, you're going to go," he said. WATCH | CBC's Eli Glasner reviews Fantastic Four: First Steps The Fantastic Four: First Steps not 'fantastical enough,' says CBC's Eli Glasner 9 days ago Fantastic Four: First Steps, the latest release from Marvel Studios, stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the iconic superhero team. According to CBC's Eli Glasner, the film is 'a little more serious and a little more earnest' and lacks certain fantastical elements present in the original comics. Now, trailers have to work harder to sell a film, and marketers must clearly communicate what makes a film appealing to persuade audiences to watch it. "When you have the luxury of a star way back when, you could be more secretive, you could be more ambiguous on what your movie was about," he said. "You don't have that today." Tell me more, not less While studios may give general guidance to how trailers are made, Fredrick says the creative reins are usually given to the editors. "What you choose to tell and not tell has always been one of the main conundrums of being a trailer maker," he said. "I would go into a dark room by myself, watch the film a couple of times, take notes, write a script and start editing a trailer." Once a trailer passes internal reviews by marketing teams and filmmakers, it's then screened for members of the target audience, who watch and offer feedback. Perhaps ironically, Fredrick says the most common feedback is that trailers don't show enough, rather than reveal too much. "Usually, research suggests very strongly, 'You better tell the audience more,'" he said. 'A delicate dance' Fredrick recalls working on the trailer for The Shawshank Redemption as one of the more difficult marketing projects he's worked on. "It's always been a delicate dance between trying your best to persuade consumers to go see a film, and trying to maintain a certain degree of mystery and anticipation about a film," he said. The 1994 film, while critically acclaimed today, didn't offer obvious hooks to draw in a mainstream audience with an attention-grabbing trailer. "It was set in a prison, carried a dark and serious tone and was rated R," he said. The director, Frank Darabont, was adamant about not giving away main plot points, such as how the main character escapes the prison, and how he gets revenge with the cruel warden. "I had a blast cutting it, because the movie is filled with wonderful moments. But those moments and the story had a lot of obstacles to get the general public interested in going to see it," he said. Does First Steps stumble? Simonpillai doesn't believe the Fantastic Four trailers truly spoiled the film's magic. In fact, he believes that the film's biggest strengths lie not in its twists, but in its visuals and performances. "There's so much pleasure in its visual aesthetic and its retro-futuristic version of Manhattan in the '60s," he said. And it's the cast that gave the film its lasting resonance. "They're playing very archetypal characters, but this cast is so good that they give it a beating heart," said Simonpillai. "Everything that's really good about this movie that makes it stand apart as a fun, almost Star Trek-y adventure is not gonna be spoiled."
Globe and Mail
16 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Battlefield 6's Game-Changing Multiplayer and More Revealed During Blockbuster Global Event
Today, during a live global multiplayer reveal event, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) and Battlefield Studios unveiled Battlefield 6™, the ultimate all-out warfare experience. Launching on October 10, Battlefield 6 is available on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (Steam™, EA App, Epic Games Store). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: BATTLEFIELD 6 During the blockbuster event, Battlefield Studios provided a first look at new and returning multiplayer modes, a tantalizing sneak peek of the global scale blockbuster Single Player campaign and of course the evolution of Battlefield Portal. BATTLEFIELD 6 OFFICIAL MULTIPLAYER GAMEPLAY TRAILER The year is 2027. The world is on the edge of chaos. After a high-profile assassination shocks the world, major European countries have left NATO, while the US and its allies grapple with the fallout. A massive private military corporation unafraid to cross lines, with deep pockets and the latest tech, looks to fill the power vacuum. This army is PAX ARMATA. What's left of NATO is in tatters, wounded and battered. This is the world of Battlefield 6. Battlefield 6 introduces a host of new features, including the all-new Kinesthetic Combat System, which brings enhancements to movement and gunplay. This gives players an unprecedented level of mobility, offering new tactical options such as Drag and Revive to pull teammates out of danger and back from the brink, and mounting weapons on walls to reduce recoil. The iconic class system returns better than ever, with Assault, Recon, Support, and Engineer, empowering players to define their role on the battlefield. The four roles have been enhanced, designed to empower players to push their team towards victory, each with class-specific gadgets, signature weapons and dedicated training. Destruction also returns, but enhanced to offer an unparalleled level of freedom, letting players transform the combat zone, to create new paths, flank enemies and dominate the battle. Battlefield 6 will launch with a robust package of multiplayer modes and maps, taking the fight around the world from Egypt, to Gibraltar and the streets of New York. Each map features multiple combat zones, hand-crafted and tailored to suit specific modes, ensuring each fight is designed to compliment the player experience and provide a variety of play options. Fan favorite multiplayer modes return in Battlefield 6, with classic staples making an appearance, including Conquest, Breakthrough, and Rush. Players will also experience a host of fast-paced and intense first-person shooter staples, including Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, Domination and King of the Hill. While a brand new mode called Escalation sees two teams fight to capture strategic control points. 'We knew when we set out to create the future of Battlefield, we had to nail the fundamentals of what players have loved about the series for more than 20 years,' said Byron Beede, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Battlefield. 'We're back in our all-out warfare playground, with four world-class teams developing the game as a single squad known as Battlefield Studios. Criterion, DICE, Motive, and Ripple Effect have put their heart and soul into this next Battlefield and we're thrilled to have shared our first look with you today and can't wait to see you playing next weekend during the Open Beta.' Battlefield 6 also launches with an all-new and improved iteration of Portal – the creative toolset that lets you redraw the lines of war. Portal is more powerful and streamlined than ever before, giving players brand new tools to create completely unique content called Community Experiences. Ambitious post-launch support will continue to add more modes, maps, weapons, and other features to the game on a consistent basis. 'I've worked on a lot of titles over the years and can confidently say that Battlefield 6 is something special,' said Vince Zampella, Executive Vice President. 'We can't wait to show more of Battlefield 6 's intense tactical combat and epic warfare in the months to come, leading up to its release on October 10." Battlefield' s biggest Open Beta ever goes LIVE for two weekends from August 9 through August 10 and from August 14 through 17. Fans will have the chance to join the Open Beta two days early on August 7, by watching some of their favorite streamers play the game. The beta allows players to experience several of the multiplayer modes and maps and is available across all available platforms. Visit the following link to find out more here. Watch all the video content released during today's reveal event at Visit us on Join the official Battlefield community channels over at Follow us on @Battlefield to stay informed on the latest updates, and @BattlefieldCom for the rollout of live updates. About Battlefield Battlefield is a storied franchise renowned for uncompromising combat gameplay for over two decades. 100 million players and 5 billion hours played later, Battlefield Studios is looking to define the future of the first-person shooter. Comprised of 4 world-class studios across Criterion, DICE, Motive, and Ripple Effect – what's forming on the horizon is a connected Battlefield universe filled with immersive experiences built on our unique DNA, that all starts with Battlefield 6. About Electronic Arts Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers. In fiscal year 2025, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7.5 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ College Football, Need for Speed™, Dragon Age™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is available at EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements During the course of the presentation, Electronic Arts may disclose material developments affecting its business, and make forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company that are subject to change. Statements including words such as 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'plan,' 'predict,' 'seek,' 'goal,' 'will,' 'may,' 'likely,' 'should,' 'could' (and the negative of any of these terms), 'future' and similar expressions also identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and reflect management's current expectations. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include those discussed in Part I, Item 1A of Electronic Arts' latest Annual Report on Form 10-K under the heading 'Risk Factors', as well as in other documents we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason, except as required by law.
CBC
19 hours ago
- CBC
Corporation for Public Broadcasting plans closure after U.S. government defunds the non-profit
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a cornerstone of U.S. culture for three generations, announced Friday it's taking steps toward its own closure after Congress defunded it. It would mark the end of a nearly six-decade era of fuelling the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and even emergency alerts. The planned closure of CPB, which was established in 1967, is said to be a direct result of U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated claims that public media spread political and cultural views contrary to what the United States should be espousing. It's expected a CPB closure would have a profound impact on the journalistic and cultural landscape, in particular, public radio and TV stations in small communities across the United States. CPB helps fund both the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), but most of the money it receives is distributed to more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations around the U.S. The corporation also has deep ties to much of the country's most familiar programming, from NPR's All Things Considered to, historically, Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the documentaries of Ken Burns. The corporation said its end, 58 years after being signed into law by Lyndon Johnson when he was president, would come in an "orderly wind-down." In a statement, it said the decision came after Congress passed a package that clawed back its funding for the next two budget years — totalling about $1.1 billion US. The Senate appropriations committee reinforced that policy change Thursday by excluding funding for the corporation for the first time in more than 50 years as part of a broader spending bill. "Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations," said president and CEO Patricia Harrison. Last-ditch try at funding fails Democratic members of the appropriations committee made a last-ditch effort this week to save the CBP's funding. As part of Thursday's committee deliberations, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, authored but then withdrew an amendment to restore CPB funding for the coming budget year. She said she still believed there was a path forward "to fix this before there are devastating consequences for public radio and television stations across the country." "It's hard to believe we've ended up in the situation we're in and I'm going to continue to work with my colleagues to fix it." But Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia sounded a less optimistic tone. "I understand your concerns, but we all know we litigated this two weeks ago," Capito said. "Adopting this amendment would have been contrary to what we have already voted on." CPB said it informed employees Friday that most staff positions will end with the fiscal year on Sept. 30. It said a small transition team will stay in place until January to finish any remaining work, including "ensuring continuity for music rights and royalties that remain essential to the public media system." "Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse and cultural connection to every corner of the country," Harrison said. "We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership and unwavering dedication to serving the American people." Widespread fallout expected NPR stations use millions of dollars in federal funding to pay music licensing fees. Now, many will have to renegotiate these deals. That could impact, in particular, outlets that build their programming around music discovery. NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher estimated recently, for example, that some 96 per cent of all classical music broadcast in the United States is on public radio stations. Federal money for public radio and television has traditionally been appropriated to the CPB, which distributes it to NPR and PBS. Roughly 70 per cent of the money goes directly to the 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country. Trump, who has called the CPB a "monstrosity," has long said that public broadcasting displays an extreme liberal bias, helped create the momentum in recent months for an anti-public broadcasting groundswell among his supporters in Congress and around the country. It is part of a larger initiative in which he has targeted institutions — particularly cultural ones — that produce content or espouse attitudes he considers "un-American."
