Join the Duke University Libraries for an engaging conversation with writers Elizabeth and Thomas Beller. Elizabeth is the author of Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the inspiration for FX’s hit series Love Story, and Thomas is a longtime contributor to the New Yorker and founding editor of Open City Magazine and Books. He is most recently the author of Degas at the Gas Station, a collection of autobiographical essays that explores themes of fatherhood, loss, and memory (Duke University Press, 2025).

Elizabeth and Thomas will read from their recent books and discuss their experiences telling stories through biography and memoir, the publishing process, and consulting on the creation of a TV series adaption.

Reception at 4:30 p.m. Program starts at 5:00 p.m.

Copies of the books will be available for purchase, and a book signing will follow the event.

Co-sponsored by Duke University Press.

Please indicate your interest in attending by registering below, but all are welcome.

Parking Info

Visitors to campus without a Duke parking permit can park in one of Duke’s visitor parking garages or visitor lots. Parking Garage 4 is the closest visitor parking to Perkins Library.

Another alternative is to park in one of Duke’s convenient Blue Spot hourly parking locations ($2/hour) further away and catching the C1 East-West campus bus to the main West Campus bus stop on Abele Quad.