Love Stories and Life Stories: Elizabeth and Thomas Beller on Writing Lives, Public and Private

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.

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Time: 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Location: Perkins 217

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 ahead of time, but all are welcome.