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Clifford Stoll could talk about the atmosphere of Jupiter. Or hunting KGB hackers. Or Klein bottles, computers in classrooms, the future. But he’s not going to. Which is fine, because it would be criminal to confine a man with interests as multifarious as Stoll’s to give a talk on any one topic. Instead, he simply captivates his audience with a wildly energetic sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides — and even a science experiment. After all, by his own definition, he’s a scientist: “Once I do something, I want to do something else.”

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I was mesmerized when I came across this talk. This is the way creators think.I am here, but then I am there. I pick something up along the way and  synthesize it with something new. Vacuum cleaning the universe along the way. Creators don’t get tired too easily. However we sleep well and  dream. Is it any different for an artist than it is for Clifford, the physicist? Aren’t we all searching for the truth? Aren’t artists endeavoring to bring something new into being? Is Stoll acting to show us how his mind works or is he just another Type A personality?

Please make you comments here. Participate. You will get more out of the experience. Step into your life as fully as Clifford Stoll. Live a life of  discovery, adventure, giving, sharing, creating.

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Gail Mooney and Tom Kelly document a group of students retracing the steps of the Freedom Riders of the early sixties. The students will never forget this event. After seeing this documentarty, neither will I.

Gail and Tom know that I am a long time fan. A trailer for Open Your Eyes. Gail ‘s nine month adventure with her daughter Erin may be seen Gail’s blog. . It is superb and proves that anything may be done when it comes from the heart.

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Coke bottle bottom eyeglasses coupled with a gray whispy Fu Manchu beard accented Lester del Rey’s persona. He was wearing Crayola burnt sienna Haband ban- rolled polyester slacks and a lime–green permanent–press leisure suit jacket. Around his neck was a bolo tie which fastened with a fixture that lit up mysteriously like a window to the cosmos. This package suggested a contemporary version of Tolkien’s wizard Gandolf. When he spoke, he blustered.

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.Judy Lynn and Lester del Rey

Circa 1974

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Lester had been appointed fantasy editor of del Rey Books, a division of Ballantine Books which was a division of Random House, to complement his wife Judy Lynn Benjamin del Rey. Judy Lynn founded the del Rey imprint and was a highly respected science fiction editor turning obscure authors into giants in spite of the fact that she was a dwarf. It was she who had presented Lester with a box of freshly printed business cards which read, Lester del Rey, Expert. And he was. I was the new Art Director. It was the mid-seventies.

Lester intimidated guests regularly on one of the first all night radio talk shows hosted by Long John Nebel and his wife Candy Jones during the fifties. I would listen on my pocket sized red transistor radio with a tiny ear piece when I should have been doing my algebra homework. Lester was a science fiction writer for more years than I was alive. His first short story was published in Astounding Science Fiction in the mid-thirties. He was a frequent contributor during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. I remember seeing the credits scroll by on Captain Video, the first of televisions space odysseys about 1949. Lester del Rey was the science advisor.

A quarter century later, I stood before this great man in awe holding his business card and accepting an invitation to a meeting of the Trap Door Spider’s Society. Lester explained that the Spiders were a men’s eating. drinking and arguing club made up of thirteen old friends. A significant number, I thought. The Spiders were formed in response to one of his friends being henpecked. The men invented the club to get him out of the house once a month. Meetings were hosted in rotation. The host would select the restaurant, wine, and menu. He also had the privilege of inviting one or two guests whom he thought might be interesting to his colleagues. I was flattered and accepted.

During the next three weeks, while I waited for the event, Lester and Judy Lynn initiated me into a fantastic world of science fiction and fantasy — a world I abandoned when I was thirteen. Later we would collaborate on hundreds of science fiction paperback covers and the number one world’s best-selling calendar based upon the works of J.R. Tolkien and illustrated by Tim and Greg Hildebrandt.

My taxi pulled up in front of an unsuspecting Spanish restaurant on West Seventy-second Street. An seemingly obsequious uniformed doorman fawned over other guests while judging me for my long hair, beard, bandanna, black T-shirt , love beads, and safari jacket – the uniform of the art director. A more considerate Maitre D’ escorted me to a private dining room lit by a Marie Theresa chandelier. Waiters carried trays of hors d’oervres and drinks in Baccarat crystal.

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Copytight James Randi

The James Randi Foundation

www.randi.com

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Del Rey, still dressed in stretch knit, enthusiastically introduced me to the other spiders. “Ian Summers. Issac Asimov. Ian Summers. L. Sprague Ducamp. Ian Summers. Martin Gardner.” Ian Summers met eight other luminaries consisting of more writers, editors and the Director of the Hayden Planetarium. I took a drink. Lester introduced me to another guest. “Ian Summers. Jim Randi. The Amazing Randi.” I took another drink. I met Truman Capote the day before. I met Gore Vidal that very afternoon. But these men were heroes from my childhood. Terror welled while I wondered what Lester thought might be interesting about me to this august assembly of luminaries.

Upon conclusion of dessert the waiter gracefully removed the china, poured vintage port, and lit thirteen black candles now dancing in sterling silver candelabra. The formal proceedings commenced. Amazing and I were toasted. Then Issac Asimov explained it was a Spider’s tradition to interrogate their guests. The great man leaned across the table. Bushy mutton chops illuminated by candle light framed him in his own aura. I wanted to run. I tried to make myself small, a skill developed in junior high school.  Surely he would start with Jim Randi. Asimov boomed, “Ian Summers. Why do you exist?”

I took a gulp of sipping port. I was silent. I had not given the question a moments thought in my first thirty-five years. I filibustered for over thirty minutes fearing another question. I felt unworthy to be in the company of such great men. I remember thinking, “Oh my God. Issac Asimov knows my name.” I judged myself for not having the right answers — for not being good enough. I vaguely remember presenting my credentials, my accomplishments, my family and work histories. I worked hard to hold back tears.

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And then, Asimov said, “Thank you Ian. That is enough. Lester will you escort Mr. Summers to the door.”

I realized I had spent most of my life as a human doing; not a human being. I did not know the difference. I tried to do exactly what well-meaning caretakers expected. I guessed at what they wanted. I guessed at what normal was and rebelled against it. I became the son I thought my parents wanted. I failed at becoming the good husband without knowing what that meant. I achieved other people’s goals and consequently I was empty. I was fear based. I would do anything to be seen. I had no idea why I existed or who I was. I kept it all to myself.

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I hear from Nancy Santullo every year or so and each time she nourishes my heart as she does with all the people she touches. Nan makes the world a better place. I want to share Nan and her worthy labor of love with you. Please give generously.

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Hi Ian, How are you? I wanted to share a 5 min film on my work here in the Amazon– Interesting when we did my two days workshop together back in the early 90′s, some of my loves were, clouds, water to name a few… Ya just never know where your workshops will lead people. Know I’d be grateful if you share the film with colleagues and friends, help me raise awareness and funds for this labor of love in union with humanity. I hope you’re well, Lots of love, Nan

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Founder, Nancy Santullo, Manifests Love!
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Nancy Santullo, Founder and Executive Director of House of the Children, first visited Peru in 1999 because of her interest in the medicinal healing properties indigenous to the region.

“What interested me about Peru, was that the indigenous people there still lived so connected to nature. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of their natural medicines and traditions.” Nancy, a successful freelance fashion and advertising photographer for over fifteen years in Los Angeles, has shot national print campaigns for corporations such as Levi Strauss, Warner Brother Records, Toyota, NBC Television, and Walt Disney Pictures.

Touched by the needs of the children of Peru, Nancy returned three months later with family donations and began working with a small group of homeless street children in Cusco and, later, with a group of native children in the village of Huacaria in the Manu Rain Forest.

As she was helping them Nancy realized, she was no longer looking at these children as poor. Their spirits were rich and their wills strong. She became inspired to support these children from their place of strength.

Nancy’s love of the rainforest drew her back to spend more and more time with the children of Huacaria. Working with the village teacher, she established trust among the children and the villagers. She helped teach basic hygiene practices, and created an art workshop for creative activities, supplying art materials, as well as needed school supplies. The pencil sharpener was a big hit, because the children no longer needed to use their teeth to sharpen their pencil.

The children’s response was immediate and enthusiastic and she soon came to be known by them as “Senorita Nancy!”

Nancy observed that children were drinking contaminated water, suffering from chronic health problems and extremely limited educational opportunities. She also learned there were no organizations in Manu dedicated to creating opportunity for children.

Nancy knew in her heart that she had the capacity to do more and made the decision to focus her efforts on the children of Huacaria. With a small group of supporters, she established House of the Children (HOTC.) HOTC is a grassroots 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to creating support, inspiration and opportunity for indigenous children in the Manu Rain Forest of Southeastern Peru.

Nancy is often asked, “Why Peru, when there are children in America who need our love and attention?” She responds, “When I was guided to work with the children in the rainforest I didn’t really ask ‘Why?’. The children, native cultures, and the rainforest have offered me an opportunity to grow and contribute to life beyond all that I could have ever imagined. ”

“I believe that our lives are interconnected, and that as I help one child, I help all children.”

This is the beginning…
PLEASE join us for the next chapter…

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Visit the House of the Children Website

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Creating a Sustainable Photography Studio

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What does a sustainable photography studio look like? How do you create one? Jason Lindsey worked hard for several years to make our studio sustainable. In the process, we’ve encountered some unexpected challenges and reaped some surprising rewards.

It all started when we relocated our studio to a 2200-square-foot brick building that was constructed between 1890 and 1900. We knew we had our work cut out for us. The building was drafty. It had an earthen crawl space, no insulation, including the attic, and a few loosely fit, single-pane windows. An inefficient, dilapidated natural gas-powered, forced-air HVAC unit was used to heat and cool the building. It was lit with energy-guzzling T12 fluorescent, incandescent and halogen lamps. The owner of a store located in the front half of the building was paying $350 in winter for electricity and heat. Since we’d be using the entire building, we realized that if we did nothing, we’d be paying a staggering $700 per month for the same services.

We planned to rent out the front half of the building for retail use, and remodel the back half, dividing it into two rooms that would serve as the office, studio, and gallery. To plan the project, we asked for help from the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), a division of the University of Illinois that helps business owners improve energy efficiency. Their staff completed an energy and cost analysis, and suggested several improvements, most of which we followed.

First, we weatherized. We added insulation to the walls and attic. SEDAC recommended that the attic floor be insulated to R-30, potentially with 9.25″ of fiberglass batt insulation or 9″ of cellulose. We decided on a formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation made from 25 percent recycled glass. On SEDAC’s recommendations, we insulated the attic hatch with rigid insulation on the attic side of the door and installed weather stripping around the edges. We sealed drafty spots in our brick walls by tuck pointing filling in crumbling mortar between old bricks. This also reduced moisture and bolstered the structure of the building. To reduce humidity in the basement, an earthen crawl space, we installed a sturdy cross-laminated polyethylene plastic vapor barrier to the earthen floor of the crawlspace and replaced an old energy-guzzling dehumidifier in this space with an Energy Star dehumidifier.

We created two zones with different HVAC and thermostat settings for each, which allowed us to spend less energy heating or cooling the rental space in the front of the building if it is not in use.

Drafty windows waste tons of energy, and so we replaced ours with double-pane windows. Specifically, we installed low-e, well-sealed, windows with non-metallic sash and a U-value less than 0.4.

We also overhauled the lighting, replacing T12 and halogen lamps with high-efficiency T8 and Compact Flourescent Lighting (CFL) lights. We also installed light-emitting diode (LED) undercabinet lights in kitchen, replacing 25 percent of the incandescent lights and 20 percent of the halogen bulbs with LED lights. (More recently, we replaced our interior CFL with LED lights, which are more expensive but last for many years. We also replaced our outdoor lighting with solar-powered motion detection lights.)

Finally, we slashed our use of fossil fuels by installing a five-ton vertical geothermal system. Such systems circulate fluid through tubes sunk deep into the earth, where it equilibrates with the soil around it, which remains at a relatively constant 55 degrees, regardless of season. Then that fluid circulates up to cool the building in summer and warm it in winter, slashing the need for fossil fuel-based heating. Although we installed our geothermal system to reduce our impact on the environment, we knew that investing in this technology was a smart business decision as well. This investment will reduce our operating costs for the next 20 years. For example, we now pay just $250 per month to heat and provide electricity for the entire building, as opposed to $350 the previous owner paid to operate half of it. These savings come despite the fact that we operate three Mac Towers, a refrigerator, and an array of lights in space that was formerly unused.

In all, we spent $23,000 up front on energy efficiency improvements. We paid some of it up front, and rolled other improvements into the mortgage. The bank was fine with that because they knew our improvements would increase the value of the property.

There’s more to greening a studio, however, than simply making it energy efficient. To reduce our environmental footprint, we also sought to reduce our water use. Consuming bottled water is hugely wasteful, and includes the oil and electricity it takes to produce, fill and ship the plastic container. We installed a Britta water filter on faucet so can filter water instead of drinking bottled water. We also replaced an old toilet that used 5 gallons per flush with a new one that uses 1.5 gallons per flush.

We kept in mind the environmental mantra: reduce, reuse and recycle. We chose to redo our aging hardwood flooring rather than replace it. Two of the three contractors we invited in gave us estimates only to replace the floor, while the third said he could redo it. We hired him. He ended up using reclaimed wood to replace areas of the existing wood floor that needed repair. We also recycled the wood studs and lumber from a torn out wall and reused it as we remodeled the building. And, as mentioned earlier, we bought insulation with recycled glass. Such purchases promote recycling by helping create a market for recycled products.

As we remodeled our interior space, we also tried to reduce our use of toxic chemicals. As a guideline, we used the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System. LEED principles recommend using paint and floor coatings that do not contain any volatile organic compounds (VOC), which can, at high enough doses, irritate eyes, nose and throat, cause headaches and nausea, damage the  liver, kidneys and brain, and heighten cancer risks.

We asked our flooring contractor for a zero-VOC floor sealer. He had never used one, and we did the legwork to help him find a citrus-based product to strip the floors and a water-based, low-VOC clear coat to seal the floors and wood trim. Afterwards, he told us he loved not having to breathe the nasty chemicals in ordinary floor sealer all day, and he was going to recommend it to all his customers. Similarly, the painter we hired had never used zero-VOC interior paints. Afterwards, he said, “This is awesome. It doesn’t stink all day when I’m in here painting. By insisting on greener products, we helped educate several contractors about the products available, and we had a broader impact then we could have foreseen.

Finally, we’ve considered sustainability when planting greenery around our studio. This year we converted about one-third of the grass into native prairie plants, and we’ll complete the conversion to native prairie over the next few years.

In the five years since we began to green our studio, contractors and suppliers have become much more knowledgeable about sustainable practices and materials, which has been surprising and rewarding to see. Also rewarding is the satisfaction that comes from having created a workspace that’s good for our bottom line, good for the health of everyone who works or visits there, and good for the planet. You, too, can green with your space by choosing sustainable practices and making a reasonable investment in your future. In doing so, you’ll create a greener workspace, one that’s a pleasant and positive place to work.

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Written by Dan Ferber

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When I saw this poster this afternoon, it was one of those ‘I wish I had written it’ moments.

Visit this site to see some amazing innovative green design products.

I contacted them for permission to post the message.

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Hi Ian,

Thanks for getting in touch. It was a pleasure to check out both your website and your artwork.

Based on your testimonials, it sounds like you have really created a positive impact for numerous people.

Thanks for offering to put the manifesto and plug for Holstee on your site — that’s very kind!

We are in the process of making Manifesto posters available in our shop in the next week.

Hand silk-screened onto recycled elephant poop paper.

Perhaps, if it is something your visitors would be interested in, I could make a special coupon for visitors from your site?

Best wishes from NYC!

Dave Raparvar

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http://www.holstee.com

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Speculating on the positive nature of negative space, an erudite person said,

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There is nothing there there,

which is where there is.

The Positive Nature of Negative Space

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MC Escher – Metamorphossis – 1967 — 1968

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Figure/ground, also known as positive and negative space, is at work in all facets of graphic design. In the design of logotypes and symbols, the distillation of complex meaning into simplified but significant form thrives on the taut reciprocity of figure and ground. In posters, layouts and screen design, what is left out frames and balances what is built in. Similarlly, in time-based media, including multipage books, the insertion and distribution of space across time effects perception.

From Graphic Design: The new Basics by Ellen Lupton and Phillips Jennifer Cole

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Nothing is Everything

But Everything is NOT nothing.

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Thirty spokes meet in the hub.

But the empty space between them

Is the essence of the wheel.

Pots are formed from clay

But the empty space within it

Is the essence of the pot.

Walls with windows and doors

Form the house.

But the empty space within it

Is the essence of the home.

Lao Tze

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It was Johnny Mercer who sang these lyrics in the 1940′s:

You’ve got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

And latch on to the affirmative

Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between

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The lyrics ring true when they refer to personal relationships and attitudes towards life, however take a moment and extend the meaning to photography and other means of visual storytelling.

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Messing with Mr. In-Between

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In Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud clearly observes the importance of the space between frames. The space between frames is called the gutter. It is highly charged seemingly negative space. However the space contains energy. The creator of a story in  sequential art forms such as comics and graphic novels know that the gutter may suggest time among other things. For example, frame one may show a cave family warming in front of a fire eating some roasted critter. Frame two may depict a present day family sitting down for a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. The gutter allows a transition of thousands of years and the mind’s eye completes a story through participation with the viewer. Each viewer/reader will fill that space in with their own experience giving power to Mr. In-Between. No two readers will describe that space in exactly the same way.

McCloud says, “…comics asks the mind to work as a sort of in-betweener — filing in the gaps between panels…”

According to McCloud, when the reader/viewer fills in the gutters, he or she creates closure.

In what ways may a still photographer create closure? He or she may create a graphic novel or short story using frames. Or photographers may apply what isn’t there to create participation. Which concept will get more participation from viewers — the photograph that includes everything that you might possibly know including what happened or what is about to happen or the picture leading up to the climax of the story where the viewer is invited to complete it in their mind’s eye? The amazing collaboration between Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison consistently include what is not there.

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Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison

Lucid Dream

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Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison

From their Website

Counterpoint Series – New Work

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Thinking about how to wrap up this topic, I realized that there is no way to wrap it up.

There isn’t any there there, is there?

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The Man Who Wasn’t There

William Hughes Mearns 1899

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I saw a man upon the stair But when I looked he was not there He wasn’t there again today Oh, how I wish he’d go away.

This verse, titled “Antigonish” was written by William Hughes Mearns in 1899.

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APA|NY Image Makers Lecture Series

Bruce Byers + Lori Waselchuk

Monday, January 18, 6:30-8 p.m.
Admission: Free (seating is limited)
*No Advance Registration is required
SoHo Apple Theater, 103 Prince St (between Mercer and Greene)

Please join us for a post-lecture social!
We’ll provide some appetizers and have a cash bar.

The Cupping Room
359 W Broadway (between Broome and Grand)

Sponsored by:

Bruce Byers
To Make a Change…
www.brucebyers.com

Image ©Bruce Byers

Bruce Byers is a photographer in the tradition of Cornell Capa – the “concerned photographer”. He has been capturing images for 40 years and through his work, aims to tell stories and to make a difference in the lives of people who otherwise do not have a voice.

Byers has been based in New York City since 1975, and in addition to his many trips abroad with non-profits, he has shot for a variety of clients in the realms of high fashion, travel, and advertising.

The year 2006 marked the start of documenting medical missions first in Cambodia and subsequently in Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, China and most recently in 2009, the West Bank.

The missions Byers has documented helped children with medical needs their families could not afford. The operating room is only part of the story as Bruce makes his way into the town, homes and lives of his subjects.

His clients include AT&T, Men’s Heath Mag., Volkswagen, Bank of NY, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Macy’s, McNeil Pharmaceutical, and GlaxoSmithKline.

Byers is represented by The Old Print Shop Gallery in New York and has also exhibited his work at Bonnie Benrubi Gallery, The Bremen Presseclub in Germany, and Loyens Loeff in Amsterdam. His photographs are also in the T-Mobile Permanent Art collection.

Lori Waselchuk
Louisiana Projects
www.loriwaselchukphotos.com / www.gracebeforedying.org

Image ©Lori Waselchuk
Lloyd Bone #73857 drives the funeral hearse at Angola Prison in Louisiana, 2007

Lori Waselchuk is a documentary photographer and arts activist who hopes to make photographs that contribute to dialogues about social justice. Waselchuk’s photographs have appeared in magazines and newspapers worldwide including Newsweek, LIFE, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. She has produced photographs for several international aid organizations including CARE, the UN World Food Program, Médecins Sans Frontières, and The Vaccine Fund.

Waselchuk is a recipient of the Aaron Siskind Foundation’s 2009 Individual Photographer Fellowship; a 2008 Distribution Grant from the Documentary Photography Project of the Open Society Institute; the 2007 PhotoNOLA Review Prize; and the 2004 Southern African Gender and Media Award for Photo- journalism. Waselchuk was also a nominee for the 2009 Santa Fe Prize for Photography; a finalist in the 2008 Aperture West Book Prize; and a finalist in the 2006 and 2008 Critical Mass review.

Lori Waselchuk exhibits her work internationally in solo and group shows. Her work is included in several photography books including A Day in the Life of Africa (2002) and Women by Women: 50 Years of Women’s Photography in South Africa (2006).

CURRENTLY, she continues her work in Louisiana with a project on the bridges of New Orleans with the generous support from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

Waselchuk will show images from two of her current projects:
Grace Before Dying is a documentary about the inmate-run hospice program at Angola prison, Louisiana’s maximum security facility.
The Bridges of New Orleans tells a story about the city and its people using the bridges to visually and geographically frame its economies, cultures and histories.

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What Matters Now: get the free ebook

Now, more than ever, we need to shake things up.

Now, more than ever, we need a different way of thinking, a useful way to focus and the energy to turn the game around. I hope a new ebook I’ve organized will get you started on that path. It took months, but I think you’ll find it worth the effort. (Download here).

Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly, from publisher Tim O’Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Fred Wilson, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

Here’s the deal: it’s free. Download it here. Or from any of the many sites around the web that are posting it with insightful commentary. Tweet it, email it, post it on your own site. I think it might be fun to make up your own riff and post it on your blog or online profile as well. It’s a good exercise. Can we get this in the hands of 5 million people? You can find an easy to use version on Scribd as well and from wepapers. Please share.

Vision

Vision is the lifeblood of any organization. It is
what keeps it moving forward. It provides meaning
to the day-to-day challenges and setbacks that
make up the rumble and tumble of real life.
In a down economy—particularly one that has
taken most of us by surprise—things get very
tactical. We are just trying to survive. What
worked yesterday does not necessarily work today.
What works today may not necessarily work
tomorrow. Decisions become pragmatic.
But after a while this wears on people. They don’t
know why their efforts matter. They cannot
connect their actions to a larger story. Their work
becomes a matter of just going through the
motions, living from weekend to weekend,
paycheck to paycheck.

This is where great leadership makes all the
difference. Leadership is more than influence. It is
about reminding people of what it is we are trying
to build—and why it matters. It is about painting a
picture of a better future. It comes down to
pointing the way and saying, “C’mon. We can do
this!”

When times are tough, vision is the first casualty.
Before conditions can improve, it is the first thing
we must recover.

Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thoma Nelson Publishers. He blogs
on “Leading with Purpose” at MichaelHyatt.com and also Twitters
at @MichaelHyatt.

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Elizabeth Gilbert faced down a ­premidlife crisis by doing what we all secretly dream of – running off for a year. Her travels through Italy, India and Indonesia resulted in the mega-bestselling and deeply beloved memoir Eat, Pray, Love, about her process of finding herself by leaving home.

She’s a longtime magazine writer – covering music and politics for Spin and GQ – as well as a novelist and short-story writer. Her books include the story collection Pilgrims, the novel Stern Men (about lobster fishermen in Maine) and a biography of the woodsman Eustace Conway, called The Last American Man. Her work has been the basis for one movie so far (Coyote Ugly, based on her own memoir, in this magazine article, of working at the famously raunchy bar), and now it looks as if Eat, Pray, Love is on the same track, with the part of Gilbert reportedly to be played by Julia Roberts. Not bad for a year off.

Gilbert also owns and runs the import shop Two Buttons in Frenchtown, New Jersey.

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