Annabeth Gish Instagram – Honored to be included in the Spring 2025 issue of DukeMag. It’s an incredible legion of scientists, athletes, artists, activists, thinkers and doers. Humbled to be amongst just this small sampling of the extraordinary @dukeuniversity community. Here’s my essay below:)
Reynolds Price’s gravelly baritone reciting “Paradise Lost” is forever imprinted into my actress brain. His Milton seminar went far beyond dramatic interpretation; it opened my mind to the etymology of inspiration—giving breath to idea.
In so many ways, my time at Duke has given breath to much of my creative thought, my process of critical inquiry, and my artistic curiosity. I attribute a good deal of my endurance as a woman in Hollywood for over 40 years to the fortification of my mind at Duke. I learned how to ask difficult questions and, at times, challenge the answers I found.
Jean O’Barr shaped my framework for feminist thought and female empowerment, activating my lifetime of advocacy for women’s rights and work with Planned Parenthood; I studied the nuance of performance art in cinema and history with Kristine Stiles, sharpening my awareness of an external gaze; Bob Hobbs deepened my study of character and voice. Each of these classes infused my artist self with an educated perspective, leveling up my capacity for impact, resilience, and change.
My 4 years in Durham were a collection of inflection points. New people, new thoughts, new independence. Permission to determine my expression of each, and in my own voice. They were a springboard for what I have decided to love and pay attention to in my life and work. I am forever grateful to Duke University and to my professors and friends, who remain indelible. | Posted on 23/Apr/2025 07:19:38
