Julie Gilbert on Edna Ferber, James Dean & the Making of Giant

We sit down with acclaimed author and playwright Julie Gilbert to explore the legacy of her great-aunt, Edna Ferber—Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and trailblazing woman of letters. Gilbert's new book, Giant Love, takes us behind the scenes of Ferber’s most controversial and celebrated novel, Giant, and the iconic film it inspired, starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean.From Ferber’s unconventional childhood and her fight against anti-Semitism to her unapologetic presence in a male-dominated literary world, Gilbert paints a vivid portrait of a woman far ahead of her time. The conversation dives into Ferber's complicated Hollywood experience, her surprising friendship with James Dean, and the bold social commentary that made Giant both a bestseller and a lightning rod.🎬 Featuring:The controversy surrounding GiantFerber’s groundbreaking role in male-dominated HollywoodHer unlikely friendship with James DeanThe social consciousness in her fiction—and why it still matters