About this Event
After a violent encounter plunged her into a dark place, journalist Alison van Diggelen went on a quest to explore her community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, through the lens of love.
She asked neighbors and even strangers, "What does love mean to you and what gives your life purpose?"
Alison will share excerpts of the revelatory stories in her book , a Journey of Intimate Conversations. Ordinary lives reveal extraordinary reckonings with love, loss, desire, betrayal, grief, faith, aging, and resilience. They explore Carmel’s artistic soul and its connection to Big Sur’s wild spirit. Bound by surprising and quirky local charm, these stories breathe with universal truth and restore our faith in love's transformational power. We'll invite you to share your own stories of connection— with community and with nature. Come to listen, reflect, and join the conversation if you'd like.
Whether you seek inspiration for your own journey, or the comfort of knowing you are not alone, The LOVE Project offers a gentle guide to finding love and hope, living fully and authentically, and embracing life's most transformative moments. It was featured on NPR's KAZU, and BBC Radio Scotland and Magnus Toren's A Big Sur Podcast.
About the author
Alison van Diggelen is a journalist and has contributed to BBC, NPR, PBS, and the Mercury News. Her writing is featured in the NPR book, On Fatherhood.
As the host of the Fresh Dialogues interview series, she's had intimate conversations with Oscar winners, Nobel Prize winners, and tech visionaries, including Meryl Streep, Paul Krugman and Richard Branson.
Alison hails from Bonnie Scotland and now lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Visit AlisonvanDiggelen.com or Instagram @alisonvand
This event is free. Feel free to pack a lunch.
Welcome!
Event venue & nearby stays
Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway One, Big Sur, United States
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