Episode 24: Joan Didion in the 1970s, 1980s & 1990s
41m
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Big Table
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The Interview:
For over 50 years, Joan Didion, a daughter of California, has been in a league all her own, as a writer and novelist. Unlike many critics, she is capable of writing memorable fiction that, although not as widely read as her reportage and singular essays, stands the test of time.
The Library of America Series recently published their second Joan Didion volume featuring the novelsDemocracyandThe Last Thing He Wanted, as well as nonfiction works likeSalvador, Miami andAfter Henry, her third major essay collection.
Edited by formerLA Timesbook editor, author, and critic David Ulin, the collection is brimming with her enduring legacy and highlights her works from the 1980s and 1990s, which are not as well known.
In this episode, Ulin helps us unpack why Didion’s later work and overall influence cannot be underestimated among several younger generations of novelists and essayists.
The Reading:
For the reading this episode, journalist and author Steffie Nelson reads the piece “A Trip to Xanadu” from the recently published collection of odds and ends by Didion, entitledLet Me Tell You What I Mean (Knopf). Nelson is the author ofSlouching Toward Los Angeles (RareBird Books), a collection of essays about Didion and the City of Angels.
Music by Yusef Lateef
The episode Episode 24: Joan Didion in the 1970s, 1980s & 1990s from the podcast Big Table has a duration of
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