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 novels Democracy and The Last Thing He Wanted, as well as nonfiction works like Salvador, Miami and After Henry, her third major essay collection. 

Edited by former LA Times book 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, entitled Let Me Tell You What I Mean (Knopf). Nelson is the author of Slouching Toward Los Angeles (Rare Bird Books), a collection of essays about Didion and the City of Angels.

Music by Yusef Lateef