I love the metaphor that working for Vogue was like training with the Rockettes. The Texas equivalent would be training with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders!
Many, many thanks. I’ve never seen so much Didion captured in one place. She and her process shine more clearly and even more open to justified appreciation. Again, I love this one.
I’ve mentioned before how much I love Didion. it’s always a delight to see a new fan.
Appropriate of nothing, I have this underlined in my copy of Slouching Towards Bethlehem
“Self-deception remains the most difficult deception. The tricks that work on others count for nothing in that very well-lit back alley where one keeps assignation with oneself: no winning smiles will do here, no prettily drawn lists of good intentions. One shuffles flashily but in vain through one's marked cards- the kindness done for the wrong reason, the apparent triumph which involved no real effort, the seemingly heroic act into which one had been shamed.”
Wow, was not aware of those aspects of South and West. Will need to investigate that. Sounds like an even rougher cut of something like Dostoyevsky’s A Writer’s Diary. Which was quite illuminating in my view.
You have inspired me to read some of these books. The only one I’ve read is “The Year of Magical Thinking”, with a book group a few years ago. I really liked her writing, and it’s so interesting to learn about her process.
Oh I loved this! Keep them coming!!! :) Not sure if you know who Caitlin Flanagan is (another one of my fave writers). She met Joan Didion when she was young, at a dinner her father hosted, and later fell in love with her work.
She's written a bunch of essays since then about Didion's shyness and how her career and writing style slowly developed over time. This is one of my favorites - it sort of touches on some of the things you mentioned, but from a third-party perspective: https://archive.ph/TDlxz
Fascinating. I really don't know her work, but I think I need to invest some time getting to know her. I'm so impressed with the idea of typing out other writers' work to understand their language. True dedication
I can’t say that I have gone to the length of actually retyping the work of authors I particularly respect. Nonetheless, spending lots of time with the writers you love will help make your own writing better, even if you don’t precisely imitate what they do. I love Henry James and Joseph Conrad but I would never dream of trying to write like them. Joan Didion and Ernest Hemingway both have a superficially simple style which is actually the simplicity of density and extraction, of boiling down, and it is no easy thing to replicate it. Nonetheless I am more drawn toward that pole, to at least appear to be clean, clear, plain.
This post makes me want to reread something by her soon. I think that she will forgive me if instead, at least today, reading “The Duel” by one of her heroes, Conrad. Then I need to finish “Aftermath” by Rachel Cusk, which is superb. I don’t imagine Joan ever read anything by Rachel Cusk, but I wonder what Rachel thinks of Joan?
I love the metaphor that working for Vogue was like training with the Rockettes. The Texas equivalent would be training with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders!
Many, many thanks. I’ve never seen so much Didion captured in one place. She and her process shine more clearly and even more open to justified appreciation. Again, I love this one.
You have sculpted Didion as artist of words. Beautiful.
I’ve mentioned before how much I love Didion. it’s always a delight to see a new fan.
Appropriate of nothing, I have this underlined in my copy of Slouching Towards Bethlehem
“Self-deception remains the most difficult deception. The tricks that work on others count for nothing in that very well-lit back alley where one keeps assignation with oneself: no winning smiles will do here, no prettily drawn lists of good intentions. One shuffles flashily but in vain through one's marked cards- the kindness done for the wrong reason, the apparent triumph which involved no real effort, the seemingly heroic act into which one had been shamed.”
Wow, was not aware of those aspects of South and West. Will need to investigate that. Sounds like an even rougher cut of something like Dostoyevsky’s A Writer’s Diary. Which was quite illuminating in my view.
You have inspired me to read some of these books. The only one I’ve read is “The Year of Magical Thinking”, with a book group a few years ago. I really liked her writing, and it’s so interesting to learn about her process.
Oh I loved this! Keep them coming!!! :) Not sure if you know who Caitlin Flanagan is (another one of my fave writers). She met Joan Didion when she was young, at a dinner her father hosted, and later fell in love with her work.
She's written a bunch of essays since then about Didion's shyness and how her career and writing style slowly developed over time. This is one of my favorites - it sort of touches on some of the things you mentioned, but from a third-party perspective: https://archive.ph/TDlxz
Wow!
Fascinating. I really don't know her work, but I think I need to invest some time getting to know her. I'm so impressed with the idea of typing out other writers' work to understand their language. True dedication
Outstanding!
I can’t say that I have gone to the length of actually retyping the work of authors I particularly respect. Nonetheless, spending lots of time with the writers you love will help make your own writing better, even if you don’t precisely imitate what they do. I love Henry James and Joseph Conrad but I would never dream of trying to write like them. Joan Didion and Ernest Hemingway both have a superficially simple style which is actually the simplicity of density and extraction, of boiling down, and it is no easy thing to replicate it. Nonetheless I am more drawn toward that pole, to at least appear to be clean, clear, plain.
This post makes me want to reread something by her soon. I think that she will forgive me if instead, at least today, reading “The Duel” by one of her heroes, Conrad. Then I need to finish “Aftermath” by Rachel Cusk, which is superb. I don’t imagine Joan ever read anything by Rachel Cusk, but I wonder what Rachel thinks of Joan?
Stumbled towards your substack with this piece. Consider me sold. Thank you!
A great read. Thank you.