Name: peeking into a Didion notebook, peeking into America
Item: South and west
Author: jankbirkin

South and west →

by Joan Didion, Nathaniel Rich

peeking into a Didion notebook, peeking into America

jankbirkin

Nov 14, 2024

There's one essay, "On Keeping a Notebook", in Slouching Towards Bethlehem where Didion tells us a little bit about what her notebooks look like. She shrugs off the idea of diary-keeping, of cataloguing one's day or feelings. Her notebooks are instead a collection of things noticed, and this is essentially South and West. Because her final products are so sharp and polished, this was a novel peek into Didion's process of noticing and connecting the dots. Some of the dots aren't connected yet, but are just laid in front of us. To her, though, the South and West of the USA are powerful places and she presents them as such. This collection of experiences and ideas is a fascinating look into the pulse of America. It's also a very short, quick read, at 126 uncrowded pages. Obviously worthwhile.

I recently packed up my car and drove from distant Canada through the US to California, down the West Coast, and along the Southern Border. I chose a solid amount of books to keep me company and this one seemed very appropriate. Last time I came to the South, I had picked up Slouching for the first time. Didion is an authority; I can only ever see this country with her guidance.