Remembering Joan Didion: ‘Her ability to operate outside of herself was unparalleled’

The American author was not only brilliant but also generous and kind to younger writers, writes Emma BrockesThere is that famous photo of Joan Didion, taken in Malibu in 1976, in which she leans on a deck overlooking the beach, cigarette in hand, scotch glass at her elbow, and regards her family – John Dunne, her husband, and their then 10-year-old daughter, Quintana – through lowered, side-long eyes. Like other iconic photos of Didion from the period, she is at one remove from the group, off to the side and in this case, looking not at the camera but at her family as they look at the camera. It’s the pose Didion perfected, in life as in art, and when news of her death at the age of 87 broke on Thursday, it was a shock to see another frame from that sequence surface online. In it, Didion, eyes fixed forward, smiles broadly at the camera in the conventional style – a rare glimpse behind the persona.The paradox of Didion was not unusual among writers, whose confidence is often born of a million anxieties. But her ability to operate outside herself – to measure the gap between inside and out and slyly mock any effort to conceal it – was unparalleled. She was, famously and by her own account, diffident, brittle, runtish, prone to migraines, afraid of the telephone, and as she wrote in the preface to her 1968 collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem, “bad at interviewing people”, apparent deficits that, in Didion’s hands, were of course precisely what permitted her entry to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-12-24 18:44:54 UTC ]
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Catholic Publishers Remember Pope Benedict XVI

Theologian Joseph Ratzinger, the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, was a publishing powerhouse with scores of titles by or about him. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Remember When Barnes & Noble Was the Bad Guy?

Revisiting a now quaint conflict about Barnes & Noble displacing indie booksellers in New York. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2022-12-20 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Rudy Ruiz is Remembering the Past

A novelist and native Texan shines a light on history’s injustices and atrocities that few speak of. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Joan Fusco

Joan Fusco, former manager of remainders and overstock at Abrams, died on September 14 following a debilitating stroke. She was 83. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Quiz: How Well Do You Remember Oprah’s Book Club Picks?

Oprah has been selecting books for her book club since 1996. How well do you know which ones have made this prestigious list? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-09-22 10:35:00 UTC ]
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How many of these f*cked up Y2K era YA novels do you remember?

Earlier this week, I was having a perfectly normal dinner with some friends who were in town, and I can’t remember how we got on this topic, but we ended up spending a good 30 minutes trying to track down the name of a middle grade/young adult book from our youth. One friend in particular […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-17 19:26:23 UTC ]
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2022 In Memoriam: Children's Book Creators Remembered

Click through to see our tributes to some of the talented and inspiring children's book authors and illustrators who have died this year—all of whom leave behind rich legacies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Forget Heaven, Remember Love': PW Talks to Caleb Wilde

Wilde, a sixth-generation funeral director and the author of 'All the Ways Our Dead Still Speak' (Broadleaf, May 24), explains his experiences with grief, ghosts, why he's now going forward by looking back. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Erroll McDonald Remembers Jason Epstein

Erroll McDonald, v-p and executive editor at Alfred A. Knopf, pays tribute to the legendary Random House editor and industry entrepreneur, who died February 4 at age 93. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-02-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Previously, in Crescent City: Everything You Need to Remember Before Reading Book 2

Before you read House of Sky and Breath, how well do you remember Crescent City book 1? Here's a recap to get you ready for the sequel. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-02-10 11:40:00 UTC ]
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People Remember André Leon Talley In Charming, Poignant Tweets

The former Vogue editor-at-large, who died this week, impressed and inspired people he met — and those he didn't. Continue reading at The Huffington Post

[ The Huffington Post | 2022-01-19 17:49:28 UTC ]
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In London, Book Aid International Reports 2021 Operations in 24 Countries

The UK-based Book Aid International introduced its second innovative shipping-container library in 2021, in rural Zanzibar. The post In London, Book Aid International Reports 2021 Operations in 24 Countries appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-01-06 15:01:13 UTC ]
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Remember when Alan Moore got into a public feud with Frank Miller over Occupy Wall Street?

On this day in 1953, comic book legend Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell, Batman: The Killing Joke) was born in was Northampton, England. In addition to his mastery of signature storytelling, Moore is known for his forthright, outspoken nature (take, for instance, his criticism of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-11-18 16:09:18 UTC ]
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How Do You Find a Book When You Can’t Remember the Title or the Author?

Anyone who has worked in a bookstore knows only too well that moment when a customer approaches by saying, “So I don’t remember the title, or the author, but—.” And we’ve all been on the other side of the counter, trying to pinpoint something we can’t quite describe at a bookstore (“It’s a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-10-21 08:55:42 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Targets 2022 To Be Carbon-Neutral in Operational Emissions

Parallel to concerns and talks on sustainability during Frankfurter Buchmesse this week, HarperCollins has engaged London's Brite Green. The post HarperCollins Targets 2022 To Be Carbon-Neutral in Operational Emissions appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-10-20 00:28:24 UTC ]
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Remember Elvira? The mistress of the dark is still here, and she has some bombshells to drop.

Cassandra Peterson’s memoir, “Yours Cruelly, Elvira,” is as engrossingly odd as her career has been. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-28 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic Employees, Authors, and Others Remember Dick Robinson

A virtual memorial service for Scholastic's beloved chairman, president, and CEO, Dick Robinson, featured a mix of speakers eulogizing him, including celebrities, authors, company executives, and employees. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-09-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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FaZe Clan enters the comic book world and Proactiv taps Joan as AOR: Agency Brief

Also, Cambell Soup kicks off the NFL season with a spot featuring Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.   Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2021-09-10 17:32:00 UTC ]
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Remembering The Black Expressions Book Club

In memory of the Black Expressions Book Club and its impact on a reader always seeking out Black literary excellence. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-08-17 10:39:00 UTC ]
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Remembering the British Publishing Industry’s David Whitaker, ISBN Pioneer

Recalled as being opinionated, decisive, and difficult as well as insightful, innovative, and impressive, David Whitaker died on August 4. The post Remembering the British Publishing Industry’s David Whitaker, ISBN Pioneer appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-06 15:55:42 UTC ]
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