Table of Contents
Introduction 7
Hello to All This Ann Friedman 12
How to Find Your Place in Life, or What I Learned from Joan Didions "On Keeping a Notebook" Jori Finkel 16
Dark Mirror: Reflections on the Golden Dream Steffie Nelson 21
At This Precise Intersection of Time and Space: A Response to Joan Didions "At the Dam" Margaret Wappler 26
We Dream of the Cloverleaf Jessica Hundley 31
Long Ride Home Christine Lennon 34
That Was a Very Pretty Image: On the Joan Didion Fragility Myth Catherine Wagley 42
Despair and Doing Su Wu 49
The Opposite of Cool Joshua Wolf Shenk 56
A Woman Apart Lauren Sandler 75
Where I Am From Michelle Chihara 81
On Tour with a Reluctant Oracle Sarah Tomlinson 92
Why I Don't Answer the Phone: A Conversation with Joan Didion about Self-Respect Linda Immediato 98
A Letter to Joan on Turning Fifty-Five Tracy McMillan 106
The Last Private Man: From Howard Hughes to Jeff Goldblum Dan Crane 111
Points on a Map Steph Cha 117
Waiting for Jim: A Response to "The White Album" Caroline Ryder 123
The Black Albums: How Joan Didion and The Beatles Went Noir Together Joe Donnelly 126
A Wonder Woman in White Tights Monica Corcoran Hard 135
No Milk Today: Revisiting My Haight-Ashbury Alysia Abbott 139
Brentwood Notebook Stacie Stukin 147
On Keeping a Cookbook Heather John Fogarty 158
Red Flag Days: Living in Joan Didions Malibu Marc Weingarten 164
Tania of the Golden West Scott Benzel 171
West of the West Wing of Oz: A Sentimental Journey Ezrha Jean Black 180
Contributors 191
Selected Bibliography 195
Acknowledgments 197
