Books Distilled » Entries tagged with "joan didion"
Book Review: Play It As It Lays
I forewarned you that I’d be reading a lot of Joan Didion for a paper I’m writing. (Don’t worry, I’m counteracting her amazing prose and super-depressing topics with less serious books). Didion’s second novel, Play It As It Lays, is the story of a troubled woman, Maria Wyeth (pronounced, we’re told early on, Mar-eye-ah). The book is full of beautiful sentences that portray a woman coming apart at the seams. Case in point: Because she had an uneasy … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature
Happy New Year, Life Updates, & Reading Deprivation
Happy New Year! Happy 2012, friends! I’ve missed writing for you all the past few weeks. I have a few pretty good reasons for neglecting my blogging, though… Read on for some life updates! Life Updates I started a new job. In early December I started a new full-time job at the New York City Leadership Academy, an education nonprofit that trains principals to work in NYC public schools. I’m super excited to join their team, and my … Read entire article »
Filed under: Announcements
Book Review: Blue Nights
The Blue Nights Joan Didion’s new memoir Blue Nights is stunning. The title comes from a phenomenon that occurs in northern latitudes in the spring, when the light at twilight is blue. Didion’s nephew shot a video of her reading from the prologue and second chapter of the book. Tell me this doesn’t make you want to read it: The Blue Darkens and Fades The book is serious, but not heavy; piercing, but not stricken. It picks up where … Read entire article »
Filed under: Contemporary Literature, Nonfiction
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