David Ulin on Joan Didion, California, Counterculture, and the Essay Form

This Week from the Big Table Podcast with JC Gabel

By Big Table

For over 50 years, Joan Didion, a daughter of California, was in a league all her own, as a writer and novelist. Unlike many critics, she is capable of writing memorable fiction that, although not as widely read as her reportage and singular essays, stands the test of time.

The Library of America Series recently published its second Joan Didion volume featuring the novels Democracy and The Last Thing He Wanted, as well as nonfiction works Salvador, Miami, and After Henry, her third major essay collection.

Edited by former LA Times book editor, author, and critic David Ulin, the collection is brimming with her enduring legacy and highlights her work from the 1980s and 1990s, which are not as well known.

In this episode, Ulin helps JC Gabel unpack why Didion’s later work and overall influence cannot be underestimated. Listen to the podcast at LitHub.

We were so excited to have David Ulin lead a conversation on Joan Didion last March! To read more about it, click here.