DIDION Joan

DIDION, Joan (Didion, Joan) (p. 1934), American writer, journalist, screenwriter. Born Dec. 5, 1934 in Sacramento (pc. California). In 1956 she graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, from 1956 to 1963 worked in the magazine 'Vogue' (New York). During this time, wrote the novel "Running River" (Run River), published in 1963 and a positive response. At the same time became acquainted with the writer DG Dunn, who became her husband. In California, they returned in 1964.

The book of essays "hobbling in Bethlehem" (Slouching Towards Bethlehem) was published in 1968, after which her reputation novelist and essayist markedly subsided. The title essay reflects the writer experiences with the participants of the hippy movement in San Francisco. The name was inspired by the lines of the poem Yeats "Second Coming": "Communication dissolved, the basis does not hold / Anarchy spilled on the ground '.

In 1970 Didion published a novel, "Take it as-is" (Play It as It Lays), whose heroine seeks to find meaning in a senseless world. Critics point out that the writer is the mindset of modern women, and compared Didion with TS Eliot.

Subject continued disintegration of society in his novel "The Book of Common Prayer" (A Book of Common Prayer, 1977). At a time when 'connection break', the heroine of Charlotte Douglas seeks salvation in a fictional Central American country. The White Album "(The White Album, 1972), the second collection of essays Didion, similar in tone to the first. Collection is named in memory of the famous album of the Beatles', which has absorbed, according to Didion, all the commotion of the 1960. "El Salvador" (Salvador, 1983) was a report writer that she saw in the country, which came in 1982. In 1984 his novel "Democracy" (Democracy). The book "Miami" (Miami, 1987) was a new victory Didion, essayist, is now focused on the cultural, social and political implications of Miami and the U.S. refugee influx from Cuba. "After Henry" (After Henry, 1992; in England was published under the name. "Sentimental Journey" - Sentimental Journey) - a collection that includes 12 essays, freely grouped around three geographic locations, which are associated with literary activity Didion - Washington, California and New York.

After a twelve-year hiatus Didion returned to prose, writing a novel, "The last thing he needs" (The Last Thing He Wanted, 1996). The action takes place in 1984, when it was published Democracy, and has some similarities with this novel, but transferred to another outpost of American foreign policy games - in Central America. The heroine of the book Elena is involved in political intrigues and atmosphere of conspiracies, starting with the assassination of President Kennedy and ending with the scandalous affair 'Iran-Contra'

. In collaboration with DG Dunn Didion wrote the script "Panic in Needle Park" (Panic in Needle Park, . 1971, . prize of the Cannes Film Festival), . "Take as is" for his novel (1972) and others, together with other authors - "A Star Is Born" (A Star is Born, . 1976), . "True Confessions" (True Confessions, . 1981, . on the novel by Dunne), . and "Close to the heart" (Up Close and Personal, . dir,
. D. Evnet, 1996, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford). In 1996 received the medal Edward McDowell.