Exploring Joan Didion's previously hidden journal, touching on her interpersonal relationships and reflections post-therapy
Joan Didion's personal notes, titled "Notes to John," will be published this April, marking the first new material from the renowned author since 2011. The notes, discovered in a filing cabinet next to Didion's desk in California after her passing in 2021, offer a deeply intimate account of her life, including her relationship with her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, and her reflections on various aspects of her life.
The notes, consisting of 49 entries, all addressed to her late husband, date back to December 1999. They discuss Didion's childhood, alcoholism, depression, and her relationship with her adopted daughter Quintana Roo, among other topics. Each entry was written by Didion to understand her thoughts, observations, and their meanings.
The publication of these intimate notes may raise questions about the ethics of publishing personal written thoughts, as Didion left no notes on how to handle the material. The person responsible for handling the lending of Didion's notes typically falls to an archivist or a librarian managing the collection, raising ethical questions about privacy, consent, and the integrity of personal documents.
The notes recount Didion's relationship with Quintana Roo, her adopted daughter who struggled with mental illness and alcoholism before passing away in 2005. The entries also detail Didion's time speaking with a psychiatrist.
The notes will be made public with only corrected typos and added footnotes. This will be the first new material of Didion's published since 2011. The notes will be available for pre-order via penguinrandomhouse.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
The notes reflect on Didion's years with her husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, who died in 2003. It is a poignant and powerful testament to Didion's life and work, offering readers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of America's most celebrated writers.
The notes, "Notes to John," will be released on 22 April 2025.
