Let Me Tell You What I Mean by Joan Didion is a collection of twelve essays, compiled during the middle three decades of her career, as well as a good Foreword by Hilton Als. It's a short, punchy read. You'll careen through reportage on war veterans, gambling addicts, business tycoons, and first ladies, not clearly understanding the connections but entertained by Didion's precise observations and perfect prose. If there is a dominant theme, it's the subject of writing itself. This surfaces in her few, but fascinating, personal essays. It's also expounded on in a thoughtful essay on Hemingway's posthumous publications. I wonder if a beginning writing class would benefit from this short book, both in its examples, and analysis, of excellent craft.
My favorite essay--one that I'll print off and make my students read--is the unambiguously titled "On Being Unchosen by the College of One's Choice." I can't recommend it enough, this seven-page flash of genius. Go and find it and read it right now. Written in 1968, it easily speaks to today's college bound, bemoaning the problems and offering succor to this anxious generation.
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