#2228
Mentioned in 9 episodes
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Book • 1968
Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a collection of essays by Joan Didion that captures the essence of 1960s America, especially in California.
The book includes twenty essays that cover a wide range of topics, from the counterculture movement in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district to personal narratives and character portraits.
Didion's essays explore themes such as the decline of traditional values, the disillusionment of the American Dream, and the tumultuous social changes of the era.
The title essay, 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem,' is a vivid portrayal of the hippie culture and its contrast with its idealized representations, drawing imagery from W.B.
Yeats' poem 'The Second Coming.
' The collection also includes essays like 'On Keeping a Notebook' and 'Goodbye to All That,' which reflect on Didion's personal life and writing habits.
Through her keen observations and vivid storytelling, Didion provides an unflinching and insightful overview of America during the 1960s.
The book includes twenty essays that cover a wide range of topics, from the counterculture movement in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district to personal narratives and character portraits.
Didion's essays explore themes such as the decline of traditional values, the disillusionment of the American Dream, and the tumultuous social changes of the era.
The title essay, 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem,' is a vivid portrayal of the hippie culture and its contrast with its idealized representations, drawing imagery from W.B.
Yeats' poem 'The Second Coming.
' The collection also includes essays like 'On Keeping a Notebook' and 'Goodbye to All That,' which reflect on Didion's personal life and writing habits.
Through her keen observations and vivid storytelling, Didion provides an unflinching and insightful overview of America during the 1960s.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 9 episodes
Mentioned by 
Cal Newport as one of the many authors whose books are displayed in a Dartmouth College fellowship house.
Cal Newport as one of the many authors whose books are displayed in a Dartmouth College fellowship house.
776 snips
Ep. 254: The Laws of Less
Mentioned by 
Tim Miller as a book that discusses the Santa Ana winds and their impact on Los Angeles.
Tim Miller as a book that discusses the Santa Ana winds and their impact on Los Angeles.
35 snips
Derek Thompson and Elizabeth Weil: The Trend Toward Solitude
Mentioned by 
Evelyn McDonnell as an essay that offers a view of Haight-Ashbury that goes against the mythology of the time.
Evelyn McDonnell as an essay that offers a view of Haight-Ashbury that goes against the mythology of the time.
11 snips
Author Evelyn McDonnell On Joan Didion’s Life and Legacy (Pt 1)
Mentioned by Adrian Daub and Moira Donegan as a seminal work on the counterculture in San Francisco.
Episode 77: San Francisco
Mentioned by Griffin Dunne in relation to the documentary he directed about her, "The Center Will Not Hold."
Storytelling, Family & Tragedy with Griffin Dunne
Mentioned by 
Ryan Holiday and Timothy Denevi in the context of their shared Sacramento roots and Didion's unique perspective on California.
Ryan Holiday and Timothy Denevi in the context of their shared Sacramento roots and Didion's unique perspective on California.
Timothy Denevi on Hunter S Thompson and the Art of Journalism (Part 1)
Mentioned by Mina Kim ; the book is discussed in relation to Didion's early work and her views on California.
Joan Didion and How Hollywood Shaped American Politics
Mentioned by Alissa Wilkinson as a book containing articles from 1961 to 1967, embodying her sense of things falling apart.
Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine
Mentioned by Ryan Holiday as an example of how a parent's response to a child's boredom can foster creativity.
Ryan Holiday as an example of how a parent's response to a child's boredom can foster creativity.
Show Them How To Use That Energy
Mentioned by Dr. Dru Johnson as a collection of essays containing one about a news story where a woman burned her husband alive.
Hollywood, Scripture, and Politics: Joan Didion and the Power of Story (Alissa Wilkinson) Ep. #207
