Our Season 3 finale opens with “The Trick Is to Pretend,” a poem by Natalie Scenters-Zapico, read by the singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers: “I climb knowing the only way down / is by falling.” The actor Jessica Hecht plays Joan Didion in a reenactment of her classic Art of Fiction interview with Linda Kuehl. Jericho Brown reads his poem “Hero”: “my brothers and I grew up fighting / Over our mother’s mind.” The actor, comedian, and podcaster Connor Ratliff reads Bud Smith’s “Violets,” the story of two unlikely arsonists rediscovering life in the flames. The episode closes with Bridgers performing “Garden Song.” To hear more from Connor Ratliff, check out his podcast Dead Eyes. To hear Avery Trufelman’s latest show, find the podcast Nice Try! “Hero” by Jericho Brown appears courtesy of the 92nd Street Y Unterberg Poetry Center. This episode was sound designed and mixed by Hannis Brown, and mastered by Justin Shturtz.

American essayist and novelist, Joan Didion, discusses her haunting and impressionistic writing style in her essay 'The White Album'. She explores the fracturing of America in the late 1960s, touching on topics such as Jim Morrison, the Manson murders, and the search for meaning in senseless acts of violence. Didion's ability to capture the divide between conventional and counterculture is highlighted, as well as her own struggle for coherence while maintaining a domestic life. The desire for ignorance in the face of significant events is contrasted with the ongoing crises of the world. Didion's journey with multiple sclerosis and her use of writing as an outlet to make sense of her experiences are also discussed.

Joan Didion, a celebrated essayist, discusses her famous work 'The White Album' that explores the fracturing of America in the late 1960s. She touches upon Jim Morrison, the Manson murders, and the search for truth amidst chaos. The podcast also explores the concept of chaos, storytelling, and the limitations of naming and conventional responses in understanding the world.