Wilkinson's book, "We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine," offers a fresh perspective on Didion, emphasizing her thoughtfulness over her public image.
"I’m not interested in her public image as 'Joan: the lady on the tote bag,' so much as 'Joan: the thinker,' and how her eyes give us a good lens to look at a century of American history through what was happening," Wilkinson emphasizes her focus on Didion's intellectual contributions.
The profound impact Didion had on Wilkinson is evident: "The first Didion book I ever read was 'The Year of Magical Thinking.'... That sense of shock that she experienced...was something I was extremely familiar with."
In exploring Didion's overlooked Hollywood era, Wilkinson highlights the connection between Didion's entertainment work and her evolution as a political writer.
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