The release of "Notes to John," featuring Joan Didion's personal therapy notes, raises questions about posthumous privacy. The notes, found after her death, reflect her innermost thoughts regarding her daughter Quintana's struggles with alcoholism. Despite Didion's typically guarded nature, these writings provide a candid glimpse into her emotional turmoil and fears surrounding her daughter's fate, contrasting with the more composed narratives seen in her published works like "The Year of Magical Thinking." These documents shed light on Didion's lifelong habit of note-taking as a means to process her experiences and feelings.
"He wanted to know how old Quintana was when we got her, the details of the adoption. We talked at some length about that, and I said I had always been afraid we would lose her."
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