Scan barcode
A review by readingissosexy
Slouching Towards Los Angeles: Living and Writing by Joan Didion's Light by Steffie Nelson
2.0
It's an arranged marriage for LA & I, so I read books about LA icons from the 70s to try & force myself to love it here. After Pamela De Barres & Eve Babitz, I thought it was Joan Didion's turn, so I read this book of essays inspired by her (& her love of LA).
I knew Didion left New York for LA. (Perfect!) But was surprised to find out she eventually returned to New York. (Damn.) (Even LA icons don't want to stay in LA.)
To be honest, a lot of these essays went over my head. I liked some, got bored in others, & skipped a few. I loved Ann Friedman's. (duh, it's Ann Friedman.) She wrote about "not really liking New York." (Now there's the indoctrination I'm seeking!) Her writing is so 5 star that I'm going to include a snippet here for myself. (I don't expect any of my 9 Goodreads friends to read this far.)
"New York is the prom king. He knows he's great, & he's gonna make it really hard on you if you decide you want to love him. I opted out. & from my now-comfortable perch on the dry & cracking western edge of this continent, I look back at friends who have stuck things out with New York & think, 'how? why?'
For one thing, they share a willingness to consider New York from a cinematic distance, overlooking the city's many irritants except insofar as they add grit & drama to their personal story. In day-to-day terms, this manifests as complaining vigorously about subway hardships & bedbug plagues, & then posting Instagram photos of the skyline at sunset. A not insignificant number of the New York lovers I know--especially the twenty-somethings-- are actually pretty unhappy day-to-day. I picture the prom king's date sitting near him at a party, ignored but still kind of proud to be in the room & on his arm--& increasingly offended at the suggestion that she should break up with him for someone who dotes on her more.
Oh, how California dotes! Sun yourself. Take the car. Let your guard down. Breathe deeply, & you'll smell the jasmine & dusty sage. Show up twenty minutes late. (Just text 'Sorry-- traffic.') Explore the weirder corners of your spirituality. Describe yourself, without sarcasm, as a writer slash entrepreneur. Work from home. Spread out. Wear the comfortable pants."
Wow that was a long quote, nearly the whole essay. But it's good & wise & funny... Too bad I still wish I lived in New York.
I knew Didion left New York for LA. (Perfect!) But was surprised to find out she eventually returned to New York. (Damn.) (Even LA icons don't want to stay in LA.)
To be honest, a lot of these essays went over my head. I liked some, got bored in others, & skipped a few. I loved Ann Friedman's. (duh, it's Ann Friedman.) She wrote about "not really liking New York." (Now there's the indoctrination I'm seeking!) Her writing is so 5 star that I'm going to include a snippet here for myself. (I don't expect any of my 9 Goodreads friends to read this far.)
"New York is the prom king. He knows he's great, & he's gonna make it really hard on you if you decide you want to love him. I opted out. & from my now-comfortable perch on the dry & cracking western edge of this continent, I look back at friends who have stuck things out with New York & think, 'how? why?'
For one thing, they share a willingness to consider New York from a cinematic distance, overlooking the city's many irritants except insofar as they add grit & drama to their personal story. In day-to-day terms, this manifests as complaining vigorously about subway hardships & bedbug plagues, & then posting Instagram photos of the skyline at sunset. A not insignificant number of the New York lovers I know--especially the twenty-somethings-- are actually pretty unhappy day-to-day. I picture the prom king's date sitting near him at a party, ignored but still kind of proud to be in the room & on his arm--& increasingly offended at the suggestion that she should break up with him for someone who dotes on her more.
Oh, how California dotes! Sun yourself. Take the car. Let your guard down. Breathe deeply, & you'll smell the jasmine & dusty sage. Show up twenty minutes late. (Just text 'Sorry-- traffic.') Explore the weirder corners of your spirituality. Describe yourself, without sarcasm, as a writer slash entrepreneur. Work from home. Spread out. Wear the comfortable pants."
Wow that was a long quote, nearly the whole essay. But it's good & wise & funny... Too bad I still wish I lived in New York.