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Quote by Joan Didion

“What happened in New York and Washington and abroad seemed to impinge not at all upon the Sacramento min. I remember being taken to call upon a very old woman, a rancher's widow, who was reminiscing (the favored conversational mode in Sacramento) about the son of some contemporaries of hers. 'That Johnston boy never did amount to much,' she said. Desultorily, my mother protested: Alva Johnston, she said, had won the Pulitzer Prize, when he was working for The New York Times. Our hostess looked at us impassively. 'He never amounted to anything in Sacramento,' she said.”

Book:Slouching towards Bethlehem

Work

Slouching towards Bethlehem

This work gathers twenty essays written between 1965 and 1967, capturing the disintegration of traditional American social structures during a period of profound cultural transformation. The title essay, which lends its name to the collection, reports from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district at the height of the counterculture movement, documenting the collision between idealism and reality among the young people who had gathered there. Other pieces address topics including John Wayne, Howard Hughes, the wedding industry, and the author's own experiences in New York and California. The collection is recognized for its distinctive prose style—characterized by precise observation, fragmented structure, and unsparing examination of both its subjects and the author's own perspective—and for its early articulation of what would become known as New Journalism, blending reportage with personal reflection and literary technique. more

Author

Joan Didion

Joan Didion is an American author born on December 5, 1934. Known for her distinctive narrative style and profound insights into modern life, her works have gained recognition for their unique perspective and deep understanding of the complexities of contemporary society. more

“In these days of living in a dry land that wants fire, we need to find words, or burn. 'I dreamt of rain last night.' Mai stood near my skin, on the bank of the American River, her flesh wet with simplicity. The scent of star thistle mixed with river mud. ' I met people in my dreams who had never known the inside of a lotus flower. Ever.' In the center of each word another word unfolded. Our ankles cold from the river. Her hands trembled. Bewildered fingers. Be careful around those who claim to know the history of fire and yet remain unafraid of rain.”

History Fire Dreams Flower Rain Words California River Word Sacramento

Book:between appear and disappear

Source: between appear and disappear

“Matthew Sengsack, a former Marine and Green Beret, combines his military experience with his passion for teaching.”

Sacramento Former Marine Matthew Sengsack

Author:Matthew Sengsack

“Anyone who would willingly ride a bicycle through the frenzied streets of New York City could only have an I.Q. in the low double digits. That, or a death wish.”

Cycling Nyc Death Wish I Q Street Cycling

Book:In Limbo

Source: In Limbo

“Within the heart is an unfathomable depth. —The Macarian Homilies *Macarius of Egypt was a Coptic Christian monk and hermit.”