Notes to John

Notes to John by Joan Didion 

Notes to John by Joan Didion is a profoundly intimate and previously unpublished account of the celebrated writer’s private struggle with grief, anxiety, and identity. In November 1999, Didion began therapy, prompted by what she described as “a rough few years” for her family. She kept a detailed journal of her psychiatric sessions—notes she addressed to her husband, fellow writer John Gregory Dunne.

Through these deeply personal reflections, Didion explores alcoholism, adoption, motherhood, depression, and the fragile bond with her daughter, Quintana. As the sessions continue, she delves into her creative struggles, her difficult relationship with her own parents, and the ever-present sense of looming catastrophe that shaped her worldview. The journal also captures her probing thoughts on legacy—what it all meant, and what remains behind.

Spanning over a decade of therapeutic exploration, Notes to John is a raw, unfiltered portrait of Didion’s inner world. It offers readers rare access to her private voice—vulnerable yet unflinching, analytical yet poetic. A must-read for fans of The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights, this work reaffirms Didion’s unmatched ability to transform personal pain into lasting literature.