Slouching Towards Bethlehem

“This is a collection of essays by Didion, based in California and covering the second half of the sixties. I like Didion for her writing style and her control over her material, but also for the way in which she captures a historical moment. In this book she really conveys the sense of significant cultural change that America was undergoing at that time. If you’re writing about China or Egypt right now, you’re also aware of this feeling. These are times that have a certain weight, a significance, that isn’t common. As a writer you want to understand this moment and capture its resonance…There’s a mesmeric quality to her writing. She uses a lot of short sentences; there’s a strong sense of rhythm.” Read more...

The Best Narrative Nonfiction

Peter Hessler, Journalist