Why I Write, by Joan Didion, an excerpt

Summary

Michelle Kennedy reflects on the writing process in this episode, drawing inspiration from Joan Didion's essay 'Why I Write.' She explores the act of writing as a means of self-discovery, emphasizing how writing helps clarify thoughts and emotions. Kennedy also touches on the overwhelming proliferation of voices in today’s digital world, inspired by Virginia Woolf's 'The Decay of the Essay.' She examines the tension between personal expression and the noise of modern publications, ultimately offering a meditation on writing as both a personal exploration and a cultural reflection.

Takeaways

• 😀 Joan Didion describes writing as an act of self-expression and imposing one's sensibility on the reader, equating it to the aggression of a 'secret bully'.
• 😀 The personal essay, according to Didion, often explores the writer’s own experiences, reflecting a view of both the writer's time and place.
• 😀 Joan Didion emphasizes that writing is a way of discovering one's own thoughts and understanding what one sees and feels, rather than a purely intellectual endeavor.
• 😀 Didion reflects on the evolution of the personal essay, noting that modern technology and the internet have amplified the ability for anyone to express their opinions and peculiarities.
• 😀 She draws a parallel between the limitations of grammar and the limitations of personal expression, stating that grammar is like a piano that she plays by ear.
• 😀 The essay touches on Didion's past academic struggles, particularly her time at Berkeley, where she struggled with abstract thinking but focused on the tangible, sensory world around her.
• 😀 Didion acknowledges her lack of formal intellectual credentials but defines herself as a writer, someone who discovers what she thinks by writing.
• 😀 The essay highlights Didion’s obsession with detail, such as her vivid recollection of sensory experiences like the rancidity of butter on a train or the shimmer of a cat in a psychological illustration.
• 😀 The Panama airport at 6:00 a.m. serves as a powerful symbolic image in Didion's writing, representing a moment in her life that deeply influenced her understanding of the world.
• 😀 Didion discusses how her writing often creates characters and stories by unearthing images and impressions from her mind, exploring how those images evolve into full narratives.
• 😀 The essay reveals that writers write not because they have all the answers, but because they need to explore the unknown and unravel questions they don’t yet understand.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Michelle Kennedy's podcast episode?

The main theme is the personal nature of writing, particularly personal essays, and how writing helps the writer understand their own thoughts and identity. The episode also explores the influence of Joan Didion and Virginia Woolf on this writing process.

Why does Michelle Kennedy mention Joan Didion’s essay 'Why I Write'?

Michelle Kennedy mentions Joan Didion’s essay because she connects deeply with Didion’s perspective on writing as an act of self-expression and discovery. Didion's idea that writing is about imposing one’s voice and sensibility on the world resonates with Kennedy's own experiences.

How does Kennedy describe the role of grammar in writing?

Kennedy describes grammar as a powerful tool in shaping the meaning of a sentence, much like a piano that is played by ear. She emphasizes that grammar is not something she was formally taught, but rather something she uses intuitively to convey her thoughts and the pictures in her mind.

What point does Kennedy make about the overwhelming nature of modern publication?

Kennedy echoes Virginia Woolf's concern from 'The Decay of the Essay' about the overwhelming number of publications in the modern world, particularly the internet. She suggests that this saturation of voices can feel noisy and overpowering, just as Woolf felt in 1905.

How does Kennedy reflect on her own experience as a writer?

Kennedy reflects on her personal journey as a writer, describing how writing helped her discover her identity. She discusses how she was not initially drawn to abstract thinking, but instead focused on tangible, specific experiences, which ultimately led her to become a writer.

What does Kennedy say about the creative process of writing a novel?

Kennedy explains that the process of writing a novel can involve discovering characters and themes while writing, often without a clear plan. For example, she didn’t know who Victor was when she wrote about him, but the character emerged naturally as part of the story.

How does Kennedy describe the act of writing as an imposition?

Kennedy states that writing is an aggressive act, where the writer imposes their voice and perspective on the reader. She likens it to a secret bully, a tactic of forcing the writer’s sensibility into the reader's most private space.

What does Kennedy mean by 'pictures in my mind' in relation to writing?

Kennedy refers to the images and mental pictures that come to her while writing. These images, which can 'shimmer' around the edges, dictate the structure and meaning of her sentences. Writing helps her understand what these images represent and what they mean.

What is the significance of the Panama airport scene in the essay?

The Panama airport scene serves as a metaphor for the writing process itself. Kennedy describes how a vivid image of the airport stuck with her, leading her to imagine a character, Charlotte, and create a narrative around her. This demonstrates how writing helps the author discover details and build a story organically.

How does Kennedy connect her own writing process to the works of Joan Didion and Virginia Woolf?

Kennedy connects her process to Didion and Woolf by acknowledging the personal nature of writing in their essays. Like Didion, she sees writing as a way to understand herself, and like Woolf, she grapples with the overwhelming flood of voices in modern publishing, though she finds writing to be a way of cutting through that noise.