The Folio Society is set to release the first-ever illustrated edition of Joan Didion’s seminal work, Slouching Towards Bethlehem available exclusively through their website.
Originally published in 1968, Slouching Towards Bethlehem is often considered Didion’s magnum opus. The collection of 20 essays provides a penetrating look into the turbulence of the 1960s, capturing the disintegration of the Californian Dream and the counterculture of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. The book also features intimate personal essays, including Didion’s reflective piece on her early days in New York.
The Folio Society’s new edition is beautifully bound in blocked textured paper, featuring a striking portrait of Didion by esteemed artist Don Bachardy. Curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Hilton Als, the edition invites readers to explore a rich array of visual elements, including paintings, posters, and photographs that complement the essays.
Interspersed throughout the book are iconic photographs by Richard Avedon, Edward Weston, and Garry Winogrand, providing a vivid glimpse into the cultural landscape of 1960s California.
Joan Didion (1934–2021) was a distinguished American novelist, essayist, and journalist. Her career began at Vogue in the 1950s, and she gained international acclaim for her incisive explorations of the 1960s counterculture, documented in collections like Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album. Didion also wrote on various topics, including Latin American politics and American society, and authored the acclaimed memoir The Year of Magical Thinking. Her novels, such as Play It As It Lays, are considered classics of modern American fiction.
Throughout her illustrious career, Didion received numerous honours, including the National Humanities Medal presented by President Obama and a Lifetime Achievement Award from PEN.
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