Notes to John

Analyze the style and tone of Didion’s diary entries. What point of view, structure, and form does she use? Because the diaries are unedited, what do these stylistic choices reveal about Didion’s writing process?

Explore the relationship between Didion’s identity as an individual and her identity as a mother. What do the diaries reveal about how she sees herself in relation to Quintana? How does Notes to John portray Navigating Mother-Daughter Relationships differently from other texts with similar subject matter?

Consider Didion’s view of Writing as a Means of Survival. How does Didion’s understanding of her work evolve throughout the text? What impact do these insights have on her mental health? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Compare and contrast Didion’s and Quintana’s experiences with depression. How does their depression manifest differently; how do their coping mechanisms compare? What do their differences imply about living with depression?

Analyze John Gregory Dunne’s role in Didion’s account. How is his presence and/or absence from Didion’s diaries relevant to Didion’s internal journey? Specifically explore his attendance at some of Didion’s sessions, Didion’s use of the direct address, and Didion’s allusions to John in her sessions.

Craft an essay that examines the genre parameters of Notes to John. Would you classify the text as a literary diary, as epistolary nonfiction, or as a memoir? How and why does the text satisfy or subvert these genre expectations?

Analyze the relationship between Notes to John and Didion’s other publications. Does the text provide insight into the subject matter and themes of A Book of Common Prayer, Play It As It Lays, and/or Blue Nights? What is the significance of these overlaps?

Analyze the text’s representation of addiction and substance use. Are these representations sensitive, aware, and/or politically correct? Why or why not? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.