March 2008 Faculty Visit: The Year of Magical Thinking (Didion)

Post date: Jan 07, 2010 10:16:9 PM

We had a terrific turnout of around 35 people on Wednesday, March 19, for a discussion of Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking lead by Jennifer Walters, Smith's Dean of Religious Life.

Dean Walters started off by introducing herself and mentioning a project she's been involved with recently on defining success, including a five-day January term course called "Get A Life", in which juniors and seniors began to develop a habit of reflection about their own values and goals. They talked and wrote about themes inherent in making life decisions, including perfectionism, risk-taking, tolerating failure and family narratives of success. Many alumnae in the audience agreed that they could use such a seminar now! She also mentioned that she had taught The Year of Magical Thinking in combination with Going Sane, by Adam Phillips during J-Term 2006.

We then moved on to a discussion of the book, with Dean Walters first asking if anybody had a negative response. Several alumnae found Didion cold, self-absorbed and/or personally unlikable, and some were surprised at the lack of spirituality in her approach to death, but others (especially readers of her other books) felt that Didion was more open in this book than usual, and that exploring experiences through words is how she makes sense of them.

The personal reflections that the book engendered tended to differ based on the age of the reader. Older alumnae found themselves considering the possible loss of their own partners, while younger alumnae were more likely to be dealing with the loss of parents. Several in the group shared their personal experiences and reflected on how Didion's story and storytelling compared with their own, and in some cases, helped them understand it better.

Dean Walters pointed to the liturgical patterns found in the book, and noted especially the power of Didion's introductory words, repeated again later in the book, to invoke the rapidity and profoundness of the change in her life:

Life changes fast.

Life changes in the instant.

You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.

Didion's relentless search for understanding the technicalities of what happened and the exact timing of events struck a chord with many, and was echoed by an alumna who had lost her father and experienced a similar pattern. Also remarked on was the fact that the interludes of more "technical" information interspersed with her memories helped the structure and flow of the book considerably.

Dean Walters was asked what the reaction of undergraduates was to the book, in comparison to ours. She said that they tended to focus more on Didion's reactions: the magical thinking of the title, and how her mind reacted to her situation, rather than the more personal aspects of the loss. This is perhaps explained both by their age and also that they were reading it in conjunction with Going Sane which explores the delicate balance between sanity and insanity.

All in all, it was a very interesting and enjoyable evening. As might be imagined with a group this large, there was a certain amount of waiting your turn to be heard, but I think (hope!) most were able to offer their comments.