Slouching Towards Bethlehem

2 Pages 530 Words

Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a collection of essays that can be compared to many of the authors our class has covered this semester. The one author that this reader leans to is Lillian Ross’ Picture. Didion wrote many of her essays from a fly on the wall perspective as did Ross. Didion seemed to have the inside look at her subjects in the first half of her book and in the second half she leans more towards her own experiences. Lillian Ross never included herself in her book, Picture, other than brief, non-descript mentions about being in the room. Both Joan Didion and Lillian Ross are fluent in the topics at hand for which they write about. Both authors take an inside look at the subject and give it their all.

Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem delves into many different topics. Didion discusses everything from John Wayne, Hollywood, Joan Baez and then to herself and moving to New York. Didion is very descriptive in her writings of the surroundings where her essays take place but she keeps this stuff short and to the point. When she discusses other people she almost has a fly on the wall perspective. She discusses conversations and events that she could only get that great a detail by being there. Didion also has some essays that could only be written by conducting an interview with people involved like the first chapter “Life Styles In The Golden Land“. She writes of her own experiences and fears which helps to immortalizes her in her work with the reader. She does a great job at short stories with her attention to remaining focused on the subject.

Lillian Ross’ Picture is a great view into the world of movie making. Ross has said that being an observer is impossible--a reporter has to be involved in the story. Ross is very much a fly on the wall listening and reporting conversations, describing scenery and clothing. She never really discusses her outlook on this movie making ad...