A fond and appreciative portrait of one of American journalism's superstars, «Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold» may not contain any revelations that will surprise those who've followed Didion's eloquent,
often autobiographical writing over the years.
Art historian Lucy Lippard
wrote at the time: «Certain elements — a central focus (
often «empty,»
often circular or oval), parabolic baglike forms, obsessive line and detail, veiled strata, tactile or sensuous surfaces and forms, associative fragmentation,
autobiographical emphasis, and so forth — are found far more
often in the work of women than of men.»
Through her eloquent, diaristic
writing, it becomes increasingly clear that, whilst
often associated with the Minimalists, her work was actually defined by a powerful emotional and
autobiographical reflex.