Having just watched (and read) Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, there are so many threads here that strikingly remind me of Elena and Lila’s relationship and story!
Such a fun read! Looking forward to picking up the book. Completely disagree with Dunham as Didion and CC as Eve, though - but I actually don’t know who I’d put in their place…
Great interview thank you. I’ve read everything by Didion and Babitz and I love them both. Didion and Babitz is a fantastic book. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Eve sounds like she was a bully. Comparing someone who actually sounds like she really wanted to be famous with someone who actually lived and wrote about that life is interesting. She taunted Joan, “never really hired her. Was a favour to Eve’s editor” is the most vile thing I’ve ever read. A few unsent letters about a woman who was frustrated with not being as big as she wanted can never be compared with someone who actually had a career and immortalised not only herself but her husband and child at the end of her life. The audacity to say “The year of magical thinking” doesn’t read as “authentic”? A book about the death of her husband??
Gentle reminder that this is her personal opinion — and when it comes to books, everyone is entitled to that, Pulitzer or otherwise. As for it not being truthful, I don’t take this to mean literally - Lili means as a piece of art, she did not find it truthful. And whatever the contents of a book, a book is a piece of art and can be appraised as such, critically, regardless of its content.
Is Joan Didion’s husband alive? Is anything about this interview gentle when it comes to Joan? A book about someone’s grief? Bro, yes. Have a personal opinion but having a laugh about something so heavy? It’s distasteful, this is my personal opinion too, Pandora. Also, there’s no Pulitzer or otherwise, because then we would all be Pulitzer Prize finalists? “Art” has heart, this reads like a pile on. I’m also appraising this interview critically.
Joan Didion’s husband is not alive… That is what The Year of Magical Thinking is about. The gentle reminder was intended to suggest that not everything - in this case: Lili’s work, this interview - is going to be for you, just as not everything - one of Joan’s books, in this case - is going to be for Lili. But nobody is having a laugh about her grief, I can’t see that in evidence anywhere. Anyway, these are Lili’s opinions, not mine - I don’t hold a strong opinion on that book myself, I haven’t read it recently enough - and I totally get that you feel very strongly otherwise.
I really liked this book but I do not understand Anolik’s obsession with Caroline Calloway and do not see her pampered ass and dishonesty as similar to Eve— who is authentic and committed to art— at all.
I always say I don't like interviews, but this reminded me that it's all about the questions. So Juicy! I've read 2 of Babibtz' books and have 2 on my shelf. I read my first Didion this month, and didn't love that much. There's something about Eve thats so fun and irreverent, although you can tell she was quite a mess.
Which did you read? I’m reading Sex and Rage and enjoying it (it’s very auto fiction) and going to try Liki’a fave, next? I also need to read myself some more Didion. Pretty sure I’ve only read Slouching and Magical Thinking and a long time ago, at that
100 percent an Eve over here, and wasn’t taken seriously as a 20something journalist because of my peripheral famed friends. Unlike Eve, I wasn’t sleeping with any of them but the damage was done. Eve deserves a better comparison that Caroline, imho.
I think that’s fair, I’ve had quite a few e-mails saying the same — I think Lili was trying to land on someone who isn’t afraid to embrace chaos, mess, fallibility, appetite. It’s actually pretty hard to find a young female writer, in our highly curated age (where there is no tolerance for fucking up/ huge emphasis on cancel culture) who is such…
amazing interview. loved this.
I loved reading this. Brilliant.
Having just watched (and read) Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, there are so many threads here that strikingly remind me of Elena and Lila’s relationship and story!
That’s what I heard someone else compare it to - the real life Brilliant Friend
It’s uncanny!
Slow Days, Fast Company is my all time favourite read :) so here for the Eve appreciation.
Utterly devoured this!
"intellectual lifestyle babe catnip" is an excellent phrase- tattoo worthy, really.
Loved this and can’t wait to read my first Eve Babitz. I’d say Sally Rooney is a good modern day comparison for Joan.
Oh that’s an interesting call! I need to mull on that one
ABSOLUTELY! I knew something was scratching at my brain and Rooney definitely fits.
Such a fun read! Looking forward to picking up the book. Completely disagree with Dunham as Didion and CC as Eve, though - but I actually don’t know who I’d put in their place…
Lena Dunham being compared to Joan Didion feels like a hate crime
New party game!
“Does that mean you think everyone is a Didion or a Babitz? Which are you?
I am much closer to Joan. I’m an uptight person. But I love how Eve is.
Who would be Didion now and who would be Babitz?
Lena Dunham for Joan, Caroline Calloway for Eve.”
Great interview thank you. I’ve read everything by Didion and Babitz and I love them both. Didion and Babitz is a fantastic book. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
okay this book has now shot right up to the top of my tbr. brilliant interview i couldnt stop reading!!
Eve sounds like she was a bully. Comparing someone who actually sounds like she really wanted to be famous with someone who actually lived and wrote about that life is interesting. She taunted Joan, “never really hired her. Was a favour to Eve’s editor” is the most vile thing I’ve ever read. A few unsent letters about a woman who was frustrated with not being as big as she wanted can never be compared with someone who actually had a career and immortalised not only herself but her husband and child at the end of her life. The audacity to say “The year of magical thinking” doesn’t read as “authentic”? A book about the death of her husband??
That particular answer about Magical Thinking made me sad too!
Honestly. “The year of magical thinking” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Lili has no shame.
Gentle reminder that this is her personal opinion — and when it comes to books, everyone is entitled to that, Pulitzer or otherwise. As for it not being truthful, I don’t take this to mean literally - Lili means as a piece of art, she did not find it truthful. And whatever the contents of a book, a book is a piece of art and can be appraised as such, critically, regardless of its content.
Is Joan Didion’s husband alive? Is anything about this interview gentle when it comes to Joan? A book about someone’s grief? Bro, yes. Have a personal opinion but having a laugh about something so heavy? It’s distasteful, this is my personal opinion too, Pandora. Also, there’s no Pulitzer or otherwise, because then we would all be Pulitzer Prize finalists? “Art” has heart, this reads like a pile on. I’m also appraising this interview critically.
Joan Didion’s husband is not alive… That is what The Year of Magical Thinking is about. The gentle reminder was intended to suggest that not everything - in this case: Lili’s work, this interview - is going to be for you, just as not everything - one of Joan’s books, in this case - is going to be for Lili. But nobody is having a laugh about her grief, I can’t see that in evidence anywhere. Anyway, these are Lili’s opinions, not mine - I don’t hold a strong opinion on that book myself, I haven’t read it recently enough - and I totally get that you feel very strongly otherwise.
I really liked this book but I do not understand Anolik’s obsession with Caroline Calloway and do not see her pampered ass and dishonesty as similar to Eve— who is authentic and committed to art— at all.
I always say I don't like interviews, but this reminded me that it's all about the questions. So Juicy! I've read 2 of Babibtz' books and have 2 on my shelf. I read my first Didion this month, and didn't love that much. There's something about Eve thats so fun and irreverent, although you can tell she was quite a mess.
Which did you read? I’m reading Sex and Rage and enjoying it (it’s very auto fiction) and going to try Liki’a fave, next? I also need to read myself some more Didion. Pretty sure I’ve only read Slouching and Magical Thinking and a long time ago, at that
hi ochuko! which didion did you read?
100 percent an Eve over here, and wasn’t taken seriously as a 20something journalist because of my peripheral famed friends. Unlike Eve, I wasn’t sleeping with any of them but the damage was done. Eve deserves a better comparison that Caroline, imho.
I think that’s fair, I’ve had quite a few e-mails saying the same — I think Lili was trying to land on someone who isn’t afraid to embrace chaos, mess, fallibility, appetite. It’s actually pretty hard to find a young female writer, in our highly curated age (where there is no tolerance for fucking up/ huge emphasis on cancel culture) who is such…
I’d say Cat Marnell would be closer because she’s actually talented…Carolyn hired a ghostwriter! But obviously Eve was less druggy.
Eve was a drug addict! By her own admission.
Read “How to murder Your Life,” it makes Eve look like a weekend stoner in comparison 🤣 I adore your recommendations, by the by!
I did actually read that, it was chaos
Great interview!
Brilliant.