Status Updates From South and West: From a Note...

It has taken Didion 24 chapters of notes on the south to discuss one woman she even remotely respected, which seemingly is only because the woman flagrantly disapproved of what other southern women deem important (vanity, cooking, homemaking). There is nothing more to their existence, I suppose!

Equally peculiar, it took her 24 chapters of a 29 chapter book before she even began a discussion on church on Sundays.

“I was underwater, in some real sense, the whole month.”

As someone born and raised in the south, I am trying not to take offense from the fact that while Didion was doing research in Alabama, she refused to drive to a town with an airport because she knew she would get on a plane and leave immediately and never return.

As someone who’s been to Alabama, I get it.

Her views of the south are entertaining, but do range on haughty, and in the worst cases, tip toe close to blatant classism. Even so, I love Didion’s way of beautifully criticizing.