[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 20]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 27509-27510]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR AND TRIBUTE OF JOAN DIDION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 18, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of 
Joan Didion, established author, wife and mother. Her current novel, 
The Year of Magical Thinking, traces her journey through one year after 
her husband's sudden death and her daughter's grave illness.

[[Page 27510]]

  Joan Didion was born in Sacramento, California and graduated from the 
University of California at Berkeley. Didion is the author of five 
novels and eight books of non-fiction. Her distinguished works and 
publications were collected into Slouching Towards Bethlehem released 
in 1968 and The White Album in 1979. These books established Didion's 
name as an author and observer of American politics and culture with 
deepening personal reflections mixed with analysis.
  Didion married John Gregory Dunne, also an established writer, in 
1964 and together they had a daughter, Quintana. The family lived in 
California until moving to New York City in 1988. In 2003, their family 
was shocked to learn that Quintana had a fatal illness. Months after 
learning their daughter's bad news, John suddenly died.
  They had just returned home from visiting their daughter in the 
hospital. Joan later learned her husband died of a massive coronary 
attack. Unable to bear with the grief that settled in, Joan began 
writing what turned into her latest book, The Year of Magical Thinking. 
This book chronicles her feelings and memories after John's death and 
the sickness of her daughter. Sadly, even after a brief recovery, 
Quintana died months after Joan finished the book.
  Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in recognizing Joan Didion 
on her accomplishments as a writer and her courage as a grieving wife 
and mother. Her unwavering strength during difficult times should be an 
inspiration to all of us.

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