So You’ve Read The New Joan Didion Book…

Former Monster Children editor, and sometime contributor to Surfing World, Mr. Jason Crombie has “Joan Didion” tattooed on his arm. If you’re familiar with Jason, you’ll know he’s a very good writer with good taste in literature. Now, the great Joan Didion is a writer worth reading for many, many reasons, but Crombie being obsessed enough with her work to have her name etched permanently into his skin is the worst reason, and it’s the one we’ll take here. The Year of Magical Thinking, published in 2004, is Didion’s recount of the year following the sudden death of her husband. It’s beautiful and sad and thoughtful and profound and all the things you’d expect of one of the world’s greatest writers focussing her attention on one of life’s most difficult inevitabilities, its end. It’s required reading for anyone who will face death in their lifetime, ie, everyone (except for me and Kelly Slater, we’re gonna live forever). – penguinrandomhouse.com