Exploring the Complex Relationship Between Joan Didion and Eve Babitz

Lili Anolik's book "Didion & Babitz" explores the contrasting personas and literary legacies of Joan Didion and Eve Babitz, two iconic writers associated with Los Angeles. The book examines how both authors cultivated their public images and brands, often through social networking, and how their careers intersected. Anolik's narrative, which includes newly discovered letters and personal anecdotes, attempts to portray Didion and Babitz as two halves of American womanhood, though it sometimes reduces their complexities to simplistic binaries. The book also reflects on Anolik's role in reviving Babitz's literary reputation.