“Until now I had been able only to grieve, not mourn. Grief was passive. Grief happened. Mourning, the act of dealing with grief, required attention.”

American writer and journalist of the late 20th century, Didion’s work is defined by its sharp, unflinching prose and exploration of cultural disorientation. She is best known for her essays on California’s shifting identity, her memoir *The Year of Magical Thinking* on grief, and her novel *Play It As It Lays*, which dissects existential detachment.