We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live
We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live: Collected Nonfiction is a 2006 collection of nonfiction by Joan Didion. It was released in the Everyman's Library, a series of reprinted classic literature, as one of the titles chosen to mark the series' 100th anniversary.[1] The title is taken from the opening line of Didion's essay "The White Album" in the book of the same name. We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live includes the full content of her first seven volumes of nonfiction. The contents range in style, including journalism, memoir, and cultural and political commentary.
 First edition | |
| Author | Joan Didion |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Julian Wasser |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Everyman's Library |
| Genre | Essays |
| Publisher | Knopf |
Publication date | 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 1122 pp |
| ISBN | 0-307-26487-4 |
| OCLC | 64594439 |
Critics noted that Didion's distinct literary voice, highlighted by John Leonard's introduction, is apparent throughout the collection. The Chicago Tribune review stated "even the slightest [of her work] tends to have at least a moment when her prose somehow modulates ... transfigures ... kicks the whole thing up a level."[2]
Contents
- Introduction by John Leonard
- Slouching Towards Bethlehem (originally published 1968)
- The White Album (1979)
- Salvador (1983)
- Miami (1987)
- After Henry (1992)
- Political Fictions (2001)
- Where I Was From (2003)
References
- Hale, Julie. Book review. Published December 2006. Accessed November 18, 2014.
- McLemee, Scott. Book review. Chicago Tribune. Published November 30, 2006. Accessed November 18, 2014.