Her keen insight is finely honed, and her gaze is as clear as ice water. Didion has captured the mood in America. Joan Didion has long been regarded as one of the brightest authors in the USA. The essays and reports collected in this volume from 1982 to 1992 impressively demonstrate this. Whether Joan Didion reports on the Democratic National Convention under Bill Clinton or on a sensational trial in New York City, whether she addresses politics, the media, or show business – her texts always paint a precise picture of the intellectual and cultural climate in America, which remains relevant today. "The best pen of American intellectuals." "Every one of her sentences is precious.".