Joan Didion opened The White Album (1979) with what would become an iconic line: “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Today this phrase is deployed inspirationally, printed on T-shirts and posters, and used as a battle cry for artists and writers. But Didion had something much less rosy in mind: our tendency to manufacture delusions to ward away our anxieties whenever society seems to be spinning off its axis. And nowhere was this collective hallucination more effectively crafted than in Hollywood. Alissa Wilkinson examines Joan Didion’s influence through the lens of American myth-making. As a young girl, Didion was infatuated with John Wayne and his on-screen bravado, and was fascinated by her California pioneer ancestry and the infamous Donner Party. The mythos that preoccupied her early years continued to influence her work as a magazine writer and film critic in New York, offering glimmers of the many stories Didion told herself that would eventually unravel. Wilkinson traces Didion’s journey from New York to her arrival in Hollywood as a screenwriter at the twilight of the old studio system. Didion became embroiled in the glitz and glamor of the Los Angeles elite, where she acutely observed―and denounced―how the nation’s fears and dreams were sensationalized on screen. Meanwhile, she paid the bills writing movie scripts like A Star Is Born, while her books propelled her to personal fame. Join us in-person to hear Wilkinson dissect the cinematic motifs and machinations that informed Didion’s writing, detail Hollywood’s addictive grasp on the American imagination, and delve into Didion’s legacy, whose impact will be felt for generations. SPEAKERS Alissa Wilkinson, Film Critic, The New York Times; Author, We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine In Conversation with Kevin Smokler, Writer; Documentary Filmmaker George Hammond, Author, Conversations With Socrates 5 p.m. doors open & check-in
5:30–6:30 p.m program
(all times Pacific Time)

Information Source: The Commonwealth Club World Affairs | eventbrite

San Francisco

United States

Searching for information and tickets regarding Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club taking place in San Francisco on Mar 18, 2025 (UTC-8)? Trip.com has you covered. Check the dates, itineraries, and other information about Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club now! Trip.com has also prepared more similar exciting activities and discounted flight and hotel packages.

Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club: Tickets, Dates & Itineraries | Trip.com

Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club

Embarcadero

Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | Trip.com

null | Trip.com

Spread the word! Share your result with friends and discover their opinions!

bright views

It&#39;s a huge port and there&#39;s The Marketplace where you can have get food while waiting for your ferry.

The Fairmont Heritage Place Ghirardelli Square

Near Lombard Street|Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

Four Seasons Hotel Embarcadero

Near Union Square|San Francisco Downtown, San Francisco

Fisherman's Wharf

Water Fun Attractions

Night view

ryne.srj

a lot of sea lions! a must see place in san francisco! should get a sea lion plushie as well as a gift!

Alcatraz Island

Book now for tomorrow

Historic buildings

一數

Alcatraz Island is a stone island in San Francisco Bay, close to the Golden Gate, facing the old town of San Francisco, the scenery around the island is very beautiful. Because the water around the island is very deep and the water flow is very fast, the island used to be a prison. The island, which held the most famous and dangerous prisoners in the United States in the last century, became famous, and Hollywood made movies, and now it is a San Francisco Bay attraction.

California Academy of Sciences

Immediate access

Book now for today

Best Things to Do

Museums

Science & technology museums

mflores

if you love science this is a place to go it was so amazing you can learn a lot of stuff there my kids love it and so do I I&#39;m great customer service

Golden Gate Park

Family-Friendly Attractions

112***09

This is a relatively large park near the Golden Gate Bridge, called Golden Gate Park. Most tourists will not go to this attraction specifically, but since we are traveling independently, we can visit it in a more relaxed manner. The environment design of this park is unparalleled and it is worth checking out.

Lombard Street

泰迪小熊

Came here on September 24, 2017.

This attraction is unique, beautiful and interesting, and is definitely one of the must-see attractions when visiting San Francisco.

Lombard Street is actually a section of Lombard Street, located between Hyde Street and Leavenworth Street. This section of the road is a steep slope, but it is designed into eight hairpin turns, and flowers are planted on both sides of the road.

If you need to take a nine-turn effect, you must stand on Leavenworth Street, which is low in terrain.

Chinese people can drive in the western United States where San Francisco is located with a translated driver&#39;s license. If you can drive in San Francisco, you might as well go and experience the feeling of driving through Lombard Street yourself.

Time:	Mar 18, 2025 (UTC-8) ENDED
Location:	The Commonwealth Club

Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club

Details

Vote

Are you interested in Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine?

Recommended Products for Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club

Embarcadero

The Fairmont Heritage Place Ghirardelli Square

Four Seasons Hotel Embarcadero

Fisherman's Wharf

Alcatraz Island

California Academy of Sciences

Golden Gate Park

Lombard Street

Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club

Details

Vote

Are you interested in Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine?

Recommended Products for Alissa Wilkinson: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine | The Commonwealth Club

Embarcadero

The Fairmont Heritage Place Ghirardelli Square

Four Seasons Hotel Embarcadero

Fisherman's Wharf

Alcatraz Island

California Academy of Sciences

Golden Gate Park

Lombard Street

More contents about San Francisco