Joan Didion’s Private Therapy Notes to Be Published: Ethical Concerns Arise

LOS ANGELES, California — The literary world is abuzz with the announcement that Joan Didion‘s private therapy notes will be published later this year, sparking ethical debates about posthumous publications. Didion, a celebrated journalist and author, began documenting her psychiatry sessions in December 1999, addressing her struggles with substance abuse, mental health, and personal relationships to her late husband, John Gregory Dunne.

These previously undisclosed notes, found in an unmarked file folder shortly after Didion’s death in 2021, are slated for release under the title Notes to John. The literary executors, including Didion’s longtime editor and close associates, have chosen to publish all 46 entries with minimal editing.

According to the UK publisher 4th Estate, the notes offer critical insights into Didion’s exploration of recurring themes in her later works, such as grief and identity, particularly in The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights. However, the decision has raised questions about the appropriateness of sharing deeply personal material that Didion herself did not intend for public scrutiny.

A close friend of Didion, who spoke anonymously, expressed sadness over the impending publication: ‘While I understand the public’s interest in her work, the publication of these pages feels like a tremendous betrayal of her privacy. Joan was deliberate in what she shared with the world.’

Dr. Rod Rosenquist, an ethics lecturer at the University of Northampton, noted the cultural significance of Didion’s letters: ‘There’s a kind of ownership that comes with celebrity, where the public demands greater access to the inner lives of such figures.’ He acknowledged the tension between public demand and personal privacy, highlighting that Didion’s carefully organized notes suggest she was aware they could be discovered.

Despite the legal rights of the executors to publish the notes, many, including family and friends of Didion, feel that the personal nature of her therapy writings deserves protection. According to another source close to Didion, ‘The general sentiment is one of disappointment. It seems that what she deemed private should remain so.’

While the release date has not yet been confirmed, Notes to John is expected to be a significant publication in 2025, furthering interest in Didion’s literary legacy. The ethical implications, however, will likely continue to be deliberated among her readers and scholars. Paul Bogaards, a spokesperson for the Didion Dunne Literary Trust, commented that they would not be providing further statements on the issue.