We tell ourselves stories in order to live.
为了生存，我们讲述。——琼•狄迪恩
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★美国国家图书奖、美国国家人文奖章得主，当代现象级女作家琼•狄迪恩——她在精神上塑造了当代的美国女性！
奥巴马总统亲自为她颁发“国家人文奖章”，称她是“美国政治和文化至为尖锐和值得尊敬的观察家”。她的文字鼓 舞了几代美国女性的思想与精神。
★蒋方舟微博力荐：“她让我知道，真实是抵御逆境最好的方式，能让人在混乱中依然保持清醒。”
★《纽约时报》重磅推荐；《纽约时报》书评人、普利策奖得主角谷美智子力荐的十大好书。
读来令人心碎。这是对失去的热切追索，跟死亡与时间的悲伤斡旋。——《纽约时报》
★《鱼翅与花椒》《当呼吸化为空气》译者何雨珈，历时一年精心译作。“让思绪宣泄，去表达感情，如此大概就是对身边人最好的爱。”
★美国版《我们仨》，《奇想之年》姊妹篇，一本献给挚爱的告别之书。
琼•狄迪恩唯一的女儿因病突然离世，悲痛之余，她以文字记录与女儿的点滴回忆，以此与挚爱道别，获得走出悲伤的力量。她说，我们需要学会接受失去，就像接受偶尔的急流旋涡和每日的潮起潮落。
★图书装帧 “金衣奖”设计师山川操刀，雅致双封，随书赠送波普主题大幅海报。
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蓝夜将尽，夏日已去。
本书是琼•狄迪恩的代表作，为了纪念逝去的女儿，她写就此书。
狄迪恩在书中探寻生与死、情感与自我之间的关联：是否我们从根本上无法互相了解，甚至对彼此一无所知？是否因为我们的不同，使我对你的痛苦甚至离去的预兆置若罔闻？是否即便没有生死的阻隔，我们也不曾真正亲密？
关于失去，关于悲伤，关于幸与不幸，关于婚姻、孩子和记忆，关于人们愿意或不愿面对的一切……她说，我们需要学会接受失去，就像接受偶尔的急流旋涡和每日的潮起潮落。

In Fixed Ideas Joan Didion describes how, since September 11, 2001, there has been a determined effort by the administration to promote an imperial America --a "New Unilateralism"-- and how, in many parts of America, there is now a "disconnect" between the government and citizens.
"[Americans] recognized even then [immediately after 9/11], with flames still visible in lower Manhattan, that the words 'bipartisanship' and 'national unity' had come to mean acquiescence to the administration's preexisting agenda --for example the imperative for further tax cuts, the necessity for Arctic drilling, the systematic elimination of regulatory and union protections, even the funding for the missile shield."
Frank Rich in his preface notes: "The reassuring point of the fixed ideas was to suppress other ideas that might prompt questions or fears about either the logic or hidden political agendas of those conducting what CNN branded as 'America's New War.'"
He adds, "This White House is famously secretive and on-message, but its skills go beyond that. It knows the power of narrative, especially a single narrative with clear-cut heroes and evildoers, and it knows how to drown out any distracting subplots before they undermine the main story."
Book and cover design by Milton Glaser, Inc.

圣诞节前的几天，约翰和狄迪恩夫妇看着女儿金塔纳病倒了，被送进重症监护病房。在新年夜的前一晚，夫妇俩从医院探望女儿归来，坐在桌边准备吃饭时，约翰突发了致命的冠心病。就在一瞬间，狄迪恩失去了共同生活四十年的丈夫…这本充满力量的纪实作品，记录了狄迪恩生命中艰难的一年，讲述内心 的痛苦和无助，展现一个人历劫后的重生与成长。本书被推崇为“伤恸文学的经典之作”，曾获美国国家图书奖 ，是美国当代作家琼·迪迪安垂暮之年的真情告白，除了哀伤动人的回忆外，还有许多对于生命的思考。