Synchronicity

On Saturday I finished reading Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, which amongst other things is about the darkness that exists in California, and there’s one particular essay (so many good ones) about Sacramento and it’s peculiarities. I can’t tell you what it’s called, I’ve already returned the book to the library.

The reason I went to the library, and happened to return Slouching (which is so good by the way) was to pick up the copy of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara that I’d ordered as an interlibrary loan.

This book had piqued my interest because I’d read an essay her husband, Patton Oswalt, had written about being a single father to their seven-year-old daughter after Michelle died in her sleep in 2016 at the age of 41.

Also because I’d heard on The Daily podcast about how the Golden State Killer had finally been found in April this year (he’d started raping women in the 1970s), and that Michelle had been writing a book about it when she died.

But anyway, the Golden State Killer did his deeds in California – Sacramento amongst the placed he ransacked, raped and murdered for decades without being caught.

And it was fascinating to read Michelle’s portrayal of Sacramento, having just read Didion’s accounts.  The context.  And utter synchronicity.  Of all the books in all the world, I read those two in succession.

I highly recommend both books.  It took me Saturday afternoon and a few hours Sunday morning to read I’ll Be Gone.  Banning the kids’ devices and then enforcing the same rule on myself really helped me with my reading time 😉

I look forward to borrowing more of Didion’s (ALL of Didion’s!) and think I’d like to base a character on her, she’s fascinating.  I’ve also read The Year of Magical Thinking, Blue Nights, and A Book of Common Prayer by her.  And watched the documentary, The Centre Will Not Hold.  She’s been referred to by my uni tutors too.

I would love to read an account of the life of Joe DeAngelo too – the Golden State Killer.  Michelle had a true-crime blog which I’ll look up 🙂  True Crime Diary, I think.