Hollywood, Scripture, and Politics: Joan Didion and the Power of Story (Alissa Wilkinson) Ep. #207

What do Hollywood, Joan Didion, and the Bible have in common?

More than you’d expect. In this episode, New York Times film critic and author Alissa Wilkinson joins Dru Johnson to discuss the life, work, and worldview of Joan Didion, one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century. Wilkinson’s new book, We Tell Ourselves Stories, explores how Didion made sense of chaos through narrative—and what her work reveals about faith, trauma, politics, and cultural memory.

Together, Alissa and Dru explore Didion’s insight that stories are not just entertainment; they are survival mechanisms, tools we use to impose order on a chaotic world. But is that all Scripture is—just another human-made narrative? Wilkinson offers a careful reflection on the limits and power of storytelling, showing how Didion’s work can challenge both Christian belief and secular mythmaking.

They also dive into conspiracy theories, the fusion of politics and Hollywood, and the rise of nostalgia as a cultural sickness. From John Wayne to 9/11 to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this episode traces the invisible threads between the stories we inherit and the truths we cling to.

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Chapters:

00:00 Exploring Joan Didion's Influence
02:10 The Chaos of Life and Storytelling
05:08 The Impact of California on Didion's Work
08:15 Didion's Perspective on Conspiracy Theories
11:24 Hollywood's Political Landscape and Didion's Critique
14:26 The Intersection of Politics and Entertainment
17:29 Didion's Views on Feminism and Fixed Ideas
20:26 The Role of Nostalgia in Storytelling
23:24 The Modern Political Narrative
26:17 Conspiracies and Their Impact on Society
29:27 The Nature of Truth in Storytelling
32:10 Didion's Legacy in Film and Media
35:20 The Future of Storytelling in Politics