Joan Didion Knew the Stories We’d Tell About the Manson Murders

Joan Didion was a prolific writer known for her sharp wit, keen observations, and unflinching honesty. In 1969, she was assigned to cover the trial of Charles Manson and his followers for the New York Review of Books. The resulting essay, “The White Album,” would become a seminal work in the true crime genre and a haunting exploration of the dark underbelly of 1960s counterculture.

Didion’s writing on the Manson murders is a masterclass in journalistic storytelling. She eschews sensationalism and instead focuses on the banal details of the case – the dingy apartments, the aimless drifters, the broken dreams. Through her meticulous reporting and incisive analysis, Didion reveals the Manson family not as monstrous aberrations, but as products of a society in turmoil.

What sets Didion’s writing apart is her ability to see beyond the headlines and capture the zeitgeist of the era. She understood that the Manson murders were not just a random act of violence, but a reflection of the anxieties and contradictions of the 1960s. In her essay, she writes, “I was meant to know the story before it happened. I was meant to see it as a tale already told.”

Indeed, Didion seemed to anticipate the ways in which the Manson murders would be mythologized and sensationalized in the years to come. She saw how the media would transform the killers into antiheroes, how the public would be mesmerized by their depravity. And yet, she resisted the urge to sensationalize or glorify the violence, choosing instead to focus on the human cost of the tragedy.

In the decades since the Manson murders, countless books, films, and documentaries have been made about the case. But none have captured the essence of the tragedy quite like Didion’s essay. Her words are a haunting reminder of the power of storytelling – and the ways in which we shape and are shaped by the stories we tell.

Joan Didion’s writing on the Manson murders is a testament to her keen insight, her unflinching honesty, and her unwavering commitment to truth. Through her work, she reminds us that behind every sensational headline, there are real lives, real tragedies, and real stories waiting to be told. And it is up to us to listen, to bear witness, and to remember.