After Henry (book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Joan Didion |
| Products | Essay collection |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
After Henry, published in 1992, is a collection of essays authored by Joan Didion. Except for two pieces, all essays were later included in the 2006 compilation We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live. The essays titled "Insider Baseball" and "Shooters Inc." are instead found within the Political Fictions segment. In the United Kingdom, the book was released in 1993 by HarperCollins under the title Sentimental Journeys, which takes its name from the concluding essay.
"After Henry"
This essay serves as a personal homage to Henry Robbins, Didion's editor and close friend from 1966 until his passing in 1979. The collection of essays was composed in the aftermath of his death.
Washington
Within this section, two out of three essays were later reissued in the 2001 volume Political Fictions.
"In the Realm of the Fisher King"
This piece examines the leadership approach of Ronald Reagan, emphasizing the roles played by his wife and key advisers. Didion depicts the Reagans as adopting a somewhat detached existence akin to "actors on location" during their time in Sacramento and Washington, residing in housing provided by studios. The essay draws attention to Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan's public relations rhetoric that frames a grand yet indistinct political narrative: "Where brave heroes blank, and during those terrible last days blank..." Originally published in 1989 by The New York Review of Books.
"Insider Baseball"
This essay focuses on the unsuccessful 1988 presidential campaign of Democratic contender Michael Dukakis, highlighting a staged baseball toss on an airport runway designed for media spectacle. Despite skepticism about its authenticity, journalists reported it as genuine news, illustrating campaign optics and political performance. First appeared in the October 27, 1988 edition of The New York Review of Books.
"Shooters Inc."
Written around the time of Bush's victory in the 1988 election, Didion discusses American political tactics involving brief foreign military interventions described as "sideshows," where "other nations function as changeable backdrops within domestic political theater." During Bush’s visit to Israel and Jordan, Jordanian officials were directed to supply a camel for every staged photo session. First published in 1988 by The New York Review of Books.
"Girl of the Golden West"
This essay, composed after Patty Hearst’s 1982 memoir Every Secret Thing, portrays Hearst as a quintessential Californian figure marked by a lack of introspection or historical awareness. Didion underscores this perspective with a quote from a survivor of the Donner Party: "Don't let this letter dishearten anybody, never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can." The theme was revisited by Didion in her 2003 publication Where I Was From. Initially published in 1982 by The New York Review of Books.
"Pacific Distances"
A collection of meditations centered on Didion's experiences with the Pacific region, particularly focusing on the University of California, Berkeley:
- Her cultural adjustment moving from New York to Los Angeles, where she first perceived L.A.'s "absence of narrative" as a loss before understanding narrative itself as sentimental.
- Her involvement at Berkeley as both a writing student (1954) and later an instructor (1975).
- The history surrounding Berkeley’s experimental TRIGA nuclear reactor alongside Didion’s early awareness of living through the atomic age.
- Details about the laser project at Livermore Labs, also known for nuclear weapons development.
- An extended residence in Honolulu amid a garbage strike in 1980.
- Insights from Hong Kong, where approximately 300,000 refugees from the Vietnam War sought asylum during the late 1970s before being forcibly returned to Vietnam in 1991.
Parts originally appeared in New West (1979) and as "Letter from Los Angeles" in The New Yorker (1989).
"Los Angeles Days"
First issued in 1988 in The New Yorker under the title "Letter from Los Angeles."
"Down at City Hall"
Explores the enduring political career of Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, elected five times, focusing on his dealings with property developers and the roles that racial prejudice and anti-Semitism played during his last electoral contest against a Jewish rival. Originally published in 1989 in The New Yorker as "Letter from Los Angeles."
"L.A. Noir"
Details a homicide trial connecting Hollywood figures with Colombia drug trafficking organizations: the spouse of an alleged high-ranking dealer stood accused of murdering a minor film producer. The dispute centered on expected earnings from The Cotton Club, involving producer Robert Evans, lending the case a subtle celebrity dimension. Two individuals charged as accomplices were bodyguards linked to Larry Flynt. Speculation arose that this story might be adapted into literature or film. Didion underscores how all involved parties were motivated by unrealized ambitions—from criminals aiming for a share in a failing project to prosecutors and journalists eager to glamorize an obscure crime within Hollywood’s spotlight.
First published in 1989 in The New Yorker as "Letter from Los Angeles."
"Fire Season"
Focuses on southern California’s recurring wildfire period, emphasizing the impact of the Santa Ana winds and the transformative effect fire has on the region’s environment and mindset.
First appeared in 1989 in The New Yorker as "Letter from Los Angeles."
"Times Mirror Square"
Provides a historical overview of the Los Angeles Times newspaper.
First published in 1990 in The New Yorker as "Letter from Los Angeles."
"Sentimental Journeys"
Investigates the 1989 Central Park jogger incident as a lens to examine racial discord and entrenched corruption in New York, perpetuated by emotionally charged narratives. Didion contrasts reportage between white-owned and black-owned media outlets, also comparing coverage with cases involving black victims.
Originally published in 1991 in The New York Review of Books.
Book cover
The front cover of After Henry displays a nighttime image of Central Park’s 102nd Street Transverse, also known as the Jogger's Transverse, where the Central Park Jogger case occurred.