Photograph of Joan Didion in the Vogue Art Department, c. 1958. Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library
Title: “Up Close and Personal”: The Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne papers at The New York Public Library
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 5th; 5:45PM Tour begins promptly at 6:00PM
Capacity: 25
Admission: Free! (Open to the ART Members and Non-members)
Location: New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Marshall Rose Plaza entrance, located on West 40th street between 5th and 6th Ave (see below for more information)
Join the staff of The New York Public Library for a behind-the-scenes look at the Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne papers, which opened to the public in March 2025. Selections from the collection will be displayed that showcase the breadth and detail of the collection, which offers an intimate view into the minds and process of two towering figures in American letters. Hear from the curators, processing archivists, and public service teams who worked closely together to open these incredible papers for public use.
This is an in-person event limited to 25 attendees. Registration is non-transferable. Please note that you MUST reserve a ticket in advance online in order to attend this event.
In the occasion that the event is sold out, we highly recommend joining the waitlist. An ART staff member will reach out to you if a spot becomes available. Unless you've been given permission, please do not show up at the event without registering.
How to find the Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne Papers at the NYPL
The collection is located in the New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The building is easily accessible by most major MTA subway lines that travel to 42nd St, including the B, D, F, M, 4, 5, 6, 7, N, Q, and R.
Meeting location
Attendees will meet an NYPL staff member at the Marshall Rose Plaza entrance, located on 40th street between 5th and 6th Ave, at 5:45PM. Those arriving late can proceed directly to the Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Room 328, located at the north end of the Rose Main Reading Room on the third floor.
About
The archive of Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne was made publicly available on March 26, 2025. Comprised of 336 boxes of items, most of which have never been seen publicly, the archive represents the most comprehensive collection of the authors’ materials, containing candid photos of Didion and Dunne’s childhoods and early careers, courtship and marriage, family and social life; drafts of over two dozen co-written screenplays that reveal their collaborative writing and editing process; and correspondence spanning six decades with important figures, including Margaret Atwood, Nora Ephron, Diane Keaton, Justice Anthony Kennedy, Jacqueline Onassis, Philip Roth, and Tennessee Williams.
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Please note that by registering and attending this event/webinar, you automatically grant your consent to be photographed and/ or video-recorded and to the release, publication, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc. and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news, newsletters, Metropolitan Archivist, and advertising.
