Occurred to me today that any number of decisions I make can be solved by simply asking, "what would Joan Didion do?"

This photo's pretty good but the one that really haunts is the one used on both "The White Album" and "Play it As it Lays." That picture is singularly responsible for the creation of my obsession with the perfect fitting black t-shirt paired with jeans and a modernity that's more feminine stoicism and steely reserve than shiny pretty open clean lines.

Having a nervous breakdown? "What would Joan Didion do?" Fly to Hawaii and work it out by watching the decline of an upper class sanctuary.

Can't face the world? "What would Joan Didion do?" Put on a giant pair of sunglasses and let her hair hide the rest of her face lips sufficiently pursed you wonder why women ever began injecting silicone.

Good god, just look at her. Ratty grey sweatshirt. Lank hair. Smoking that cigarette. And she's untouchable.

What would Joan Didion do?