Joan Didion's Books, Sunglasses, and Writing Desk On Sale

Hudson, NY - Stair announces the fall auction An American Icon: Property from the Collection  of Joan Didion to take place on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 11am. The single-owner sale will include  Ms. Didion’s fine art collection, furniture, decorations and books from her Upper East Side apartment.

Joan Didion’s career as a writer and influential critic of American culture began when she burst onto the  scene in the 1960s as a new and distinctive literary voice. Married to writer John Dunne, the couple lived  a bicoastal life in New York and California, frequenting both the Hollywood glamour scene and the East  Coast literati and art worlds. The influence of both places can be felt throughout Didion’s writing, as well  as in the collection of art and objects she lived with.

Highlights in the sale include works by Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Brice Marden, Ed Ruscha, Jennifer  Bartlett, Vija Celmins and Patti Smith. Also included is a selection of photographs of Joan Didion  by Brigitte Lacombe, Annie Liebovitz, Mary Ellen Mark and Julian Wasser. Furnishings and decorations from  Didion’s apartment include a large partner’s desk from California, a Late Regency Pembroke table, an  American writing desk, silver, porcelain and collectibles amassed by the Didion-Dunnes on their travels,  and objects gifted to them by artists and writers. A selection of books and ephemera will also be included.

“We are thrilled to be offering property from the collection of Joan Didion at auction. It is an honor to  be in the home where one of America’s great writers lived and worked, and to curate a sale of her fine  art and personal property.” said Colin Stair, President of Stair.

Proceeds from the sale will benefit patient care and research of Parkinson’s and other movement disorders  at Columbia University, and the Sacramento Historical Society for the benefit of Sacramento City College scholarship for women in literature.

Auction catalogue available at www.stairgalleries.com. Gallery  exhibition opens Friday, November 4, 2022 at 549 Warren Street, Hudson, NY.