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Sculpture built in Sacramento to memorialize Joan Didion

The sculpture will be called the Sacramento Room Joan Didion Sculpture and will later be presented to the Sacramento Central Library.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A sculpture has been crafted to memorialize Sacramento author Joan Didion's life.

The sculpture will be called the Sacramento Room Joan Didion Sculpture, and later, will be presented to the Sacramento Central Library, according to the Sacramento Historical Society.

Although in the design phase, nationally renowned sculptor Lisa Reinertson will be hosting a design presentation of the sculpture Tuesday night. Reinertson will also be presenting an overview of her previous ceramic and public artworks. 

On December 23, 2021, Joan Didion passed away at the age of 87 from complications of Parkinson's Disease. 

Didion picked up a love of reading and writing at a young age, which was extremely helpful in her professional and personal life. She graduated from McClatchy High School and attended Sacramento City College before attending University of California, Berkeley and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She also went to Manhattan to pursue a career at Vogue Magazine

After writing for Vogue Magazine for seven years, Didion got homesick and decided to write her first novel, "Run, River," about the dynamics of a family in Sacramento.

After writing her first novel, she continued to write more and more, publishing nonfiction books and essays. One book that had the heaviest impact was "The Year of Magical Thinking," which was a direct response to the death of her husband and their daughter's illness. The illness later caused their daughter to pass away.

Throughout her works, Didion was a personal writer. She always incorporated Sacramento or other local cities and would often add her own emotions and memories to make the story hers. 

Now, Didion is getting a life-sized statue sculpted in dedication to her life and her life story. The sculpture will capture Didion seated with a pen with her arms folded. 

Credit: Lisa Reinertson
Model of sculpture of Joan Didion
Credit: Lisa Reinertson
Sketch of sculpture of Joan Didion

The installation of the life-sized sculpture at Sacramento Central Library will happen later this year. 

WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Revered author and Sacramento native Joan Didion dies at 87

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