There's one essay, "On Keeping a Notebook", in Slouching Towards Bethlehem where Didion tells us a little bit about what her notebooks look like. She shrugs off the idea of diary-keeping, of cataloguing one's day or feelings. Her notebooks are instead a collection of things noticed, and this is essentially South and West. Because her final products are so sharp and polished, this was a novel peek into Didion's process of noticing and connecting the dots. Some of the dots aren't connected yet, but are just laid in front of us. To her, though, the South and West of the USA are powerful places and she presents them as such. This collection of experiences and ideas is a fascinating look into the pulse of America. It's also a very short, quick read, at 126 uncrowded pages. Obviously worthwhile.