December 5 marks writer Joan Didion's seventy-ninth birthday. Didion's life thus far has been extraordinary. An accomplished writer and editor, Didion has held her pen to everything from novel to essay, magazine feature to screenplay. She has mastered the art of turning the tragedy and heartbreak found in life into something beautiful, as exhibited by her two most recent works; The Year of Magical Thinking captures the time immediately following the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne; Blue Nights shares in intimate and exquisite detail all of Didion's fears and thoughts leading up to the birth -- and following the death -- of her only daughter, Quintana Roo.

As we celebrate the life and career of one of today's most talented writers on her seventy-ninth birthday, we invite you to join in the celebration by listening to an audio excerpt from Blue Nights, narrated by Kimberly Farr.