Joan Didion

In this footage from an interview with NBC's Tom Brokaw in the 1970s, Joan Didion, who is shown with her late husband John Gregory Dunne, talks about the power of writing ("It's the only aggressive act I have") and her love of California ("I'm not sure I could work in a city"). Of course, Didion moved to New York City in 1988 and has lived there ever since. Near the end of the clip, watch Didion's poignant response to Brokaw's question about her optimism about the future.