Joan Didion

To the Editor:
It was evening of the third day of fires whipped by the infamous Santa Ana winds. It felt like sunset on another planet as I saw a truck drive slowly by with a driver staring up at the palm tree in our front yard.
Later, there was a knock on the door. I answered. It was the truck driver. He offered to buy the palm tree in our front yard.
There was an eerie silence as I stood there in the orange smoky haze, ashes falling like snow on Mercury, and blinked two or maybe three times.
By motivation, this had absolutely nothing to do with the fire — it just seemed like something that would happen in Southern California.
As I quietly closed the door, I thought about Joan Didion; she would understand this.

Tom Impelluso
San Diego, Oct. 24, 2007
New York Times

If it seems my blog is becoming a blog about palm trees - that may be the case but it is not my intention. The intersection of the fire, palm trees and Joan Didion in this letter was just too good to not post here.