Joan Didion is an American novelist, essayist, and screenwriter. She is best known for her novels and essays exploring the disintegration of American morals and cultural chaos. Her works include 'Play It As It Lays' (1970), 'A Book of Common Prayer' (1977), and 'The Last Thing He Wanted' (1996). Didion's first novel, 'Run River' (1963), was written under the pseudonym 'Sally Dunne'. Her second novel, 'Play It As It Lays' (1970), was adapted into a film in 1972. Her third novel, 'A Book of Common Prayer' (1977), was adapted into a film in 1978. Her fourth novel, 'DEMOCRACY' (1984), was adapted into a television miniseries in 1985. Her fifth novel, 'The Last Thing He Wanted' (1996), was adapted into a film in 2020. Didion's sixth novel, 'The Year of Magical Thinking' (2005), was adapted into a play in 2007. Her seventh novel, 'Blue Nights' (2011), was adapted into a documentary in 2012. Didion's eighth novel, 'South and West: From a Notebook' (2017), was adapted into a film in 2018. Lastly, Didion's ninth novel, 'The Santa Ana: The Devil's Wind' (2020), was adapted into a film in 2021.