Famed American journalist, essayist, and novelist Joan Didion, author of The Year of Magical Thinking, has been scheduled to appear in place of the late John Updike (3/18/32-1/27/09).All tickets purchased for the Updike event will be honored for the May 12 event featuring Joan Didion. Novelist, essayist and screenwriter Joan Didion has been an incisive observer of American politics and culture for more than forty-five years. Her distinctive prose has earned her an honored place in the canon of American literature and the admiration of generations of writers and journalists. Her latest book, The Year of Magical Thinking, won the National Book Award and has been adapted into a successful Broadway play.