美国国家公共电台 NPR--Writer Joan Didion's possessions sell for eye-popping prices at auction

Writer Joan Didion's possessions sell for eye-popping prices at auction¹

Transcript²

A pair of faux tortoiseshell sunglasses worn by Joan Didion in a Celine ad sold for $27,000 Wednesday, one of a number of items fetching eye-popping prices at an auction of the late author's furniture, books and household items

The auction, at Stair Galleries in Hudson, N.Y., netted nearly $2 million, with even ordinary possessions selling for many times the galleries' estimated price, evidence of the continuing fascination³ with Didion's life and works.

Didion and her husband, author John Gregory Dunne, were friends with many actors, writers and artists, and the auction included signed works by Richard Diebenkorn, Richard Serra, Jennifer Bartlett and Annie Leibovitz.

A lithograph⁴ by artist Cy Twombly sold for $50,000, nearly ten times the estimated price, while a Diebenkorn work fetched $85,000.

Even more surprising were the prices fetched for a number of routine possessions, for no apparent reason other than their connection to Didion and Dunne.

A pair of leather wastebaskets went for $5,500, a Random⁵ House dictionary for $11,000. A group of desk items, including scissors, a box of pens and a clipboard, brought in $4,250. A collection of seashells went for $7,000.

A small desk clock estimated to be worth no more than $200 ended up going for $35,000, while a silver Revere-style bowl engraved⁶ with the monogram⁷ JJD and thought to be worth no more than $350 sold for $30,000, nearly 100 times the galleries' estimate.

The item fetching the most money was an oil painting of Didion done by a fan, based on the book jacket cover for her novel A Book of Common Prayer. Didion hung it in a prominent place in the New York City apartment she shared with Dunne and was sometimes photographed near it. It sold for $110,000.

The high prices come at a time when Didion's popularity is surging. During her decades-long career, she was a much-feted and very influential⁸ author, turning out screenplays, best-selling novels and several much-admired books of essays.

But since her death last December at age 87, her popularity has only seemed to grow, especially among young people, said Lisa Thomas, Stair's director of fine arts.

"This young generation of 20- and 30-somethings who are really interested in what was happening culturally, artistically⁹, in the late 60s and 70s, they're all interested in her and they're all reading her anew," Thomas said.

"There are a lot of amazing writers from that period, but Didion seems to be the one that has really persisted. People carry around tote bags in New York City with Joan Didion's face on it," said Kelly Burdick, executive editor of the literary magazine Lapham's Quarterly.

Burdick was one of thousands of people who turned out to see the items being sold in the days leading up to the auction.

"It's so incredible to be in this space. To see it all. But just being here is goosebump inducing," said Ellie Reid, 30, one recent afternoon. She had taken the day off from her job in Vermont and driven more than three hours to see the exhibition.

"I have all her books, and there are a couple that I leave one chapter unread because I don't want to finish reading her and there's not going to be anything else after that."

Among the most poignant¹⁰ items sold yesterday was the small drop-leaf table where Dunne was sitting when he had a fatal heart attack in 2003, an event Didion wrote about in her much-celebrated treatise¹¹ on grief, The Year of Magical Thinking. It sold for $4,250.

Didion suffered from Parkinson's disease, and proceeds from the sale will go to Parkinson's research and care at Columbia University and Columbia/Presbyterian Hospital, as well as to the Sacramento Historical Society, for the benefit of a scholarship fund for women writers at Sacramento City College.

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

4 lithograph   

n.平板印刷，平板画；v.用平版印刷

参考例句：

• Lithograph was introduced from China to Europe.印刷术是从中国传入欧洲的。
• Cole printed 1,000 of the cards on a lithograph stone before having them hand-colored.科尔随即用石版印刷了1000张，之后又让人给这些卡手工着色。

5 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

6 engraved   

v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）

参考例句：

• The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 monogram   

n.字母组合

参考例句：

• There was a monogram in the corner in which were the initials"R.K.B.".原来手帕角上有个图案，其中包含着RKB三个字母。
• When we get married I don't have to change the monogram on my luggage.当我们结婚后，我连皮箱上的字母也不用改。

8 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

9 artistically   

adv.艺术性地

参考例句：

• The book is beautifully printed and artistically bound. 这本书印刷精美，装帧高雅。
• The room is artistically decorated. 房间布置得很美观。

10 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

11 treatise   

n.专著；(专题)论文

参考例句：

• The doctor wrote a treatise on alcoholism.那位医生写了一篇关于酗酒问题的论文。
• This is not a treatise on statistical theory.这不是一篇有关统计理论的论文。