Part 3, Seven Places of the Mind: Los Angeles Notebook Summary and Analysis

In Los Angeles, the citizens know when the Santa Ana winds are about to blow because people's temperaments become dark. Crime increases during these periods. There have been stories written about this phenomenon. Surgeons refuse to operate during this time as well because patients tend to bleed. There is some thought that the Santa Ana winds change the very atmosphere, causing more positive ions to appear in the air, thereby causing these psychological changes.

In Los Angeles, night time talk shows discuss the merits of a new book written by Helen Gurley Brown. One afternoon when it is very hot, Didion plays in the sprinkler with her daughter and then goes to the store in her bathing suit. A woman follows her around the store...