Its funny to see how these things go in cycles, she says of the books renewed popularity.
For Anolik, the reason why is simple.
She transformed herself into a style icon.
In other words, Donna didnt just writeThe Secret History,she lived it.
I had to be told about it.
Dark Academia was a phenomenon before COVID, but once lockdown happened, it truly blossomed.
The nature of desire!
Now we cant get enough of tweed jackets and dusty books.
I think theres something else at play here, though.
But a few things have been lost.
There was a flair and freedom in the bad old days of the 1980s.
Look, we live in a time of well-meaning repressions.
Social media makes us feel perpetually watched, judged.
You dont want to write or say the wrong thing or youll be sorry.
But now the past is where we see license.
The past is where we feel we can express our dark truths.
Like, If only I were at Bennington in 1982, then I could be who I really am.
What are some of your favorite TikToks on the subject that youve encountered?
Sometimes the Dark Academians seem to like school too much.
But I like@dariniki.x’s sense of humor.
And the old-money aesthetic kids are wild.
Given Gen Zs newfound interest in this topic, have you found a younger audience listening to the podcast?
I seeOnce Upon a Time… at Bennington CollegeasMad Menfor Generation Podcast.
I think thats why Lena Dunham and people younger than Lena are effusing about it on Instagram and Twitter.
All that sex, all those drugs!
Id imagine that Bennington in the 80s looks to them almost like science fiction.
What did you make of the comparison?
Look, [unlike in that story] Donna’s a public figure.
She might be ambivalent about fame, but she is extremely adept at being famous.
This persona she’s created is highly cultivated.
She was on theVanity FairInternational Best-Dressed List in 2014, the same yearshe won the Pulitzer.
This is someone who has designed herself to be looked at.
Donna isnt the first famous literary figure youve explored in your work.
Your last book,Eves Hollywood, was a biography of Eve Babitz.
What does that mean to you?
Objectivity is, to me, a pose.
Passion is, in my opinion, essential to writing a book or making a podcast.
But just because Im passionate doesnt mean I cant be cold-eyed.
This podcast started off as an oral history.
Your book on Eve began as an article forVanity Fair.
How do you exorcise these figures after spending so much time with them?
Well, it’s like falling in love for me.
It’s deep and it’s weird and it’s obsessive.
I don’t know if it ever gets exorcized, totally.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.