Step into the intimate world of Diane Keaton as her memoir, Then Again, reveals a deeply personal journey through the eyes of her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton. More than just an autobiography, this shared narrative explores the intertwined lives, unfulfilled aspirations, and enduring love between an iconic actress and the woman who shaped her, offering fans a unique look into their complex, inspiring bond.
The recent passing of Diane Keaton on October 11 at 79 brought renewed attention to her storied life and career, prompting many to revisit her profound 2012 memoir, Then Again. This isn’t just a celebrity autobiography; it’s a poignant exploration of the intricate relationship between Keaton and her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton, who passed away in 2008.
For fans of classic films and the legendary actress behind iconic roles in movies like Annie Hall and The First Wives Club, the memoir offers unparalleled depth, revealing how much of Keaton’s extraordinary will and unique perspective were inherited from her equally extraordinary mother. It’s a testament to the fact that behind every star is a complex personal history, often rooted in the quiet dreams and challenges of those who came before.
Dorothy Deanne Keaton: The Unsung Dreamer and Hidden Artist
Born Diane Hall in Los Angeles in 1946, Diane Keaton adopted her mother’s maiden name as her professional moniker, a subtle nod to the deep connection she felt. But her mother, Dorothy Deanne Keaton, was much more than just a source of a surname. Diane described her as someone who “secretly in her heart of hearts she probably wanted to be an entertainer of some kind,” according to an interview with People in 2004.
Dorothy’s life was a tapestry of unfulfilled creative aspirations and societal expectations. From singing in a high school trio called “Two Dots and a Dash” to competing in beauty pageants like Mrs. Highland Park and Mrs. Los Angeles, she constantly sought an outlet for her ambitions. Diane vividly recounts her mother’s attempts to win “Queen for a Day” with dramatic stories and her unexpected participation in the “Mrs. America” contest, winning local titles and temporarily basking in the spotlight.
Despite these public endeavors, Dorothy’s true artistic spirit often found expression in more private ways:
- She maintained scrapbooks filled with “endless explanations” and “letters to Diane.”
- She created collages with family photos and magazine cutouts, often featuring philosophical slogans like “It’s the journey that counts, not the arrival.”
- Inspired by neighbors and a visit to New York’s Museum of Modern Art, she experimented with shellboards and “rockboards,” viewing them as artistic mediums.
Diane’s memoir paints a picture of a woman struggling to find her voice in a world that often confined women to domestic roles. “Even though most people saw Dorothy as a housewife, I saw an artist struggling to find a medium,” Diane reflects.
The Journals: A Daughter’s Discovery and Shared Memoir
The heart of Then Again lies in Diane’s discovery and eventual immersion into her mother’s vast collection of journals. Initially, Diane avoided them, preferring pictures to her mother’s “letters to Diane.” However, when Diane decided to write her own memoir at 63, she began to read Dorothy’s writings, stumbling upon her mother’s own unfinished memoir attempt from 1980.
Dorothy’s journals were raw and unflinching, chronicling everything from her frustrations with aging and her husband Jack’s illness, to her deeply personal thoughts on women’s struggle for accomplishment and her anger during difficult times. Diane found one entry, dated August 2, 1976, particularly jarring, revealing a side of her parents’ relationship she hadn’t wanted to confront. This led her to put the journals down for three decades, only fully engaging with them after Dorothy’s death.
It was through these writings that Diane pieced together not only her mother’s inner world but also her own identity. Dorothy’s ability to keep writing without an audience, driven purely by an internal need, deeply impressed her daughter. The memoir, therefore, became a collaborative effort across generations, weaving together Diane’s memories with Dorothy’s words, letters, and clippings. As Keaton explains, it’s “not my memoir but ours,” a profound effort to understand her mother’s journey and, in doing so, her own.
The Shadows of Alzheimer’s and the Echo of “No”
Dorothy’s later years were marked by a devastating battle with Alzheimer’s disease, a journey painfully documented in her own journals. Diagnosed in June 1993, she continued to write as long as she could, her entries gradually shrinking from paragraphs to sentences, then to single words, and finally to numbers. This slow erosion of memory and selfhood is a central, heartbreaking element of the memoir.
Diane recalls her mother’s last word being “no,” a fierce, final assertion of independence against the relentless care and loss of control that accompanied her illness. It was a poignant echo of Dorothy’s lifelong desire for autonomy and her retreats into quiet rooms with “a longing that overshadowed her all-encompassing love” for her family.
In the face of this betrayal by a cruel disease, Diane herself embraced a new chapter, adopting her daughter, Dexter, at age 50, and later her son, Duke. This experience of becoming a mother while witnessing her own mother’s decline brought a new layer of understanding to Dorothy’s life and sacrifices. The memoir’s concluding dedication to her mother’s legacy, promising to “take care of her thoughts and words,” highlights the enduring power of their bond.
A Shared Belief in Collage: Life as Reorganization
A recurring theme in Then Again, and a powerful metaphor for their intertwined lives, is the concept of collage. Both Dorothy and Diane embraced this artistic form, literally and figuratively.
- Dorothy’s scrapbooks and collaged items were early examples.
- Inspired by an “Art of Assemblage” exhibition, Diane herself collaged her bedroom wall, and her brother Randy became an actual collage artist.
For Diane, collage, like “abstract reasoning” (a skill her childhood intelligence test identified), became “a visual process for analyzing information.” Her memoir itself is a collage, an artful arrangement of her memories, her mother’s writings, photographs, and clippings. This structure allows the reader to experience their shared history as a rich, layered tapestry, much like their own lives were.
Then Again is more than just a daughter’s tribute; it’s a profound reflection on how family history shapes destiny, how unfulfilled dreams can inspire new ones, and how the pursuit of self-understanding is a lifelong, often collaborative, journey. It offers a unique lens through which to appreciate Diane Keaton, not just as a cinematic icon, but as a woman deeply connected to her roots and the extraordinary will passed down from her mother. The book is available for purchase from Random House Trade Paperbacks and other booksellers.
