Summary
This article contains discussion of sexual abuse and addiction.
Two years before the prequelTwin PeaksmovieFire Walk With Me,Jennifer Lynch showed off her writing chops at the start of her filmmaking career with aTwin Peakscompanion book.The Secret Diary of Laura Palmerwas published between the air dates of seasons 1 and 2 of the original series, but its events are set beforeTwin Peaks, which would change TV forever. Its ability to satisfy an audience’s thirst for clues was a testament to how muchLaura Palmer’s murder was a pop culture sensation in the early ’90s.
As“who killed Laura Palmer?”was such a conversation piece, it would have been easy to make the book sensational, even distasteful. Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lnych, doesn’t fall into this trap. Instead,she embodies Laura’s narrative voice with ease, adding even more layers of complexity and tragedy to Laurawhich would be further explored in the prequel movie. The story behind the novel says a lot about co-creators Mark Frost and David Lynch’s approach to and respect for Laura’s character, and Jennifer Lynch’s writing foreshadows some major reveals of season 2.
Twin Peaks: Who Killed Laura Palmer, Explained
Twin Peaks' biggest mystery revolves around Laura Palmer’s death and who brutally killed her, leading up to a terrifying truth in David Lynch’s show.
Like Much Of Twin Peaks, Laura’s Diary Has A Doppelgänger
From the beginning ofTwin Peaks, Laura Palmer’s diary – unceremoniously burst open by Cooper – is a key piece of evidence in the mystery. Laura writes cryptic clues such as,“Nervous about meeting J tonight,”adding to the enigma that hooks viewers over 32 years afterTwin Peaksseason 2’s finale. David Lynch’s daughter, Jennifer Lynch, published her bookThe Secret Diary of Laura Palmerin 1990.It’s separate from the diary initially taken as evidence in season 1. Its release was just a couple of weeks before season 2 aired – andthe events of season 2 make it canon.
It’s not a mere piece of fanfiction – it’s part of the fabric of Twin Peaks’ compelling narrative.
In season 2, Donna finds Laura’s second diary at Harold’s house, the"mystery man"Laura comes to trust with this deeply personal document. Several passages from Jennifer Lynch’s book are quoted throughout season 2, which shows that it’s not a mere piece of fan fiction – it’s part of the fabric ofTwin Peaks’ compelling narrative. As in the show, some pages in the book are marked"torn out"– this adds to its air of authenticity and makes it a fascinating source of Easter eggs for the keenest viewers.The two diaries represent Laura’s double life.
Jennifer Lynch’s Secret Diary Fleshes Out Laura’s Life
As well as preceding the shocking reveals in season 2, Jennifer Lynch’s book revealed the extent of Laura’s secrecy before it’s explored in the prequel movie,Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.Placed between series 1 and 2, it was also published at the peak of the series’ popularity. Laura’s killer hadn’t yet been revealed, andit can’t be overstated how much the show had become a cultural phenomenon– even the late Queen Elizabeth II snubbed a Paul McCartney performance so she wouldn’t miss an episode. (Rolling Stone) Audiences were eager for any clues they could get their hands on.
Jennifer Lynch made her directorial debut three years later withBoxing Helena,which she also wrote.
The diary Jennifer Lynch penned shows she knew about the upcoming plot, and that the book was intended as a companion.Its authenticity is enhanced by her use of foreshadowing, especially in the early pages, adding even more tragedy to Laura’s sad story. A 12-year-old Laura ironically states about her mother Sarah,“She’s crazy if she thinks I’ll be a grown-up in no time,”– Laura’s trauma cruelly ages her beyond her years, and her life is cut short. She also drops hints about Leland very early on, writing,“He likes the woods as much as I do.”
Jennifer Lynch Became Laura In Her Convincing Book
The Convincing Narrative Voice Pays Laura Due Respect
Jennifer Lynch uses a variety of techniques to embody Laura Palmer in her gripping prequel book.She revealed that the writing experience was like automatic writingin that she knew the character so well and thatTwin Peaksco-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost directed her to“be Laura Palmer.”(The Tuscaloosa News) The ways she fulfills this range from the expository to the ultra-subtle in the book. For instance, a reference to the folk song‘Waltzing Matilda’has dark hidden depths, while a line in a poem by Laura,“we had a secret,”points strongly to sexual abuse.
More layers of tragedy are added through Laura’s commentary on her public persona:“I’m here, Laura Palmer, honor student, model citizen of Twin Peaks… and I’ve got a habit I’ve only just begun.”Laura struggles with her cocaine addiction and admits her sobriety makes her feel lonely. In addition, her experiences with familiar characters from season 1 uncoverall the ways people in the community not only failed her but actively took advantage of her. The writing style shifts from upbeat to fearful as the book progresses, reflecting Laura’s maturation and progressive despair following experiences nobody should go through.
Laura’s experiences uncover hypocrisy and darkness in several likable characters, reflecting the show’s unsettling overtones.
The book’s exposure of key exploitative characters is a chilling reminder of what Bobby criticized at Laura’s funeral:“You wanna know who killed Laura Palmer? You did! We all did.”The weight of grief hanging over the town is intense and infectious, puttingTwin Peaksahead of its time, and challenging the depictions of murder victims in the genre previously. The town’s wholesome rural image covers a dark, seedy underbelly.Jennifer Lynch’s book honors this constant contrast and subversionthat makes it one of the best TV shows of all time – andmany TV shows wouldn’t exist withoutTwin Peaks.
