Waking Up French Ren ée Vivien (1877-1909) and the French language Revival in Maine June 11 is the birthday of the French Symbolist poet Renée Vivien, who wasn’t really French at all. Nor was she called Renée–at least not by those who loved her, like Violet Shiletto, Eva Palmer, Natalie Barney, Romaine Brooks or Hélène de
As Elusive as Ever Update on the lost film footage Last month you saw the first and only known film clip of Natalie Barney, speaking at home about Mata Hari, the subject of a 1996 British documentary. Since then, my tireless assistant Nikki Grigsby has been on the case to hunt down the source footage. Results: nil.
Natalie Speaks Lost Film Footage Found by Italian researcher I had heard rumors that an audio recording existed of Natalie Barney. Like everyone else, I longed to hear her voice and listen to her speaking. Last week, Natalie’s friend and biographer Jean Chalon very kindly forwarded this link sent to him by Italian researcher Giulia
1 May 2014 Corps à Corps with Romaine Brooks Tête à tête with her biographer, Cassandra Langer Suzanne Stroh: Thanks for popping by the site yesterday, and welcome back. It’s been six months since we talked on Natalie’s birthday. You’ve finished your biography of Romaine Brooks. Perfect timing; today is her 140th birthday. If today
30 April 2014 Binary Star System Èlisabeth de gramont and natalie Barney 115 years ago today in Paris, two remarkable women were rummaging through their wardrobes looking for something to wear on their first date. Both were in the avant-garde. Radical elites. First-born daughters. Élisabeth de Gramont, the married mother of two daughters of
April is said to be the cruellest month. And so it was for Renée Vivien in 1909.
NOBLE SPIRITS Cognac’s Golden Ratio April 23 is the birthday of Epicurean author, sculptor and political activist Elisabeth de Gramont (1875-1954), who made the first French translations of poems by John Keats. Somebody once asked Lily de Gramont how to translate literature. She said that the artistry’s in imagining how the author would express herself,
Snow on cherry blossom. The snake eludes the young hawk. The light flurries drift in powder clouds like glittering smoke from wood fires. A lone cello in the music room. The season balks; the teacher practices. Real spring–when will it come? © 2014 SUZANNE STROH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Death Valley Your Mother and I Your mother and I keep spaces between us. We travel together on separate schedules. Our love is like a Roman goddess. She’s elusive in Latin and yet she endures. One way we know our love is how we miss you equally. It comes in waves
the writing life From the desk of… Part two Another dream writing room, posted January 28, 2014 on Reverb’s Facebook page. At the risk of being too busy (my room is visually quiet, barer), love how the floor planks “talk” to the book spines above. I’d want to enter through tall French doors, or else
