Recollections of Anaïs Nin by her Contemporaries
Edited by Benjamin Franklin V
“Joy appears now in the little things. The big themes remain tragic but a leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the taste of coffee–Joy accompanied me as I walked to the press. The secret of joy is the mastery of pain.”
–Anaïs Nin
About the book
At least since the publication of the first volume of The Diary of Anaïs Nin in 1966, perceptive readers have wondered about the life of Nin. Was it as she depicts it? The three volumes that have appeared so far of her posthumously published “unexpurgated” Diary dramatically revise her earlier presentation of herself, thus raising further questions about this mysterious woman.
Recollections of Anaïs Nin presents Nin through the eyes of twenty-six people who knew her. She is the unconventional, distant aunt; the thoughtful friend; the owner of the strangely disarming voice; the author eager for attention yet hyper-sensitive to criticism; the generous advisor to a literary magazine; the lover; the beautiful septuagenarian; the recommender of books– the contributors elaborate on these and many other perceptions of Nin.
Readers of this book will meet one of the most enigmatic literary women of the twentieth century.
Contributors: Shirley Ariker, Anna Balakian, Lili Bita, Anatole Broyard, William Burford, William Claire, Sas Colby, John Ferrone, Stephanie Gauper, Valerie Harms, Suzette Henke, Rochelle Holt, Philip Jason, Bettina Knapp, Barbara Kraft, Victor Lipari, Deena Metzger, Lila Rosenblum, Gayle Nin Rosenkrantz, Charles Ruas, Duane Schneider, Sharon Spencer, Rob Wynne, Robert Zaller, Harriet Zinnes, and the editor.
About the Editor
Benjamin Franklin V is Professor of English at the University of South Carolina. He has published widely in early American literature and edits Literary Criticism in Perspective for Camden House. He is co-author (with Duane Schneider) of Anaïs Nin: An Introduction (1979), and is a long-time jazz writer and broadcaster.
“Mr. Franklin’s compilation of essays about this mysterious and unforgettable writer, who haunts one like a dream never had – but yearns yet fears to have – is one of the most welcome events of the year: fascinating, and, in my opinion, indispensable.”
— James Dickey