Today is the birthday of Colette, the french novelist. She was born on January 28, 1873, and died on August 3, 1954.I discovered her novel, The Vagabond, when I was in my early 20s and became a great admirer of her writing and her life. The heroine of The Vagabond is a creative, independent woman who'd rather be on the road with a music-hall troupe than stuck in a dull marriage.
Early in her career Colette was a controversial stage performer. She had both male and female lovers, and wrote more than 50 novels, many of them autobiographical, including Gigi and Cheri. Her poetic prose led her to become a national icon in France and she recieved a state funeral when she died. "What a wonderful life I've had," she said. "I only wish I'd realized it sooner!"
2 comments:
Capote has a wonderful short story, The White Rose, about his meeting her. It's in his The Dogs Bark collection.
Thanks Phil, I'll have to check that out.
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