Wild Girls: Paris, Sappho, and Art

Wild Girls traces the intersecting lives of two American women writers - Natalie Barney and Romaine Brooks - in early 20th century Paris. Their story spans seven decades, from their unconventional upbringings through their time as influential figures in the artistic and literary circles of Paris's Left Bank. The book chronicles Barney's literary salon at 20 rue Jacob, which became a gathering place for modernist writers, artists and intellectuals. Through detailed research and private letters, Souhami reconstructs the complex relationships and creative collaborations that defined this unique cultural moment. The narrative follows Barney and Brooks's encounters with major figures including Colette, Gertrude Stein, Djuna Barnes, and many others who shaped modernist culture. Their story plays out against the backdrop of two world wars and profound social changes in Europe and America. This dual biography illuminates questions of artistic freedom, sexual identity, and the role of community in fostering creative work. The book examines how these women created spaces - both physical and cultural - where unconventional lives and art forms could flourish.

Readers describe this book as part biography, part cultural history of women artists and writers in 1900s Paris. The narrative focuses on Natalie Barney and Romaine Brooks while weaving in connections to Sappho's poetry. Readers appreciated: - Rich details about the Paris art scene - Clear portrayal of LGBTQ relationships in historical context - Engaging writing style that brings characters to life Common criticisms: - Jumps between time periods in a confusing way - Too much focus on social connections vs artistic work - Repetitive anecdotes Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (12 ratings) "Fascinating slice of literary history but needed tighter editing" - Goodreads reviewer "Chronicles an important era for women artists but gets lost in name-dropping" - Amazon reviewer "The Sappho connections feel forced" - Library Journal review Multiple readers noted they learned new information about this period but wished for more analysis of the art and writing produced.

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Sappho: A New Translation by Mary Barnard The translations capture Sappho's intimate verses and fragments while providing historical context about the poet's life and influence on women writers.

Women of the Left Bank by Shari Benstock This study chronicles the lives and works of the female writers and artists who created an alternative cultural scene in Paris between the wars.

Art and Affection: A Life of Virginia Woolf by Panthea Reid The biography explores Woolf's connections to other artists and writers while examining how her relationships influenced her experimental works.

City of Women by Christine Stansell This history documents the cultural and social revolution led by women artists and activists in nineteenth-century New York.

🎨 Sappho, one of the central figures in the book, wrote approximately 10,000 lines of poetry, but only about 650 lines survive today 📚 Diana Souhami has won multiple literary awards, including the Lambda Literary Award and the Whitbread Biography Award for her work "Selkirk's Island" 🎪 The book explores the artistic scene of Paris's Left Bank in the 1900s, where many women artists and writers lived openly in same-sex relationships despite the era's social restrictions ✒️ Natalie Clifford Barney, featured prominently in the book, held a literary salon at 20 rue Jacob in Paris for over 60 years, hosting luminaries like Rilke, T.S. Eliot, and F. Scott Fitzgerald 🏺 The term "lesbian" derives from Sappho's home on the island of Lesbos, where she ran a school for young women and wrote much of her romantic poetry